Dane County Awarded $1 Million to Establish Demonstration Farm Network

April 21, 2023
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive, Land & Water Resources

Dane County Enters Collaborative Agreement with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service to Establish Demonstration Farm Network

 

The Dane County Land & Water Resources Department (LWRD) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through a five-year cooperative agreement totaling $1 million, County Executive Joe Parisi announced today. LWRD will utilize these funds/financial resources to establish a Demonstration Farm Network in Dane County in collaboration with local farmers.

 

“Clean water and healthy soils are a priority for our community and help ensure our natural resources can be enjoyed for generations to come,” said Parisi. “We are excited to continue to support innovative opportunities for our famers and facilitate farmer to farmer learning.”

 

The network of farms will conduct on-farm research to test current and innovative conservation systems and their ability to protect local water quality. Demonstration farms will provide learning opportunities including tours and field days for farmers, agribusiness, farmer-led watershed groups, natural resource agencies, and others, as well as facilitate farmer to farmer learning.

 

To initiate this network, Dane County LWRD will be identifying potential farms through the summer of 2023. Farmers who participate as a demonstration farm are eligible for an incentive payment. Dane County LWRD will collaborate with the University of Wisconsin on the research aspects of the project which include soil health and forage sampling as well as edge-of-field water quality monitoring. The plan is to have the Dane Demonstration Farms established by the fall of 2023.

 

Farmers who are interested in participating as a Dane Demonstration Farm are encouraged to reach out to Kim Meyer at Dane County LWRD at 608-445-1474.

 

About Dane County Land & Water Resources Department:
The Dane County Land & Water Resources Department works to protect and enhance Dane County’s natural, cultural, and historic resources. It provides the county’s residents with a broad array of accessible, high quality resource-based recreational services and facilities, and supports residents, communities, local governments and other agencies and organizations in their resource management and protection activities.