A group of more than a dozen Wisconsin agricultural organizations are publicly praising the State Senate and authors of legislation that prioritizes farmer-led conservation efforts to reduce nitrogen on farms. In a letter to lawmakers and Governor Tony Evers this week, the coalition of farm groups said they support AB 727 and urged the governor to pass the measure into law.
"We are pleased to see the Senate's passage of AB 727, which supports the important farmer-led conservation efforts across the state and enables farmers to continue finding ways to reduce nitrogen on farms," the memo stated. "The new programs and position created in this bill support our incredibly important farmer-led conservation efforts, as well as provide a tool to address farmers' needs for soil depth-to-bedrock mapping."
Specifically, the bill would create a commercial nitrogen optimization pilot program that will incentivize farmers to engage in new practices to reduce nitrogen on farms and share what they learn as part of those projects with other farmers across Wisconsin. It also establishes cover crop insurance premium rebates that will provide additional support for a practice that has proven to improve agricultural water quality. And it calls for the creation of an additional, limited-term hydrogeologist position at Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey to continue to develop reliable soil depth-to-bedrock maps in Wisconsin so that cropping practices can be adjusted to meet the geology of particular regions.
Farm groups that supported the bill include the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, Wisconsin Pork Association, Wisconsin Soybean Association, Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association, Wisconsin Association of Professional Agricultural Consultants, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, Wisconsin Farmers Union, Cooperative Network, Dairy Business Association, Midwest Food Products Association, Midwest-SouthEastern Equipment Dealers Association and Wisconsin Farm Credit Services.
Categories: Wisconsin, Business, Sustainable Agriculture