PIGEON FALLS – Draining water from fields through a tiling system is nothing new. It dates back to the early 1800’s when Scottish farms used tiles to drain otherwise unproductive farmland. Drain tiles started appearing on U.S. farms as early as the 1820’s when the goal was simply to get rid of excess water to allow crops to grow better.
During a recent virtual Discovery Farms conference, Tim Radatz, Minnesota’s Discovery Farms coordinator who also specializes in making tile systems work told the 150 participants, “Now in the twenty-first century the concern is more about water quality issues and what actually drains through those tiles.”
Wisconsin Ag News Headlines
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 12/21/2020 Discovery Farms Programs in Wisconsin and Minnesota will continue to hold its virtual conference series during January. The online programs are held each Wednesday.
On January 6, Larry Gunderson of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will join University of Minnesota Extension specialist Greg Klinger is reviewing groundwater protection rules and how it effects farming and nutrient management.
Tim Radatz with Discovery Farms Minnesota will facility the January 13 episode on tile drainage and how on-farm monitoring and practical management impacts farmers.
The January 20 webinar will feature rules and tools about manure, presented by Dustin Goering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Steve Schmit of Minnesota PCA.