STAPLES — Central Lakes College will play a key role in a major statewide project designed to conserve water and improve irrigation efficiency on Minnesota farms.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and educational institutions like CLC, has been awarded $11.16 million through the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

Over the next five years, the project will provide grants and technical support to farmers across 25 counties, helping them upgrade irrigation systems, improve nitrogen management and protect groundwater resources. More than 500 producers are expected to be directly impacted with this program and several hundred more through education programs. More

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