Between the Lakes
Demonstration Farm Network

Image Credit: Lacey Olson for UW-Extension

Who We Are

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) and Calumet County Land & Water Conservation Department, in partnership with Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Manitowoc counties have launched the Between the Lakes Demonstration Farm Network. This is the fifth demonstration farm network in Wisconsin. Funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is being utilized for this effort.

What We Do

The Great Lakes region has diverse geology, climate, topography, and soil that provide challenges to controlling erosion and non-point source pollution.  The diversity of the region creates challenges for land managers to develop conservation practice systems that function in a predictable manner while addressing the region’s conservation priorities.

The Between the Lakes Demonstration Farm Network supports a network of producers to address these challenges at the ground level and provide solutions that can be implemented on a large scale throughout the watershed. Producers voluntarily join the BTL Demo Network, then select conservation agricultural practices to apply on their operation. In this way, the Network tests and demonstrates the best conservation practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution entering the Great Lakes Basin.

“Through this collaboration and funding, we can publicly highlight the most effective conservation systems that have the greatest environmental and economic benefit; we’re excited to be partnering to now establish our fifth series of demonstration farm networks,” said USDA-NRCS State Conservationist for Wisconsin Angela Biggs. “This project will accelerate the adoption of environmentally sustainable farming practices by demonstrating their successful use on the participating demonstration farms. Farmers and agronomists that attend the field days will be learning the “nuts and bolts” of how to make these practices successful on other area farms,” said Steve Hoffman, Project Manager for the Between the Lakes Demonstration Farms Network  

Together we achieve more.
Photo Credit: Pixabay from Pexels

Our Mission

Between the Lakes Demonstration Farm mission is to demonstrate to farmers and the public that the right combination of traditional conservation practices and innovative technologies functioning on the landscape can produce viable and sustainable economic and environmental benefits.

Vision

To create a culture that encourages collaborative efforts to restore soil health and reduce runoff pollution, improve water quality, and support a strong regional economy. 

Together we achieve more.
Photo Credit: Pixabay from Pexels

 

Objectives

  • Establish demonstration farms within the Manitowoc and Sheboygan River Basins to test new and standard conservation systems in reducing phosphorus, nitrate, and sediment transport from farm fields.
  • Establish an efficient mechanism to share this technology and information with farmers, agribusiness, conservation agencies, and the public.
  • Create opportunities for others to test their research and program ideas at the demonstration farms.
  • Share information and lessons learned from the Demo Farms throughout the Great Lakes Basin.