The relationship of the distance between a home’s well and a farm’s manure pit related to its contamination is giving Kewaunee County farmers the information they need to take its next step. Dr. Mark Borchardt presented his latest findings concerning well contamination in Kewaunee County during the Midwest Manure Summit held earlier this week at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The studies showed coliform and nitrates found in contaminated wells can be more often traced back to agricultural pollution, especially when they are located near a farm’s manure storage site. Peninsula Pride Farms President Don Niles says with many homes in Kewaunee County located within three miles of a manure pit, farmers will have to adopt different agricultural practices to help protect the area’s groundwater.
Many of the farming practices that could provide possible solutions are currently being studied at demonstration farms across the region. Borchardt will give the full report at the Kewaunee County Land and Water Conservation meeting in April.
