SOUTH BEAVER DAM, Wis. — Isabella Kraus is a young, passionate farmer involved with the Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Healthy Water, a local watershed conservation group. As a sixth-generation farmer, she is gaining valuable experience in sustainable farming.
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Kraus and her family manage a cash grain and vegetable farm in South Beaver Dam, Wis. Along with farming, they operate a small ag retail business, selling corn, soybeans and cover crops as well as managing a commercial trucking business.
“As a farmer, I believe that soil health is our most important asset,” Kraus said. “Without managing our soil properly, in my opinion, it will have an adverse effect on our operation.”
Kraus and her family emphasize sustainability and continued progress within their business. For the last three years, they have participated in the farmland preservation program and implemented cover crops, such as oats and soybeans, into their crops. They also utilize no-till practices increasing the amount of land no-tilled each year.
As a DCF board member, Kraus is actively involved in this group of like-minded farmers.
“I am involved with DCF not only because my family has been a part of this group, but because I want to learn more about cover crop strategies and how to implement them on our farm,” she said.
For Kraus, there is no better way to learn than by joining a group like this and networking with industry experts and fellow farmers who implement these practices on their farms, she says.
Annual survey results
As a part of her membership, Kraus participated in the group’s 2024 Member Conservation Practice Survey. The survey results reveal the collective conservation efforts among farmers in the group, highlighting potential environmental impacts and benefits to the local community.
The group, composed of 74 farmers, implemented various conservation practices, including planting 19,405 acres of cover crops, using no-till and strip-till on 24,848 acres and planting into cover crops (otherwise known as “planting green”) on 12,097 acres. Members also followed a nutrient management plan on 28,463 acres.
The results show potential environmental improvements due to the adoption of conservation efforts, providing valuable benefits to climate health, soil health and water quality:
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 5,391 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, which is equal to greenhouse gas emissions produced by 1,284 cars driven in a year.
- Prevention of sediment loss from farm fields of 75,743 tons, equivalent to 7,574 dump trucks worth of soil.
- Reduction of phosphorus runoff by 66,531 pounds, potentially preventing 33.3 million pounds of algae growth in local water bodies.
Data was analyzed by Houston Engineering, Inc., and Farmers for Sustainable Food.
“Often, we don’t realize how much we’ve changed and progressed on our farm, this survey provides a way for us to measure our changes,” Kraus said.
Farmers or community members interested in joining or supporting this nonprofit, farmer-led group and their commitment to improving the environment can find out more information at dodgecountyfarmers.com.
By the numbers
Number of acres covered by conservation practices among Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Healthy Water members:
- 2022 ― 129218
- 2023 ― 162,652
- 2024 ― 176,163
Potential impact of conservation practices in 2024:
- Phosphorus runoff reduction ― 66,531 pounds
- Sediment erosion reduction ― 75,743 tons
- Carbon dioxide emission reduction ― 5,391 tons
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