MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT TO ALLIANCE: Ag & Water Dialogues to be Convened for Practical Solutions

The U.S. Water Alliance is convening the agriculture and water communities in a series of dialogues along the Mississippi River to help reduce nutrient pollution in meaningful and practical ways.  “The Alliance is building relationships and connecting problem solvers within the agriculture and water sectors,” explains Ben Grumbles, president.  “These workshops are forums for frank talk and real solutions involving food, water, and nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin.”  Supported by a grant from the McKnight Foundation and working with The Johnson Foundation and the Sand County Foundation, the Alliance will moderate timely and candid conversations about the issues each sector faces in managing nutrients, protecting public health and the environment, and providing food and jobs.  The Meridian Institute will provide facilitation services.  A wide range of diverse water, wastewater, agriculture, and conservation groups are involved in the planning. 

Four or more workshops will be held over the next year. The first meeting will be in late Fall and hosted by The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, in Racine, Wisconsin.