Meadowlands Farmers Sounding off on Flooding from Drainage Ditches

"Time is of the essence. This is an emergency here."

MEADOWLANDS, Minn. – Flooding from ditches have been a constant for farms in Meadowlands.

As the ditches become more of a problem farmers are saying it is disrupting their livelihood.

Drainage ditches on farms around Meadowlands are used to get rid of excess water left behind by rain.

After years of not being cared for, they have become clogged by grass and sediment.

“Time is of the essence. This is an emergency here,” said Ed Nelson, Secretary for the Arrowhead Regional Farm Bureau.

This becomes a huge problem for farmers as weather can be unpredictable.

“The county can’t do anything about Mother Nature but the infrastructure isn’t working to drain the fields,” said live stock farm owner Mike Walzak.

Massive amounts of rain can cause flooding making it difficult to produce crops.

We have exhausted all our options,” said Tom Horvath, owner of Horvath Farms.

Horvath, has been farming his whole life.

He says if the problem isn’t fixed he could end up having nothing.

“It’s almost at a catastrophic level. If something isn’t done now, I’m going to lose it and I have worked my whole life to get it,” said Horvath.

“I have my two little grandsons. They come and they want to do this stuff and if they are going to be able to do it, I have to do this now because if I don’t there won’t be anything left for them to do,” Horvath.

Mike Walzak grows corn to feed his livestock.

He says it’s cheaper to grow his own feed because outsourcing is too expensive.

“When we don’t have the corn or quality corn we don’t have the energy content to maintain their body weight,” said Walzak.

“If you don’t maintain their body condition when they come to spring they aren’t going to get bred,” Walzak continues.

In recent years Mike says due to flooding, he has taken a loss of about two hundred dollars an acre.

“It sucks. It hurts. You’ve got to do other things to make ends meet,” said Walzak.

Multiple farmers recently shared their concerns at a St. Louis County Board meeting.

Ed Nelson, secretary for the Arrowhead Regional Farm Bureau and owner of a farm, also attended that meeting.

The farm bureau helps solve problems related to agriculture.

Nelson says it’s important for farmers to speak up and get their voices heard.

“We have to bring attention to folks that don’t realize there is a problem out in the country,” said Nelson.

“We need help from everybody. We need folks in the city to say those farmers they’re working hard,” Nelson continues.

Meadowlands– area farmers say they aren’t asking for new ditches to be created.

They would like to have them cleaned and functioning properly.

It is believed the last time the ditches received extensive care was back in 1994.

The Arrowhead Farm Bureau is forming a committee to help find a solution. The first meeting will be on June 11th at Elmer town hall at 6 pm.