Stewardship
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute- East Troy, WI
Farmers and ranchers produce crops and livestock on, and are stewards of, nearly half of the land in this country. They are responsible for the condition of the natural resources associated with farm and ranch lands and the social and natural functions these lands provide, including food and fiber production, fresh water availability, and waste decomposition. Sometimes agricultural practices are at odds with protecting these resources. In fact, agricultural land use is a major cause of land and water degradation globally, affecting nearly 60% of the world’s ecosystems. The loss of semi-natural habitats, increase in monoculture crop systems, as well as excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides has severely compromised biological diversity, soil health, and water quality.
Farm and conservation policies have important implications for promoting sound agricultural practices that build soil health and protect water and wildlife. Recent research confirms that sustainable and organic farming methods when compared to conventional agriculture can result in the reduction of agricultural pollution and improvement of soil quality. In the 2008 Farm Bill, MFAI’s Policy Program worked hard to reauthorize the Conservation Stewardship Program, which rewards farmers and ranchers for sustainable farming practices, and we coordinate a project in the Midwest to assure its optimal implantation, funding, and use. MFAI’s policy staff sits on Wisconsin’s USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service State Technical Committee.
In Wisconsin, we coordinate a multi-organization collaboration to advance management intensive grazing programs and staffing, as well as the farm and forest lands protection policy proposals known as the Working Lands Initiative. We also serve on the Department of Natural Resources Green Tier Program Advisory Committee.
Conservation Stewardship Program
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), formerly known as the Conservation Security Program, rewards landowners for their voluntary contributions towards protecting or improving the environment for future generations. Administered by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), CSP supports private landowners actively practicing good stewardship on their agriculture lands and encourages them to do more.
MFAI worked to help create CSP in the 2002 Farm Bill as the Conservation Security Program and worked to advance its optimal funding, implementation and reauthorization. We recognize CSP as one of the single best resources for conservation on agricultural lands, enrolling more than 50 million acres. MFAI policy staff has worked with many others and succeeded at increasing CSP’s funding and a assuring a nationwide continuous enrollment process for the program. We work to maximize the use of CSP by increasing awareness of the program though outreach activities including action alerts, seminars, press releases, and grant-writing workshops.
CSP provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to maintain existing and implement new conservation practices that conserve or improve the soil, protect water quality, and maintain native animal and plant diversity. Qualifying farmers and ranchers can receive up to $40,000 a year to implement conservation management practices that address at least one of the prioritized resource concerns. Priority resource concerns include soil, water or air quality, wildlife habitat, energy conservation, and similar conservation issues. State NRCS offices, in consultation with NRCS State Technical Committees, determine local resource priorities. MFAI’s Associate Policy Director, Bridget Holcomb, sits on Wisconsin’s NRCS State Technical Committee.
For more information about the new and improved CSP, including eligibility requirements, payments, and contact information at USDA, please visit the Conservation Stewardship Program page of NSAC’s Grassroots Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill. If you have any questions regarding CSP, contact your local NRCS Office, county conservationist or Bridget Holcomb at (608) 256-1859.
Farmland Preservation – Wisconsin’s Working Lands Initiatives
Farmland occupies nearly half of the land in the lower 48 states and is critical to many states’ economies. In Wisconsin, agricultural activities use two-thirds of our land area, generate nearly $51.5 billion annually for the state, and support 420,000 Wisconsin jobs. But with today’s growing population and expanding urban development, affordable farmland close to urban centers is nearly nonexistent and is another constraint to sustainable agriculture. We're losing farmland fast and for good; with 30,000 acres per year lost to housing, industry or other uses and permanently taken from future agriculture, agriculturally related businesses and culture from our rural communities.
The MFAI policy program actively supports advancing and expanding farmland preservation programs to assure that farming will be a lasting, vibrant industry within Wisconsin.
In 2006, MFAI Policy Director Margaret Krome sat on the Steering Committee for a multi-organization collaboration to advance farm and forest lands protection policy proposals known as the Working Lands Initiative (WLI). This Initiative is an effort of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) aimed at protecting Wisconsin’s working lands, those in agriculture, forestry, tourism and recreational use, as a vital component of the state’s economy. This Committee developed a bipartisan policy proposal for Wisconsin’s Governor Doyle that identified challenges and opportunities, and recommended actions for protecting and enhancing working lands. To help build capacity among local constituents for this initiative, MFAI policy staff helped fundraise for key positions and workshops across the state to receive input, develop partnerships, and spur momentum. Such educational events on farmland protection have drawn standing-room only crowds around the state since they began being held in 2007.
We are pleased that as a part of his biennial budget for 2009-2011,Governor Doyle has proposed a number of strategies to protect Wisconsin’s working lands. Three main components in the budget include updating the state’s current Farmland Preservation Program, establishing voluntary Agricultural Enterprise Areas, and developing a state grant program to help with the purchase of agricultural conservation easements.
Management Intensive Grazing in Wisconsin
Managed grazing is a rotational system of raising and feeding livestock on pasture in which the livestock are moved to new pasture sub-units on a regular basis. This regular transition improves pasture quality by allowing time for regrowth and even manure distribution. The topsoil and nutrients are maintained, leaving little chance for runoff and erosion. Livestock health is also improved with increased access to consistent high quality feed. Since the livestock harvest their own feed and spread their own manure during the growing season, managed grazing operations have low capital and low labor requirements.
But, institutional support is needed to implement these techniques. Management intensive grazing calls for close monitoring of grasses and legumes. Educational opportunities, grazing networks, and technical assistance are critical to helping new graziers get started and transitioning existing dairy and livestock producers into this method of production. These resources do exist and their capacity is building due to the help of MFAI staff and regional support groups.
Beginning and experienced graziers can receive a world-class educational resource in pasture-based dairy and livestock farming through the University of Wisconsin- Madison’s School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers. In 1995 a group of pasture-based dairy and livestock farmers worked with the UW-Madison’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems to launch this school to share their experiences and help each other build successful farms. The School offers traditional classroom activities, hands-on internships, farm tours of pasture-based farms, and business and financial planning strategies.
MFAI policy staff works hard to ensure that graziers have access to the resources they need to be successful. In 2006, we organized a series of dairy and livestock producer interviews and surveys to identify obstacles to implementing management intensive practices. Though we believed that access to land or credit might be the dominant constraints, instead it became clear that misconceptions about managed grazing obstructed more farmers. Acting on that information, MFAI has focused on supporting ways to disseminate fact-based information to wide audiences. For three years we have convened ongoing meetings of stakeholders and agency staff to advance that goal. 
Collectively, we have created a needed state extension grazing specialist position and secured stable state funding for the Grazing lands Conservation Initiative, which in turn funds technical assistance, grazing networks and other outreach mechanisms.
For more information about grazing in Wisconsin, see Grassworks, whose grazing networks connect beginning and experienced graziers across Wisconsin. Grassworks also provides technical expertise and holds other educational activities, including an annual conference.
Wisconsin’s Green Tier Advisory Program
Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources launched a program in 2004 aimed at helping participating businesses, municipalities and other entities achieve superior environmental performance and economic gains simultaneously. Green Tier streamlines environmental requirements for participants through a system of contracts and charters crafted jointly by participating businesses and the DNR. MFAI’s Policy Director sits on the Green Tier Advisory Committee.