“This plan is all about redistributing nutrients so the plants can use them more efficiently,” Danes says. The plan is customized for their fields and helps them measure the amount of fertilizer they need so they can achieve higher production rates with fewer inputs. In 2009, they began collecting yield data from their combines, which led to the creation of a new variable-rate planting and fertilizer program with Helena Agri-Enterprises in 2013.
#Dabble rule 34 install#
Mike Danes has a wind turbine on his property that provides power for his hobby farm, and the family is researching options to install solar panels on the property. Danes says his family also filled in an old manure pit to help clean up the farm, and they’ve been soil sampling since 2005. Other conservation practices include grass waterways, wildlife food plots, duck scrapes, and selectively cutting wood to create wildlife habitats. Networking and hearing stories of practices that work or don’t work help him and his family decide what they can try next on their own farm. “We partner with neighboring farms to buy their manure and spread it on our acreage, and we need to be current on the best ways to do that safely.”ĭanes also enjoys the camaraderie of the group. “There are often new rules for manure application or new equipment we can look at,” he says. Keeping up to date on the latest practices and ideas also makes him feel like his membership is valuable. He really appreciates how the group brings his farming philosophy of “farm smarter, not harder” to life through the implementation of good environmental practices that truly make farming easier and more sustainable. The young group is working to bring farmers, community members and allied professionals together to champion sustainable farming practices, a mission that fits perfectly into the Danes family lifestyle. Staying Connected through a Farmer-led Groupĭanes has been a member of the Calumet County Ag Stewardship Alliance (CCASA) for the last two years. I just need to try different ways to do it.”
“I’ve definitely had some challenges with no-till, for example, due to soil compaction. “I’m not where I want to be yet,” he says. It’s not something his parents or grandparents did. Conservation at Redrock View FarmsĬarpenter is quick to say that he’s new in his journey using cover crops, reduced tillage and other conservation practices. “Farming is very challenging, and TNC is pleased to be able to support the efforts of Steve and other LASA farmers to find solutions that improve water quality and soil health and address climate change while sustaining their livelihoods and Wisconsin’s dairy economy,” says Steve Richter, TNC’s Wisconsin agriculture strategy director. LASA is supported by Farmers for Sustainable Food and The Nature Conservancy, who assist with outreach and event planning, helping farmers track the outcomes of their conservation practices and providing incentive funds to farmers who want to try new practices, such as cover crops and reduced tillage. The group also receives generous support from local and state businesses. To learn more about each of the farmers, click on the tabs below. You can also hear from the farmers themselves in these interviews with Ricardo Silva, our agriculture strategies manager. In doing so, they are not only protecting soil and water, but they are helping their farms remain resilient and profitable in the face of ever-changing conditions. In the following profiles, you’ll meet five Wisconsin farmers who are leading the way on changing management practices.
With support from Farmers for Sustainable Food, The Nature Conservancy and Wisconsin’s Producer-led Watershed Protection Grant Program, these farmers are sharing what they learn with each other and neighboring farmers, and they are setting goals and tracking conservation outcomes annually. Some of the practices they are using, such as cover crops and reduced tillage, will also help capture and hold carbon in the soil.
They have formed groups focused on their local watersheds and are implementing agricultural practices that build soil health and help improve water quality. A small, but growing, number of Wisconsin farmers are working together to help find the answers.
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