(ABC 6 News) — In Mower County, a record amount of farmland will be restored to native prairie starting next year.

One of the residents helping on the restoration front, Roger Peterson, has donated almost a third of his about 600-acre property to these efforts.

Much of it used to be farmland, but inconsistent crops and flooding tendencies prompted Peterson to turn the land back into a native habitat.

Peterson isn’t the only farmer in the farmer in the area doing this, though. Since 2017, Mower County has seen over 1000 acres either restored or set aside to be restored in the future.

The county has been making efforts to restore land since the 1980s, but 2024 has set an all-time record.

“2024 is the year where we have had the most application acres funded. We’re up over 400 acres that were accepted by the state for funding,” said James Fett, the watershed technician for Mower Soil and Water Conservation District.

Much of this surge in restored land can be attributed to the Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, or MnCREP. It is a combination of state and federally funded programs that offer monetary payouts who put their own usable acres into conservation efforts. Plus, the land stays private.

While the payout is nice, Peterson says an extra incentive is leaving the land in better shape for the next generation, which is why he is putting an extra 45 acres into the program for next year.

“It’s a legacy. It’s not just for me; it’s for the future of this area too,” Peterson said.

If you are curious how you can get involved in programs like MnCREP, reach out to your county’s Soil and Water Conservation District. A list of those districts can be found here.