Fifteen years ago in the heart of Minnesota 's dairy production and crop farming region, Clifford Knebel became a participant in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Clifford's land is located in Sterns County in the Sauk River Watershed District that borders the North Fork Crow River Watershed District. The ditches and wetlands in these two watersheds affect two larger bodies of water in the area plus many small lakes. Besides wetlands, the land has rolling hills with highly erodible land.

Clifford's ancestors homesteaded their farm in 1861. The farm is now recognized by the Stearns County Historical Society as a Century Farm.

Clifford purchased the farm in 1953, milked cows, raised sows, and cropped the land. In 1982, Clifford quit milking and went to work on road construction while farming on weekends. To help with additional income for the farm, Clifford offered his first acreage for CRP in 1990. Pleased with the results, Clifford has entered into 19 CRP contracts with a total enrollment of 629.3 acres.

Clifford, along with his wife Donna, has enjoyed seeing the increase in wildlife and believes the CRP practices installed on their land have served to help filter other cropland and improve water quality. The Knebels have even placed motion detection cameras on their CRP acres to photograph deer and other wildlife.

Since he retired, Clifford's CRP acres have become part of his leisure pursuit. "I don't golf or fish so restoring the land and helping to keep the wildlife are my hobby," said Clifford.

The pride of giving something back to the land and maintaining the land for his family and grandchildren are the goals the Knebels have set for their land. They have planted over 10,000 trees, and have established filter strips, permanent wildlife habitat with food plots, and rare and declining habitat. In addition, wetland restoration projects consisting of native grasses were established. Clifford is proud to be able to continue the family tradition and pass the land on to the next generation.

Donna and Clifford Knebel and Stearns County FSA Program Technician Sharon Salzer survey CRP acreage on the Knebels' farm.

Mr. and Mrs. Knebel believe the filter strips, riparian buffers, and farmable wetland pilot program acres enrolled in CRP help to filter other cropland and improve water quality.

Donna and Clifford Knebel are proud of their Century Farm, homesteaded by Clifford's ancestors in 1861.