The adoption of new practices by members of Peninsula Pride Farms is having a positive impact on the land in Kewaunee and southern Door counties according to new data released Wednesday. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection used special nutrient management planning software to calculate the potential annual phosphorus loss and soil erosion on fields where cover crops and reduced tilling practices are being used. Depending on the type of operation, farms using these practices saw a phosphorus loss reduction of between 420 to 1,347 pounds and a soil erosion reduction of 326 and 958 tons. Reducing both could have a positive impact on the area’s soil health and water quality over time. Peninsula Pride Farms President Don Niles said they are ecstatic about the progress that has been made since the producer-led watershed group was formed five years ago. He also understands the importance of showing the community their report card of how their new practices are working.

The Nature Conservancy helped fund the efforts of Peninsula Pride Farms to recruit new members so more of the conservation practices can be implemented across the region with a $10,000 grant. It is part of their goal to reduce nutrient runoff from cropland into waterways by 20 percent over the next five years. Agricultural Strategies Director Steve Richter said the analysis shows the practices are working but more can still be done.

Much of the reductions in phosphorus loss and soil erosion can be attributed to an increase in conservation tillage practices and cover crops. Conservation Specialist Dana Christel says Peninsula Pride Farms members have more than doubled the acreage using cover crops and conservation tillage practices since the group formed in 2016.

DATCP Conservation Specialist Dana Christel explains the data

Explanation of analysis from Peninsula Pride Farms

The analysis was completed as part of a conservation benefits tracking project initiated by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to evaluate impacts of the state’s Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants Program. The initiative was developed in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Soil Science and The Nature Conservancy. Wisconsin’s SnapPlus nutrient management planning software was used to calculate the potential annual phosphorus loss and soil erosion on fields when farms include practices such as cover crops and reduced tillage.

While not every conservation practice provided significant reductions for each scenario, below are examples of the amount of phosphorus loss and soil erosion that can be avoided with the adoption of practices on agricultural landscapes in southern Door and Kewaunee counties. Acreages of practices are based on the average number of acres implemented on PPF member farms in 2019.

It is important to note that the calculations below are based on comparisons of generalized systems, not actual farms, and do not take into account the other watershed variables that impact how sediment and phosphorus make their way into a stream or lake. 

For comparison, a mid-size dump truck can carry 10 tons of sediment, and 1 pound of phosphorus in a waterway has the potential to cause the growth of up to 500 pounds of algae.

Dairy farm with a corn silage and alfalfa rotation adopting 362 acres of small grain cover crops following corn silage

Phosphorus loss reduction: 420 pounds

Soil erosion reduction: 326 tons

Corn, soybean and winter wheat operation adopting 708 acres of strip-tillage

Phosphorus loss reduction: 1,083 pounds

Soil erosion reduction: 885 tons

Continuous corn operation adopting 327 acres of no-tillage

Phosphorus loss reduction: 1,347 pounds

Soil erosion reduction: 958 tons