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Discovery Farms® is a farmer-led research and outreach program within UW-Madison Division of Extension.
We conduct studies on private farms across Wisconsin to better understand the complex relationships between agricultural practices and water quality. We partner with farmers, county land conservation departments, and the US Geological Survey to gather credible and unbiased water quality data from monitored sites.
Since the Wisconsin Discovery Farms® program began in 2000, we have monitored agricultural water quality including surface runoff, tile drainage, and in-field leaching at 55 sites on 31 farms across the state. Study sites are selected to represent the diversity of Wisconsin agriculture, soils, topography, and climatic conditions. Each site is monitored for several years to capture differences throughout the crop rotation and natural variation from year to year. There are typically 10-15 sites active at any one time.
Click on sites on the map to learn more about past and current Discovery Farms® projects or visit our On-Farm Projects page to learn more about our monitoring efforts!
Check out the Resource Library for Discovery Farms research results and more!
Latest News & Publications
Rock County Monitoring Report
In 2014, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension Discovery Farms began a multi-year monitoring study on two farms (four basins) within Rock County to determine how different cropping systems and management practices impact surface water quality.
Recent Ag Water Quality Articles
Recent research materials from Extension's Ag Water Quality Program
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Edge-of-field Water Quality in Two Wisconsin Watersheds
April 17, 2026 -
Lessons Learned from Bragger Family Dairy
April 17, 2026 -
Conservation Benefits of a Grade Stabilization Structure
April 16, 2026
The Discovery Farms® Program is proud to be a part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.