While a farmer's focus may be on the fields, you can join them on July 7 as they look beyond them during an upcoming Peninsula Pride Farms Conservation Conversation.
According to Peninsula Pride Farms data analyzed by Houston Engineering and Farmers for Sustainable Food, conservation practices such as cover crops and planting green have helped reduce phosphorus runoff by more than 72,000 pounds. Phosphorus runoff is a major contributor to algae blooms that deplete oxygen and release toxins into bodies of water.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, several waterways, including the Ahnapee and Kewaunee rivers, are on the state's impaired waters list, which is part of the reason the organization was formed a decade ago.
On July 7, attendees will join DNR representatives at Rio Creek off Highway 54 as they conduct stream water testing and a fish survey. Barry Bubolz of the Natural Resources Conservation Service said it is important for farmers to see how their activities in the field can affect life beyond it.
The Peninsula Pride Farms Conservation Conversation begins at 2 p.m.
