Farmers and EPA collaborate on clean water initiatives

By Blake Jackson

On July 22nd, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined Wisconsin Farm Bureau on a tour of western Wisconsin farms to learn about water conservation efforts. The day, which concluded with a roundtable discussion, highlighted collaboration between farmers and government agencies.

"Water has infiltrated everything the EPA does and cares about. Americans need clean water to drink and safe air to breath,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore.

The tour kicked off at Kyle Nilsestuen's farm in Trempealeau County. Nilsestuen, a leader in local conservation efforts, uses cover crops, intensive grazing, and no-till practices to improve soil health and water quality.

Next, the group visited Bragger Family Farm in Buffalo County. Amber Radatz from the University of Wisconsin-Extension showcased the Bragger family's water protection strategies, including practices implemented at the Discovery Farms research site.

The final stop was Noll's Dairy Farm, the recent recipient of the Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award. Mark Noll shared his family's commitment to conservation along the Mississippi River, highlighting their use of strip-cropping.

The day wrapped up with a roundtable moderated by Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture Secretary Randy Romanski. The discussion focused on how to encourage farmers to adopt new conservation practices.

“We need to continue to support innovation and resiliency” said Dani Heisler, DATCP Producer-Led Water Protection Grant Program Manager. “There is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement for trying new things and farmers sometimes need a boost of confidence to put the practice into place and need some extra encouragement to keep moving forward.”

Participants included farmers, water quality experts from UW-Extension, Discovery Farms, and industry groups like Wisconsin Water Quality Trading Clearinghouse and Wisconsin Corn Growers.

"We're proud to showcase Wisconsin's water quality leadership," said Jason Mugnaini of Wisconsin Farm Bureau. "This event united partners to celebrate our agriculture's commitment to clean water.

Photo Credit:istock-martijnvandernat