An innovative snow-control program in Minnesota has demonstrated just how cool government can be. By paying landowners to grow crops along the highway that function as snow barriers, the state government has realized a 1700 percent return on their investment.

In 2001, the Minnesota Department of Transportation started paying landowners to grow trees, crops, shrubs, and grasses along the sides of major highways. The plants prevent snow drifts from landing in the roadways, a common occurrence that requires more plowing and potentially increases the chances of accidents and flooding.

Of course, there's a caveat. Failed marketing efforts have left the vast majority of roads that could be protected under this program unprotected. It seems the government hasn't been able to get the word out to the landowners in order to get full buy in into the program. To combat this trend, the state is unveiling a new study to help them identify opportunities for improvement, but one has to wonder how many years it takes to get in touch with a small group of people. If the state IRS can reach them to take their money; why can't the government reach them to give them money?