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Conservation-minded farm family to be honored during Saturday’s Gophers football game

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The Dana Blume family from Elbow Lake, Minn., will be honored as the MCGA Homegrown Farm Family of the Game when the Gophers play Kent St. on Saturday.

The Dana Blume family from Elbow Lake, Minn., will be honored as the MCGA Homegrown Farm Family of the Game when the Gophers play Kent St. on Saturday.

Dana Blume is proud of his family farm near Elbow Lake, Minn. On Saturday, Blume’s pride will be on display in front of a packed TCF Bank Stadium when Dana, his wife Katy, and their four children are honored as the Minnesota Corn Growers Farm Family of the Game when the Gophers take on Kent State.

Dana is a third-generation farmer and has grown corn, soybeans and sugar beets since 1996. His grandfather owned the local John Deere dealership and farming has always been in Dana’s blood.

“I always wanted to farm,” Dana says. “As a kid growing up, it’s what I dreamed of doing.”

This is the third season that the Minnesota Corn Growers Association has partnered with Gophers football to recognize a homegrown Farm Family of the Game during all home football games. Families are selected not only for their commitment to growing food, feed, fiber and fuel for an increasing world population, but also for their dedication to protecting land, soil and water resources.

“My kids swim in nearby lakes. We drink the water,” Dana says. “We do as much as we can to protect our health and the health of the people on down the line.”

The list of conservation practices Dana uses on his farm is long:

  • Land sections are set aside through USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program to increase wildlife habitat and natural areas.
  • Perennial vegetation along the edges of waterways act as buffers to stop soil and fertilizer runoff from nearby fields from entering streams and rivers.
  • Blume applies fertilizer at a variable rate, which allows him to use less fertilizer and deliver it to the crop when it needs it most during the growing season.
  • Tile drainage outlets and inlets are effectively managed to significantly reduce the amount of soil sediment and nutrients entering waterways.
  • Conservation tillage techniques allow Blume to maintain natural organic matter in his soil and prevent erosion during large rain events.

“It all makes a difference,” Blume says. “It’s important that we preserve this land and everything around it for the next generation.”

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. Saturday is also Celebrate Ag & Food Day at TCF Bank Stadium. Look for the Minnesota Corn Growers, along with other farm groups and agribusinesses, out and about promoting Minnesota agriculture before, during and after the game.

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