Lake Superior Watershed No-Till Rental Program
About the Program
The Truax FLEXII-812 No-Till Drill was purchased in 2009 by the Ashland County Land and Water Conservation Department with grant funding. The purpose of the program is to provide a reasonably priced service for agricultural producers who wish to implement no-till practices in the Lake Superior watershed and to protect soil and water quality while improving efficiency on the farm.
As of July 1, 2010 the no-till drill can now be used outside of the Lake Superior watershed, but still only on tillable soils.
Equipment is not suited for rocky soil; fields with stumps, roots, and downed wood; spoil material; or for mined land reclamation.
No-Till Uses
Hay field renovation and interseeding
Pasture reseeding
Field borders and filter strips
Prairie restoration
Planting small grains, clovers, soybeans, alfalfa, forage grasses, and native seed
Wildlife food plots
Cost
The basic rental charge is $50 per use plus $8.50 per acre for Ashland and Iron County residents.
In Bayfield and Douglas Counties, the charge is $75 per use plus $8.50 per acre.
In counties adjacent to the 4-county area (Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, and Price), the charge is $100 per use plus $8.50 per acre.
Rental ONLY in extended counties requires a minimum planting of 10 acres and a maximum of 3 days of use, unless otherwise authorized by the department. The equipment must be trailered from the LWCD to and from location of use.
Other services are available, and additional charges maybe assessed. Contact the equipment manager for more details.
Training
In order to rent and use the no-till drill, landowners or their authorized representative must attend a training and demonstration session on how to use and maintain the drill. You only have to attend a training session once. With special arrangements, the equipment manager can bring the equipment to your farm for a local training and demonstration.