For Lee Kinnard, doing the right thing for the land is an evolving task. Many of the conservation strategies employed by Kinnard Farms in Casco were in place long before Kinnard, Don Niles, and the late John Pagel said in a newspaper article that agriculture had to do more to protect the area’s groundwater. It was Kinnard’s dad that started planting cover crops and deciding against tilling some fields over 30 years ago. Kinnard credits his dad’s relationship with agronomists from Illinois for putting the Casco dairy farm on the progressive track.

Now as a member of Peninsula Pride Farms and the Door/Kewaunee Demonstration Farm Network, Kinnard has been trying other practices to maintain good soil health and protect groundwater supplies. Two years ago he buried a 50-foot bark bed to help absorb excess nitrogen and recently started to plant cover crops into dying alfalfa fields. Kinnard is happy to see that other farmers are buying into the concepts being discussed.

He adds it has been important for farmers to have access to agronomists, scientists, and officials from the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to help make good, sound decisions for their land.

Picture courtesy of Kinnard Farms