After a year-long evaluation, the R.D. Offutt Wadena Farm earned the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification from the Department of Agriculture, joining other growers as a recognized leader in the state for water stewardship.
The certification program is a voluntary opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation practices to protect water. Applicants undergo an in-depth examination of fields, characteristics and crop rotation history, nutrient and pesticide management techniques, as well as tillage and irrigation practices.
Jim Lahn, Area Certification Specialist for the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program, worked with his conservation team to conduct the assessment of R.D. Offutt’s Wadena operation, in partnership with MDA staff members from the St. Paul office.
“I appreciated the great conversations with Jonathan Robbins, RDO Farm Manager and Mark Riepe, RDO Agronomist, about farming practices, investments in soil health, and water quality protection efforts,” Lahn said. “Jonathan and Mark were also willing to adopt new conservation practices, such as additional cover crops and new pest management practices, in the certification process.”
Lahn said that as a result of the detailed assessment, MDA determined that RDO’s Wadena Farm meets or exceeds all the requirements to achieve Ag Water Quality Certification.
Wadena is the second RDO operation to earn the certification (RDO’s Twin Rivers Seed Farm was certified in 2024), joining more than 1,500 Minnesota producers, farming more than 1,100,000 acres, now certified under the Minnesota program.
About R.D. Offutt’s Wadena Farm
RDO’s Wadena farm, established in 1996, spans fields in Wadena, Otter Tail and Todd Counties. Wadena Farm Manager and 15+ year RDO team member, Jonathan Robbins, leads a team who grow about 2,000 acres of potatoes every year.
Robbins said he works with approximately nine to twelve other farmers in the area, trading land and rotating crops to benefit and improve soil health. More than 9,700 acres were evaluated as part of the certification assessment.
“We only plant potatoes on any given field about once every five years,” Robbins said. “We are proud of the way we farm, and how all the farmers in the area work together to protect the soil and water.”
When RDO is not growing potatoes on a field, other farmers raise corn, soybeans, edible beans and other crops during the rotation. The practice has been so effective that the RDO team has reduced the number of potato acres grown each year but has maintained the same yield. Other farmers are finding similar success.
Trent Hagen started his farm when he was seventeen, growing crops on just 17 acres on his parents’ land. He said he has been working with RDO since 2017, trading land each year to rotate crops. Hagen grows wheat, black beans, corn, soybeans and navy beans and raises cattle.
“Trading land with RDO has provided the opportunity for my operation to access more acres so it could grow and thrive,” Hagen said. “Rotating crops is such a great tool for soil health and working together, we all reap the benefits.”
After learning more about the Ag Water Quality Certification program as RDO went through the process, Hagen is now considering an application for his own operation.
Regenerative ag practices underway at RDO Wadena farm
In addition to the long crop rotation, RDO has long implemented other regenerative agricultural practices to produce a healthy crop and maintain good water quality. Many of these practices were evaluated during the certification process:
- Soil fertility and crop protection: RDO follows university research and guidelines to inform soil fertility and crop protection plans. Every field is managed according to its individual needs. Weekly crop scouting is performed to ensure only necessary fertilizer and pesticides are applied, and variable rate technology is used to target specific areas within a field. Additionally, RDO is using more organic fertilizer than ever before, which adds organic matter to the soil and improves soil fertility and water retention. In 2024, roughly half the farm’s acres were fertilized using organic fertilizer, strategically applied based on soil sampling and variety selection.
- Irrigation management: Fields are checked daily for soil moisture levels and compared against the potato growth cycle to determine irrigation needs, in absence of rainfall. RDO team members utilize remote monitoring to manage irrigation practices and precise, center pivot systems with drop down, low-pressure nozzles to conserve water and power.
- Cover crops: RDO has a goal to plant cover crops on all fields coming out of potato production and on all rotational fields every year, as weather allows. Robbins said a variety of cover crops are planted, including rye, oats, mustard and radish, which slow erosion, improve soil health, enhance water availability and increase biodiversity. As part of the certification assessment, RDO planted a cover crop trial on fields going into potato production in 2025, which has not typically occurred due to late-season field preparation. The results which look promising to further increase cover crop acres.
Beyond the field: RDO’s involvement in the community
Robbins and his team partner with the Wadena County 4-H every year at the County Fair on French fry sales; they teach welding at Bertha High School; they sponsor Chamber of Commerce community events and team members serve on the Wadena County Ag Society. Perhaps the most visible community event, RDO hosts an all-you-can-dig “potato field day” every year, when hundreds of people gather at a field and dig potatoes to stock their pantries during harvest.
Robbins said he’s proud of earning for Ag Water Quality Certification and for all the team does in the Wadena area.
“Our RDO team members live in this community … we are raising families, we are working with our neighbors, and we are doing the very best we can to farm in a way that protects the environment, preserving it for future generations,” Robbins said. “This certificate is a fantastic acknowledgement of our commitment to sustainable farming.”
