In a region of the country with so many lakes and rivers, it is no surprise that water quality and water use are critical issues. In addition to domestic uses, Wisconsin and Minnesota residents want clean water for recreation, wildlife habitat, and industry.Â
Water is used for cooking and drinking every day, and knowing that the source of that water is good and safe is important, though most people probably donât give it much thought.Â
Most rainwater and snowmelt in the region runs off buildings, parking lots, roads, highways, and farm fields into the hundreds of streams and rivers that eventually flow into the Mississippi River, the source of drinking water for much of the Twin Cities area.
Efficiency, profit encourage larger farms hudsonstarobserver.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hudsonstarobserver.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Throughout the Midwest, the trend in farming is a shift from smaller, family-owned farms to larger, sometimes corporate-owned farms, often called industrial agriculture. Those supporting the movement cite increased production of crops and animals, better efficiency in using land and facilities, and higher profits as reasons.Â
Greg Steele grew up on a 50-cow dairy farm in eastern Wisconsin, and he has watched the change with interest, both as a former farmer and as a senior dairy lending specialist the past 30 years for Compeer Financial, an organization that offers financial services to farmers in 144 counties in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. He said one way of looking at the shift is economics.Â