by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
As farmers harvest fall crops, those who are interested in helping keep winter roads open in Minnesota, can do so by leaving standing corn rows, hay bales and silage tubes along roadways.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will pay farmers to leave these “living” snow fences along selected state roads to help with blowing and drifting snow control and visibility on Minnesota roads during the winter.
Farmers who qualify are compensated on a per-acre basis for standing corn rows and a per lineal foot basis for strategically stacked bales or silage tubes.
An average standing corn-row barrier is about one-quarter mile long and one acre in size, with 12 rows of corn left standing in fields. The average price compensated to a landowner is about $1,000 per acre.
Dan Gullickson, snow-control-program administrative coordinator in MnDOT’s Office of Environmental Stewardship, said Stearns County is part of MnDOT District 3 and covers a wide area.
He said 12 rows of corn are usually preferred, but in some cases farmers will leave six rows. It’s based on what is workable for farmers in their field. At a minimum, six rows of corn are needed.
Gullickson said last year Minnesota had almost 27 miles of living snow fences and more than 60 Minnesota farmers participated in the program.
The statewide average payment during the 2015-16 winter was $4,800 per mile of state highway protected from snow. Rates vary depending on MnDOT’s costs beyond routine snow plowing and salt applications, volume of road traffic and history of crashes on the road due to snow and ice conditions.
The living-snow-fence program began in the 1980s and is also used in Iowa.
Living snow fences also include native grasses and wildflowers, shrubs and trees which are located along roadways or around area cities and farms. These barriers trap the snow as it blows across fields so it piles up before it reaches roads, waterways, farms or cities.
About two miles of living snow fence of grasses, trees and more are along the Lake Wobegon Trail between Albany and Freeport. This living snow fence provides a good barrier between trail users and drivers.
Living snow fences are usually located about 100 to 200 feet or more into a farm field to provide enough drift formation and snow storage during winters. If snow is deposited in ditches instead of roads, the roads remain safer for motorists to travel on.
Some of the benefits to living snow fences include the following: preventing large snow drifts and icy roads which lead to stranded motorists, improving driver visibility and reducing accidents, serving as visual landmarks to help drivers find their way, reducing costs of snow plow time and heavy vehicle usage, reducing shipping delays for goods and services, increasing crop yields by 10 percent or more, controlling soil erosion and reducing spring flooding, decreasing salt use and its impact on the environment, increased viewing and hunting time of pheasants and other birds and more.
For standing corn rows or stacked bales, MnDOT enters into a short-term (one winter season) agreement with farmers and payment is made at the end of the winter. Because MnDOT pays for the corn stalks needed to catch blowing snow, ears of corn can be hand-picked by farmers and others in the spring if they choose to.
Farmers who are interested should check if their farm location is eligible for MnDOT’s living-snow-fence program, by contacting their local MnDOT snow-fence coordinator. The coordinator can verify the presence of a blowing snow problem along the section of state highway adjacent to the property he/she wants to enroll in the program.
If the site is eligible and a farmer wants to enroll, the farmer will need to become a state vendor. This allows the farmer to be paid through the Statewide Integrated Financial Tools system. The system collects information about how to reimburse farmers. Payments can also be direct-deposited.
Gullickson said the living-snow-fence program is for along state-maintained highways. If landowners are wondering about similar programs for county and township roads, they should contact people who deal with those roads.
A local contact about the program for the St. Cloud area is Randy Strassburg who works out of Little Falls. He can be reached by phone at 218-232-6803.
For additional information about the living-snow-fence program, visit the www.mndot.state.mn.us/environment/livingsnowfence website or contact Gullickson directly at daniel.gullickson@state.mn.us or by phone at 651-366-3610.
Farmers who are interested in helping keep winter roads open in Minnesota, can do so by leaving “living snow fences” of standing corn rows, hay bales and silage tubes along roadways. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will pay landowners to help keep winter roads safe.
Many farmers who want to help improve area winter road driving conditions will leave living snow fences to help trap snow as it blows across fields, piling it up before it reaches roads, waterways, farms and local areas.
