Lake Pepin serves as a catchbasin for sediment and other pollutants released throughout 48% of Minnesota, but local action is the first line of protection for this important stretch of the Mississippi River. Check out and commit to one or all of these actions, which include three ways to win a Kernza (R) prize package (cookbook + ingredients).
Clean Water Kitchen: Kernza (R) Baking Challenge!
Continuous Living Cover (CLC) is an approach to agriculture that aligns environmental protection with farm profitability by using diverse crops to ensure that the ground is vegetated all year round. One exciting development is Kernza (R), which is a new perennial grain with a deep and dense root system that can reduce nutrient leaching, erosive floods, and sediment pollution. Kernza (R) has less gluten than traditional wheat and brings a rich nutty flavor to everything from breakfast items, baked goods, and local beers. Plus, it is now available to the public for at-home baking and cooking. Join us in baking or cooking with Kernza(R) to win fun prizes! Here are the details:
Purchase Kernza (R) flour and/or grain to try at home: Perennial Pantry or Amazon
See how the LPLA community is experimenting with Kernza (R): Judy Krohn, Sandra Thielman, LPLA Staff & Board
Explore Other Recipes: Forever Green Cookbook, Perennial Pantry, Kernza.org
Share your baking experience (photo or video, name of your recipe, and overall perceptions) with us for a chance to win a prize package:
Forever Green Cookbook from Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)
Kernza (R) flour or grain from Perennial Pantry
Email: info@lakepepinlegacyalliance.org OR tag us on social media using @lakepepinlegacyalliance #CleanWaterKitchen
Deadline: May 31st!
Learn more about the Kernza (R) craze:
A short documentary from Patagonia Provisions that explains the value of regenerative agriculture and intermediate wheatgrass or Kernza (R).
River Clean-Up Efforts
Help us clean up the Lake Pepin watershed in Minnesota and Wisconsin from April 17th through April 25th. Join an organized clean-up event (LPLA is in Maiden Rock on April 22nd and Lake City on April 24th with Destination Lake City and the Lake City Sportsman’s Club) or just participate on your own time and in your own community. Post clean-up pictures to the event page for a chance to win a Kernza (R) prize package (see above). Submit your efforts on the debris tracking app for smartphones.
Boating Stewardship
Recreational boaters can help mitigate erosion and sediment resuspension in Lake Pepin by following these hot tips from the “Own Your Wake” campaign:
Stay 200 feet away from shorelines
Minimize Repetitive Passes
Travel slowly in shallow water
Avoid water that is less than 2.5 feet deep
Don’t back into shorelines
Comply with all No Wake areas
Lakeshore Stewardship
Take action on your property to mitigate erosion, reduce sediment, and create important habitat. The actions marked with (*) are encouraged by all property owners to slow the flow and reduce streambank erosion!
Stabilize shorelines using native plants & rocks
Create shoreline buffers with native plants
Leave healthy aquatic plants (to stabilize benthic sediment)
Redirect drain spouts towards vegetated areas*
Collect water with rain barrels or rain gardens*
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have teamed up to deliver the message of "Own Your Wake". This nationwide campaign encourages boaters on all bodies of water to take responsibility for the dangers a wake can cause to people, property, and our environment. More info here.
Animated video from the Anoka Soil and Water Conservation District about lakeshore restoration and stewardship created in collaboration with the Anoka County Water Resource Outreach Collaborative and several local Lake Associations.
Join the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance!
All new memberships and increased giving are DOUBLED by the Katherine B. Andersen Fund. Contribute $50 or more and claim this year’s member shirt with an exclusive Lake Pepin design. Every contribution until May is another chance to win the Kernza (R) prize package (listed above).
