Events
Events Calendar
We work to create a fun and welcoming environment where people can come together, learn from each other, and make meaningful connections for the sake of clean water. Another way to stay in the loop about upcoming events is to subscribe to our digital newsletter.
Celebrate Water!
Attend the Event!
Clean River Partners and Farmstead Bike Shop are hosting an evening of music, poetry, and other performances about water. This free event (donations are appreciated) is for all ages. Come appreciate art about water and enjoy a tasty beverage available for purchase from Farmstead!
Accessibility Information
Accessible entrance
Accessible restrooms
Accessible parking
Perform at the Event!
Interested in sharing your art during our evening of entertainment? Answer a few questions about your performance, and we'll get back to you soon!
Registration is first-come, first-served, though we reserve the right to make programming decisions based on our technical capacity to support your act and relationship to our theme. We are also holding a handful of spots for youth (ages 18 and under) to make sure we give some rising stars a chance. We have 12 spots available. You can submit acts that are 5-8 minutes long.
April Member Meetup
Did you know Dwarf Trout Lilies only grow in Rice, Goodhue, and Steele County? You won't find these flowers anywhere else on Earth!
Spend the afternoon with Clean River Partners and search for these beautiful blossoms. A Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Naturalist will lead the hike.
Note: All vehicles entering the park must have a permit. Permits can be purchased on-site or online.
Accessibility Information
Restrooms Available
Parking Available
Wood Stacking Day at the Farm
Please join us for a volunteer morning on April 22nd, from 9 am -12 pm at the Sharing Our Roots Farm.
Message from Sharing Our Roots Farm: At our 163-acre farm outside of Northfield, MN, we are championing how formerly monocropped farmland can be rehabilitated into a thriving native ecosystem. As part of our restoration work this spring, we have felled many invasive buckthorn and box elder trees and are looking for volunteer support to help clean up our natural lands.
Representatives from Sharing Our Roots and Clean River Partners will provide an overview of invasive species removal and the importance of native plants for our landscapes. Volunteers will support these efforts by stacking felled wood throughout the farm. Please come prepared with close-toed shoes, long pants and a long sleeve shirt, gloves, a water bottle, and sunscreen.
Building Community Capacity for Environmental Justice Workshop
Building Community Capacity for Environmental Justice is a learning experience that centers on inclusive approaches to community-based work. This learning experience brings the Minnesota Humanities Center's "Increase Engagement Through Absent Narratives Workshop" to southeastern Minnesota with an environmental lens. Who benefits and who pays under current practices and systems?
This day-long workshop (lunch included) is designed for those who want to build better relationships with community members, partners, and colleagues. Workshop participants will use personal stories, conversations, and guided reflections to practice strategies that help engage others with respect and empathy, while also exploring four key concepts: Building and Strengthening Relationships, Recognizing the Power of Story and the Danger of Absence, Introduction to Epistemology, and Community Solutions.
Participants will learn about using the lens of place to develop inclusive approaches and spaces, implementing different approaches to knowledge and behavior, and amplifying community solutions for change.
Accessibility Information
Accessible elevators
Accessible restrooms
Accessible parking
Event Partners
Northfield Earth Day Celebration
Clean River Partners will be hosting two workshops in the morning and tabling at the Earth-Friendly Exhibitors Sustainable Community Action and Idea Fair from 12 pm-4 pm.
Water Conservation 101: How Big is Your Water Footprint?
Instructor: Heron Mahr
Time: 9-10 am
Do you ever wonder just how much water you use in a week? In a day? Clean River Partners and the City of Northfield are here to help. Together, we'll learn about water footprints and what you can do to lower yours. From the laundry room to the bathroom, from the kitchen to the garden, we've got tips that will conserve water and put some extra dollars back in your pocket. Come for an interactive presentation and leave with some helpful handouts!
No Registration Required
Accessible Entrance
Accessible Bathrooms
Stormwater Smarts: Keeping Our River Clean
Instructor: Heron Mahr
Time: 10-11 am
You've probably seen storm drains around town — those big metal grates on the side of the road, covering holes that seem to go nowhere. These drains actually lead right to the Cannon River, and whatever goes down the drain ends up floating amongst the fish! Join Clean River Partners to learn about the many ways we can take action to keep our river healthy. Whether it's picking up pet waste and litter, planting a rain garden, or changing how you wash your car, everyone can make a difference. Come and enjoy some hands-on activities! This workshop is supported by the City of Northfield.
No Registration Required
Accessible Entrance
Accessible Bathrooms
Member Meetup: Tacos, Tunes, and 10,000 Drops
Come and enjoy some delicious tacos, craft cocktails, and great music!
With food from El Rey Del Taco food truck and tunes by Minnesota musician Adam Daniel, it's sure to be a great time. Chat with other Clean River Partners members, sip on a signature drink, and relax!
Note: Clean River Partners is not an event organizer for this event. We are just attending!
Accessibility Information
There are a few small steps leading up to the front door.
10,000 Drops Craft Distillers is dog-friendly. Dogs are allowed on the patio and indoors.
Non-alcoholic Drinks Available
May Board Meeting
Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected yearly at an Annual Meeting in the spring. The entire board gathers six times a year. These meetings typically land on the third Thursday of each month in the evening. Board members are expected to attend all meetings, actively participate on a committee, and be a member in good standing of Clean River Partners. If you want to join the board, check out our board member job description!
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/8270507396?pwd=QUhoYXlRdnIycHRHOFZobDVadktuZz09
Meeting ID: 827 050 7396
Passcode: 651387
Walk with a Naturalist
Join Clean River Partners as we walk through Big Woods Heritage Forest WMA! CRP staff and a Naturalist will discuss land protection, habitat restoration, and the ecology of the preserves while answering questions and touring the site. If you are thinking about protecting your land or want to learn more about the natural environments of SE Minnesota, we encourage you to attend!
Accessibility Information
Parking available (including Accessible spaces)
Restrooms available
Feed The People Farm Cooperative Tour
Experience Feed The People Farm Cooperative, a cooperatively run farm where meat chickens are raised within a regenerative ecosystem under a full canopy native to the Midwest.
Learn how owner-operators Helen Forsythe, Grace Brosnan, Bec Ersek, and Cliff Martin run the business collectively. Explore regenerative practices and why regenerative farming means more than just improving the soil. See young birds ranging in the environment in which they evolved, and learn how they are trained so they spend all of their time ranging outdoors.
This programming is focused on the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program.
Sakatah Wildlife Management Area Land Dedication
Join Clean River Partners, the Trust for Public Land, Great River Greening, and our conservation partners to recognize Judith Altobell and her family for their land ethic and habitat contributions.
Former landowner Judith Altobell will share his family’s story of why and how they pursued the natural legacy they envisioned for their property in Rice County.
July Board Meeting
Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected yearly at an Annual Meeting in the spring. The entire board gathers six times a year. These meetings typically land on the third Thursday of each month in the evening. Board members are expected to attend all meetings, actively participate on a committee, and be a member in good standing of Clean River Partners. If you want to join the board, check out our board member job description!
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/8270507396?pwd=QUhoYXlRdnIycHRHOFZobDVadktuZz09
Meeting ID: 827 050 7396
Passcode: 651387
Cannon River Watershed Soil Health Tour
Join farmers, industry representatives, and elected officials on a bus tour of three farms and learn about profitable conservation practices in our region.
You’ll see strip-till, no-till, cover crops, and winter camelina relayed with soybeans in action by these experienced farmers. Gain valuable information about Carbon Intensity Scores, carbon credit programs, and market opportunities. This is a FREE event and includes morning snacks and lunch.
Register early to secure your spot on the bus for more Q&A time! There are 56 seats available, but you can also choose to follow along in your personal vehicle.
Cannon River Watershed-Wide Cleanup
For over a decade, hundreds of volunteers from communities across the Cannon River watershed have dedicated a morning each fall to clean up area parks, rivers, and lakes. Our annual cleanup not only allows individuals to connect with nature but also leaves the watershed in better shape than it was before, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers.
More information will be available later on, including cleanup locations! For now, just save the date!
Thank you, event sponsors!
September Board Meeting
Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected yearly at an Annual Meeting in the spring. The entire board gathers six times a year. These meetings typically land on the third Thursday of each month in the evening. Board members are expected to attend all meetings, actively participate on a committee, and be a member in good standing of Clean River Partners. If you want to join the board, check out our board member job description!
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/8270507396?pwd=QUhoYXlRdnIycHRHOFZobDVadktuZz09
Meeting ID: 827 050 7396
Passcode: 651387
November Board Meeting
Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected yearly at an Annual Meeting in the spring. The entire board gathers six times a year. These meetings typically land on the third Thursday of each month in the evening. Board members are expected to attend all meetings, actively participate on a committee, and be a member in good standing of Clean River Partners. If you want to join the board, check out our board member job description!
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/8270507396?pwd=QUhoYXlRdnIycHRHOFZobDVadktuZz09
Meeting ID: 827 050 7396
Passcode: 651387
Getting Paid for Low Carbon Farming (Lunch & Workshop)
Learn How You Can Take Soil Health to the Bank
Join us for a free lunch and workshop to learn what “carbon intensity score” means, how the soil health principles reduce your carbon intensity score, and how you can be ready to sell low-carbon grain for a premium. Panels of ethanol and biofuel industry representatives and Minnesota Soil Health Coalition farmers will discuss this fast-approaching opportunity for agriculture. Attend this workshop and get your farm’s baseline carbon intensity score for FREE.
Guest Presenter: Mitchell Hora
Who Should Attend? Farmers, Agronomists, Ag Consultants, Ag Lenders, Biofuel Industry, Ethanol Industry, Coop Managers, Ag Educators, etc.
March Board Meeting
Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected yearly at an Annual Meeting in the spring. The entire board gathers six times a year. These meetings typically land on the third Thursday of each month in the evening. Board members are expected to attend all meetings, actively participate on a committee, and be a member in good standing of Clean River Partners. If you want to join the board, check out our board member job description!
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/8270507396?pwd=QUhoYXlRdnIycHRHOFZobDVadktuZz09
Meeting ID: 827 050 7396
Passcode: 651387
Plant a Rain Garden Workshop
Rain Gardens beautify your lawn with native plants while also capturing and cleaning stormwater before it enters our rivers and lakes.
What’s more, the City of Northfield and Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District will reimburse homeowners for part of the cost of installing a rain garden. Join staff members from Clean River Partners, the City of Northfield, and Dakota County SWCD to learn about the benefits of rain gardens and how to plan and install your own. You’ll learn where to put a rain garden, how to choose the right plants, and what cost-share programs exist to help you pay for the project. Please bring your questions and your ideas!
Farmer's Protecting Bridgewater Streams Update Meeting
You're invited to join us for a casual get-together with delicious pulled pork and great conversations. We aim to celebrate those who have already implemented the Bridgewater Streams program and offer information to those interested in starting the program. The event is informal, and we encourage everyone to participate and learn.
This meeting aims to benefit farmers in the Heath, Wolf, and Rice watersheds. Please feel free to bring along any friends or neighbors who could benefit from this program.
Questions? Contact our Team!
Member Meetup: Bagels and Birds
Come join us at the Bagels and Birds event hosted by River Bend Nature Center.
This event is open to the public and we are inviting Clean River Partners members to attend to enjoy nature and connect with our community. You can enjoy a free bagel and coffee provided by The Inn at Shattuck while watching for different bird species at Windows on the Wild.
Please register at the link below before Friday, February 23, 2024. We will relay the information to River Bend Nature Center so they know how many attendees to expect.
Questions? Contact our Team!
Heron Mahr, Community Engagement Coordinator
heron@cleanriverpartners.org
507-786-3913 x 5
Soil Health Winter Workshop: Maximizing Profitability with Carbon, Small Grains, Manure, and More.
Join the Freeborn Area Soil Health Team for a Soil Health Winter Workshop in Owatonna.
The workshop will focus on maximizing profitability with carbon, small grains, manure, and more. We are excited to have Martin Larsen and Carolyn King as speakers! Martin will present on small grains and how they have benefited his operation. Carolyn King will be presenting on the Carbon Intensity Score and how it relates to the 45Z tax credits. As a farmer, you can take advantage of this information! Following both presentations, a manure panel will discuss manure applications in a soil health system.
The event is free of cost, but registration is highly encouraged for the meal count!
This event would not be possible without the partnerships between the Freeborn Area Soil Health Team, Freeborn SWCD, Steele SWCD, Rice SWCD, Waseca SWCD, Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Organization, Shell Rock Winnebago Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan, and the sponsors of the Freeborn Area Soil Health Team!
Questions? Contact Lindsey Zeitler, Freeborn SWCD, at 507-320-3728.
Winter Camelina Information Session
Join Cargill and University of Minnesota Forever Green for this opportunity to network with fellow farmers and learn more about winter camelina as a developing market. Topics of Discussion will be:
Equipment setup for planting and harvest
Market Update- Cargill’s perspective on supply and demand dynamics
Seed buying specifications
Cost sharing opportunities
Farmer Q&A
Faribault Community Drinking Water Meeting (Rescheduled)
Do you trust your tap water? Do you drink it? Who is responsible for protecting it? Where can you get more information? We’re engaging Minnesota communities in a conversation about tap water. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with neighbors, and learn about the tap water where you live.
Private well owners: bring a sample of your water and get it tested for free! Testing provided by the Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Organization.
Snacks and childcare are provided, and the first 25 participants to register will get a $50 gift card.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
MAWQCP Breakfast
Farmers in priority watersheds are invited to a free breakfast in which they will receive a giftcard for filling out a Minnesota Ag Water Certification application.
This event is supported through our partnership with the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition.
Questions? Contact Alan Kraus, our Conservation Program Manager, at alan@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
January Board Meeting
Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected yearly at an Annual Meeting in the spring. The entire board gathers six times a year. These meetings typically land on the third Thursday of each month in the evening. Board members are expected to attend all meetings, actively participate on a committee, and be a member in good standing of Clean River Partners. If you want to join the board, check out our board member job description!
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/8270507396?pwd=QUhoYXlRdnIycHRHOFZobDVadktuZz09
Meeting ID: 827 050 7396
Passcode: 651387
Northfield Community Drinking Water Meeting
Do you trust your tap water? Do you drink it? Who is responsible for protecting it? Where can you get more information? We’re engaging Minnesota communities in a conversation about tap water. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with neighbors, and learn about the tap water where you live.
Private well owners: bring a sample of your water and get it tested for free! Testing provided by Rice Soil and Water Conservation District.
Snacks and childcare are provided, and the first 25 participants to register will get a $50 gift card.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
St. Cloud Community Drinking Water Meeting with Community Grassroots Solution
Do you trust your tap water? Do you drink it? Who is responsible for protecting it? Where can you get more information? We’re engaging Minnesota communities in a conversation about tap water. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with neighbors, and learn about the tap water where you live.
Snacks and childcare are provided, and the first 25 participants to register will get a $50 gift card.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Little Falls Community Drinking Water Meeting
Do you trust your tap water? Do you drink it? Who is responsible for protecting it? Where can you get more information? We’re engaging Minnesota communities in a conversation about tap water. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with neighbors, and learn about the tap water where you live.
Snacks and childcare are provided, and the first 25 participants to register will get a $50 gift card.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Water Quality Certification Breakfast
Join us for a complimentary breakfast at Faribault Family Restaurant and start an application for the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification (MAWQC) Program to receive a $100 gift card.
Questions? Contact Alan Kraus, our Conservation Program Manager at alan@cleanriverpartners.org
To learn more about the MAWQC Program, visit this link.
Austin Community Drinking Water Meeting
Do you trust your tap water? Do you drink it? Who is responsible for protecting it? Where can you get more information? We’re engaging Minnesota communities in a conversation about tap water. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with neighbors, and learn about the tap water where you live.
Snacks and childcare are provided, and the first 25 participants to register will get a $50 gift card.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Lewiston Community Drinking Water Meeting
Do you trust your tap water? Do you drink it? Who is responsible for protecting it? Where can you get more information? We’re engaging Minnesota communities in a conversation about tap water. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with neighbors, and learn about the tap water where you live.
Snacks and childcare are provided, and the first 25 participants to register will get a $50 gift card.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
The Environmental Justice Series: The Planet You Live On – What’s in Your Water?
Do you trust your tap water? Do you drink it? Who is responsible for protecting it? Where can you get more information? Clean River Partners is teaming up with the Environmental Justice Coordinating Council on their Environmental Justice Series to talk about drinking water in the metro area. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, connect with your neighbors, and learn about the tap water where you live.
Snacks and childcare are provided, and the first 25 participants to register will get a $50 gift card.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Board Meeting
The full Board meets every other month (January, March, May, July, September, and November). Meetings are in person (locations vary with the intent to hold meetings in various parts of the watershed) or online.
Zoom Meeting Details
Meeting ID: 827 050 7396
Passcode: 651387
Downstream Environmental Film Festival - Cannon Falls
Downstream Environmental Film Festival highlights local, regional, national, and international filmmakers who use film to explore environmental justice and inspire us to care for water, land, and habitats in southern Minnesota.
Join us at Tilion Brewing Company for a collection of short films, community connections, and light refreshments.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Little Cannon River AMA Tour
Take a walk at this new Aquatic Management Area in Warsaw Township, in Goodhue County. Staff from Clean River Partners will discuss the history of the site and restoration practices that have been underway. Following the walk, learn more about Clean River Partners and share your thoughts to help inform their upcoming strategic plan.
Questions? Contact Alan Kraus, our Conservation Program Manager, at alan@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Downstream Environmental Film Festival - Red Wing
Downstream Environmental Film Festival highlights local, regional, national, and international filmmakers who use film to explore environmental justice and inspire us to care for water, land, and habitats in southern Minnesota.
Join us at Hobgoblin Stoney End for a collection of short films, community connections, and light refreshments.
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Spooky Scary Storm Drains
Join us for an afternoon of volunteering and learning! We’ll work together to prevent stormwater pollution by applying storm drain decals. Wear a costume if you dare!
Questions? Contact Hannah Mahr, our Community Engagement Coordinator, at hannah@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Cider on the Cannon
This is your chance to learn about the Cannon River and the inspiring people who go above and beyond to protect it.
Join us at Keepsake Cidery to learn about the state of the river, our organization, and an award ceremony to celebrate our Cannon River Champions. Enjoy some light refreshments, connect with the community, and wander down to the Cannon River from the cidery. (Weather permitting, you may want to wear your boots!)
Questions? Contact Teresa Tillson, our Administrative & Development Assistant, at teresa@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.
Carbon Markets, Kernza®, and Water Quality Field Day
Join us at White Barn Acres for a Carbon Markets, Kernza®, and Water Quality field day to learn about emerging profit opportunities in farming. You’ll learn about
Continuum Ag, a regenerative ag company providing farmers with carbon intensity scoring and agronomy services for soil health success
The new perennial dual-use forage/grain crop, Kernza®, its emerging markets, and how it reduces nitrate leaching into drinking water, and benefits surface water quality;
The Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) and how it has helped local Minnesota farmers. Registration is available on our website.
The event will be held rain or shine with indoor facilities and includes a meal.
This event is supported by AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project grant no. 2020-68012-31934 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Questions? Contact Alan Kraus, our Conservation Program Manager, at alan@cleanriverpartners.org or (507) 786-3913.