CHILTON, Wis. — An innovative group of farmers in Calumet County continues to champion sustainable farming practices in their area to protect and improve local water quality and soil health. Calumet County Ag Stewardship Alliance held its annual meeting on Feb. 5. Over 65 farmers, industry partners and community members gathered to learn about the group’s continued conservation efforts and their goals for 2024.
The meeting opened with a look back at the group’s accomplishments from 2023 and a presentation of their goals for 2024 from the group’s president John Schwarz of Schwarz Farms, LLC.
CCASA will continue to offer programs for their membership in 2024, including their well-testing and cost-share programs. They also aim to increase their membership and community engagement in the coming year.
Farmers for Sustainable Food data collection specialist Shawn Wesener shared outcomes from CCASA’s 2023 Member Conservation Practice Survey.
Results showed an increase in no-till practices, with 28% of the group’s 19,764 total acres categorized as no-till, up 22 % from last year.
Featured speaker Blake Vince of Merlin, Ontario, Canada spoke about his conservation studies and experiences as a self-proclaimed soil health advocate. Vince highlighted the farmers’ important role in the ecosystem regarding biodiversity, soil health and water quality.
“We’re supposed to be the protectors of those freshwater resources that so many people benefit from,” Vince said.
Farmers also have the opportunity to impact future generations and inspire others to positively impact their environment through story sharing, Vince said.
“As farmers, this profession that we belong to is a learning profession,” Vince said. “It’s passed down from generation to generation.”
Nick Dallmann of Dallmann East River Dairy, Bob Danes of Danes Farms and Kurt Schneider of River’s Edge Dairy shared their experiences with cover crops in a panel discussion moderated by Steve Hoffman of InDepth Agronomy. They discussed their experiences with implementing cover crops and the benefits they have observed. All noted greater yields, improved soil texture and better soil health overall.
“I think, as a whole, cover crops are here to stay,” said Schneider. “We see how it works on our farm.”
For the farmers in attendance, the information and practical experience shared by the speakers, gave them a chance to evaluate how incorporating practices like cover crops can be beneficial to their farms. Many engaged in discussions with the speakers to discuss individual concerns and applications.
“We provide meetings like this so we can share with our neighbors what we are doing and how it can apply to their farms,” said John Schwarz, CCASA president. “ It was encouraging to see so many people and have the engaging conversations.”
During the business portion of the meeting, members re-elected two CCASA board members, Dave Geiser and Jim Casper. Barbra Fett, a long-time board member, retired from her position on the board. Other board members include President John Schwarz, Vice President Kurt Schneider, Treasurer John Vandenboom, Ken Rach, Paul Meyers, and Bob Danes. The board advisors are Anthony Reali and Kristin Birschbach.
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