Pictured: WWCC Board
In its seventh year, the Western Wisconsin Conservation Council has experienced continued growth and progress in advancing sustainable agricultural practices.
The 2024 survey shows the group’s use of various conservation practices. This includes soil sampling, planting cover crops, utilizing no-till and reduced-till methods, split nitrogen application, low disturbance manure application, and planting directly into cover crops.
“What a difference a year can make in a pilot study like this,” says WWCC member Dave Tollberg of the group’s well testing results and DATCP’s Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Project. “It’s good to see multiple years of data to be able to compare yields and consider other factors, such as crop rotation.”
Mitchell Hora, founder and CEO of Continuum Ag, reminds farmers of the potential opportunities for carbon intensity scoring with the 45Z tax credit offering. The tax credit is anticipated to go into effect in 2025. Biofuel plants could be eligible for these tax credits by reducing their carbon footprint.
Jamie Fisher, senior project manager for Farmers for Sustainable Food, reminds growers of a project opportunity through the FSF Climate-Smart Program. Farmers are now enrolling for the second year of the project, receiving financial compensation for participating. Any farmer who wishes to enroll in the second year of the project must sign up by Feb. 15.
