Minnesota Study Shows Higher Profitability for Water-Quality-Certified Farms

Farmers enrolled in the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) have higher profits than non-certified farms, according to five years of data from the Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence. The 126 MAWQCP farms in the study saw more gross cash farm income and net farm income in 2023 than non-certified farms. Looking at five-year average data, the average net cash income for MAWQCP farms was over $213,600 compared to nearly $163,000 for non-MAWQCP farms. Other key financial metrics are also better for those enrolled in the MAWQCP, such as debt-to-asset ratios and operating expense ratios. The five years of data serve as an indicator of a positive return on investment for whole-farm conservation management that farmers implement to become certified.