ST. PAUL — Ben and Alicia Mergen own and operate Mergen Acres, LLC with their family. Mergen Acres, LLC is near Farming, MN and recently became Ag Water Quality Certified. The Mergens raise 500 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa and operate a 50-cow dairy and poultry barn.

The Mergens have adopted cover crops and are working to implement no-till and strip tillage to improve their soil health, water infiltration, increase organic matter, and reduce erosion. The farm also has 11 acres of land enrolled into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Becoming Water Quality Certified provided an opportunity for the Mergens to review their management practices and make adjustments. The family believes it’s important to show the public that farmers are good stewards of the land and are continuously working towards improving the soil, land, and water quality.

Check out the MAWQCP story map to get to know some of the other certified producers across Minnesota!

— Minnesota Department of Agriculture

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