(NewsDakota.com/NAFB) – A study from the Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence says using water quality practices on the farm has financial benefits.

For the fourth year in a row, farmers enrolled in the state’s Agricultural Water Quality Program had higher profits than those that didn’t. More than 100 farms enrolled in the water certification program throughout the state. Forty-three of the state’s 87 counties were represented. On average, water quality-certified farms brought in $23,500 more than non-certified farms, which was a 7.5 percent increase in profits. The average net income was more than $317,800 for farms involved in the study, while the state average was $257,600.

“This clearly states the case for water quality certification,” says Keith Olander, AgCentric director. “I can say this because we’re also doing this with cover crops, and we want to carry that forward and see where the environmental metrics go to help farmers with their decisions.”