Heather Gayton of ZanBria Artisan Farms in Friendship is a member of the Farmers of The Roche-A-Cri in central Wisconsin. It’s one of Wisconsin’s 47 producer-led watershed groups.
Gayton says they’re doing something different this year by reaching out to other environmental groups outside of agriculture, such as the Petenwell and Castle Rock Stewards.
“These are nonfarming folks who are really excited about the educational work that we’re doing,” she says.
Farmers of the Roche-A-Cri does research and demonstration plots around cover crops. Gayton says inviting the nonfarming community to the conversation has helped mitigate finger-pointing when it comes to improving water quality in the area.
“Having that level of transparency within the nonfarming community is how we’re building trust,” Gayton says.
