MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting applications for 2026 Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants through September 12, 2025. These grants are awarded to producer-led groups to help support and advance producer-led conservation solutions and farmer participation in local watershed conservation efforts.
The total program budget for 2026 is $1 million. Eligible groups that apply can receive up to $40,000. The grants aim to help farmers find and promote conservation solutions best suited for their watershed, based on topography, soil, types of operations, and other factors that differ among regions of the state.
“Wisconsin farmers are stewards of the land, and land and water conservation programs are a priority in Governor Evers’ 2025-2027 Executive Budget,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “Thanks to funding proposed by Governor Evers and approved by the legislature, producers and their many partners across Wisconsin will be able to continue working together to implement and promote practices that support soil and water health.”
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be groups of at least five farmers whose farms are in the same or adjacent watershed. Each farm must have produced at least $6,000 in gross farm revenue last year, or $18,000 over the past three years. Each group must partner with a county land conservation department, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, or a nonprofit conservation organization. Both newly formed and established groups are eligible to apply.
How to Apply
Grant information and application materials are available at https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/
Program Information
The Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants program is the first state program of its kind in the nation. Since the program first began in 2015, DATCP has awarded over $7.2 million to 53 producer-led watershed groups across the state. Requests for funding since the program’s inception total nearly $10 million. Grant projects have focused on providing conservation education to farmers, conducting on-farm demonstrations and research, issuing incentive payments for implementing conservation practices, organizing field days, and gathering data on soil health and water quality. In 2024, conservation practices implemented by groups in the program impacted 1.7 million acres.
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