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:

1. Purchase Kernza (R) flour and/or grain to try at home: Perennial Pantry or Amazon

2. See how the LPLA community is experimenting with Kernza (R): Judy Krohn, Sandra Thielman, LPLA Staff & Board

3. Explore Other Recipes: Forever Green Cookbook, Perennial Pantry, Kernza.org

4. 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:

• University of MN: Forever Green Initiative

• The Land Institute

• Kernza.org

• Green Land, Blue Waters

• PBS News Hour on Kernza

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*

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).