The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, announced today that $1 million will be awarded to 49 farmer-led groups to support producer-led conservation solutions by encouraging innovation and farmer participation in efforts to improve Wisconsin’s soil health and water quality.
Provided by the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program, this year’s funding is the 11th round of grant awards since funding was first made available.
“For more than 10 years, Wisconsin farmers have been implementing conservation efforts as part of the Producer-led Watershed Protection Grant Program,” says DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “Through their efforts with neighbors and partners, farmers lead, innovate, and mentor, inspiring new producer-led groups to follow in their footsteps. It’s great to see the success of this program continue and grow.”
Annual interest in DATCP’s PLWPG program continues to exceed the program budget. This funding cycle matched 2025 for the highest number of requests in the history of the program, with 49 groups applying for a total funding request of almost $1.65 million.
“As one of the first two farmer-led watershed groups funded by DATCP, the Horse Creek Farmer Led Watershed program is now on its 11th year of existence. It has been very rewarding watching how producer awareness has grown and the evolution of the program’s focus,” said Timm Johnson, member of the Horse Creek Farmer-Led Watershed Council. “We are now focusing on soil health, water infiltration, crop health, and improving water quality in Horse Creek. Utilizing conservation practices and cover crops, we have dramatically reduced Phosphorus and soil loss in the watershed.”
This year’s grant cycle will support four new groups, indicated below with an asterisk, while helping veteran groups continue to advance their work. A map of recipients can be found on DATCP’s website and here.
The 2026 PLWPG recipients and award amounts include:
- Antigo Silt Loam and Water – $3,800
- Apple Willow Farmer-Led Council* – $15,800
- Bad Axe Watershed Stewards – $26,300
- Biological Farming Friends – $22,000
- Buffalo Trempealeau Farmer Network – $26,800
- Calumet County Ag Stewardship Alliance – $16,500
- Cedar Creek Farmers – $22,000
- Central Wisconsin Farmers’ Collaborative – $20,000
- Chippewa Valley Producer-Led Watershed Council – $18,000
- Coon Creek Community Watershed Council – $22,000
- Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil & Healthy Water – $23,500
- Dry Run Farmer-Led Watershed Council – $10,800
- Eau Pleine Partnership for Integrated Conservation – $30,000
- Farmers for Lake Country – $20,000
- Farmers for the Upper Sugar River – $24,000
- Farmers for Tomorrow River Watershed Council – $26,800
- Farmers of Fourteen Mile Creek – $6,800
- Farmers of Mill Creek Watershed Council – $13,200
- Farmers of the Barron County Watersheds – $22,000
- Farmers of the Lemonweir Valley – $20,000
- Farmers of the Roche-A-Cri – $2,800
- Farmers of the Sugar River – $12,000
- Farmers on the Rock – $30,000
- Farmers4Health – $9,000
- Flambeau Valley Watershed Group – $5,000
- Fond du Lac County Watersheds Alliance – $26,800
- Friends of the Little La Crosse Watershed* – $15,400
- Green Lake Farmer Coalition* – $26,800
- Hay River Farmer-Led Watershed Council – $22,000
- Horse Creek Area Farmer-Led Watershed Council – $11,000
- Jefferson County Soil Builders – $22,000
- Kenosha County Regenerative Producers – $24,000
- Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance – $22,000
- Lake Wisconsin Farmer Watershed Council – $30,000
- Milwaukee River Watershed Clean Farm Families – $24,000
- Muddy Bottom Farmers – $11,000
- Peninsula Pride Farms – $26,800
- Producers of Baraboo-Redstone – $22,000
- Red Cedar Conservation Farmers – $26,800
- Rock River Regenerative Graziers – $30,000
- Sauk Soil & Water Improvement Group – $30,000
- Seven Rivers Soil Cooperative – $30,000
- Shawano County Watershed Advisory Council* – $17,500
- Sheboygan River Progressive Farmers – $26,800
- South Kinni Farmer Led Watershed Council – $18,000
- Walworth Alliance Teaching Environmental Regenerative Systems – $20,000
- Watershed Protection Committee of Racine County – $22,000
- Western Wisconsin Conservation Council – $24,000
- Yahara Pride Farms Inc. – $22,000
