Looking at fields in Door and Kewaunee counties, there was a lot of activity aimed at accomplishing more than feeding and bedding animals or selling on the open market. Peninsula Pride Farms released its 2025 conservation progress report, highlighting the impact its 64 members had on water and soil conservation by implementing practices such as cover crops, no-till planting and split-nitrogen application.

In 2025, 331,559 acres were covered by conservation practices implemented by Peninsula Pride Farms members. That’s the third-highest total since the organization began tracking in 2019, with 2022 (388,789 acres) and 2021 (371,783 acres) as the only higher years.

The organization estimates that, because of those practices, phosphorus runoff was reduced by more than 72,000 pounds, sediment erosion decreased by more than 51,000 tons, and carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by approximately 5,600 metric tons.

Snow has played a large role in which practices can be used this season. A Thanksgiving snowfall prevented some farmers from getting out into their fields to plant cover crops late last year, and they will now have to wait for 20 to 30 inches of snow to melt before meaningful fieldwork can begin this year.