The Wisconsin Farmers Union has hired a new coordinator for its Farmer-Led Watershed Council. Tara Daun will work directly with farmer-led councils in Dunn, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties to increase farmer engagement, build council capacity, expand participation in incentive programs, coordinate water testing and programming, and foster conservation in the Mississippi River Watershed.
Daun previously worked with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, assisting farmers through application and contract processes to provide them with financial assistance for conservation practices. The granddaughter of Iowa and North Dakota beef and row crop farmers, she grew up on a horse farm near the Twin Cities and graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris in 2011 with a double major in Environmental Studies and Psychology.
She has worked in rural development and conservation wearing several different capacities, including running a small fleece-to-fiber farm with sheep and alpaca.
In addition, Tara will also be working with local farmers running test plots and monitoring water quality in their watersheds, and networking with multiple agencies that are concerned about water quality, including faculty and Extension staff, lake associations, agriculture organizations, elected officials, local tribes and environmental groups.
Categories: Wisconsin, Business