The Bieglers

Bryan Biegler is a third generation farmer from Lake Wilson in southwestern Minnesota. Just like Biegler’s father – who still helps on the farm when he can – Bryan has worked to protect the area’s natural resources by trying and using many of today’s common, on-farm conservation practices.

He had been thinking about switching to strip-tilling his corn and soybean for almost 10 years before he finally tried it. He’s glad he did. There are still a few spots that get washed out during heavy rains (that’s inevitable), but more of his soil and fertilizer stays on his fields and out of nearby ditches and waterways.

In addition to strip-tilling, Biegler practices vertical tillage in some areas, cover crops (especially planting rye into corn), and buffer strips around a nearby creek. It’s worth the effort, especially for his children. “We feed what we grow to our kids with no concern.”