Gov. Evers, DATCP Announce $1 Million in Grant Awards to Support Farmer-Led Conservation and Clean Water Efforts

“Wisconsin’s farmers and producers know firsthand the value of clean water and soil and are critical partners in our state’s conservation efforts, and I’m glad to have supported this program to help ensure our farmers, kids, and communities have access to safe, clean drinking water,” said. Gov. Evers. “I have been proud to visit many of these recipients and groups, and the work they do every day to support farmers and their local communities is critical, and it remains a priority to ensure they can continue to do this necessary work for years to come.”

Provided by the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant (PLWPG) Program, this year’s funding is the 11th round of grant awards since funding was first made available. Gov. Evers recognizes that farmers are key partners in the state’s work to protect and preserve the state’s natural resources, and has championed supporting increased funding for the PLWPG in his previous budgets, including increasing the program’s base funding to $1 million annually in the final 2021-23 Biennial Budget and securing an additional $500,000 in the 2023-25 and 2025-27 Biennial Budgets.

“For more than 10 years, Wisconsin farmers have been implementing conservation efforts as part of the Producer-led Watershed Protection Grant Program,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “Through their efforts with neighbors and partners, farmers lead, innovate, and mentor, inspiring new producer-led groups to follow in their footsteps. It’s great to see the success of this program continue and grow.”

Annual interest in DATCP’s PLWPG program continues to exceed the program budget. This funding cycle matched 2025 for the highest number of requests in the history of the program, with 49 groups applying for a total funding request of almost $1.65 million.

“As one of the first two farmer-led watershed groups funded by DATCP, the Horse Creek Farmer Led Watershed program is now on its 11th year of existence. It has been very rewarding watching how producer awareness has grown and the evolution of the program’s focus,” said Timm Johnson, member of the Horse Creek Farmer-Led Watershed Council. “We are now focusing on soil health, water infiltration, crop health, and improving water quality in Horse Creek. Utilizing conservation practices and cover crops, we have dramatically reduced Phosphorus and soil loss in the watershed.”

This year’s grant cycle will support four new groups, indicated below with an asterisk, while helping veteran groups continue to advance their work. A map of recipients can be found on DATCP’s website and here.

The 2026 PLWPG recipients and award amounts include:

About the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants
Including the recent round of funding, DATCP has awarded more than $8.2 million to 57 different groups across the state since the program started in 2015. 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, groups in the program delivered conservation practices on nearly 1.7 million acres, an increase from 1.5 million acres in 2023. This includes a 34 percent increase in no-till practices, a two percent increase in nutrient management, and a 37 percent increase in cover crop adoption. In addition, the program provides valuable peer-to-peer learning opportunities for farmers across the state.

Producer-led groups must work with a county land conservation department, University of Wisconsin-Division of Extension, a non-profit conservation organization, or the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which serves as the group’s collaborator. Funds cannot pay for real estate, loans, equipment, or lobbying, and the program places caps on the amount of funding that can be used for staff support to the groups. Each group must start with at least five farmers in the watershed.

Additional details on the impacts of Wisconsin’s producer-led groups is available on DATCP’s website here.