Farmers in Door and Kewaunee counties are expected to employ even more conservation strategies after more than 90 farmers, agriculture professionals, and community members attended the Peninsula Pride Farms Annual Meeting on Tuesday at Lambeau Field.
With more than 60 members, Peninsula Pride Farms participated in soil and water conservation efforts such as cover crops, no-till planting, and split nitrogen application on the equivalent of thousands of football fields, helping keep nutrients in the fields and out of area waterways.
While farmers were able to celebrate their accomplishments, Tuesday’s focus was learning. Dr. Larry Roth of Agrarian Solutions, Barry Fisher of Fisher Soil Health, and representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; the Department of Natural Resources; and the Natural Resources Conservation Service spoke at the daylong event, offering farmers new ideas to improve the land and their bottom line.
During the final panel, NRCS Assistant Jimmy Emmons told farmers they need to keep a close eye on their fields to determine what inputs are necessary — and unnecessary — to ensure plentiful crops and profitable operations.
The learning does not end with the annual meeting. The organization is already planning its upcoming Conservation Conversation series, which will take farmers and community members into the fields of area farms to see firsthand how conservation practices are being implemented.
