Resources for “Conservation Practices”

  • Business Case Study: Brey Cycle Farm

    The business case studies series is produced by the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants program at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to highlight the environmental and financial benefits of conservation practices on farms in Wisconsin. This specific case study was created in partnership with Brey Cycle Farm, Tilth Agronomy and the Wisconsin Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). It evaluates the financial and conservation benefits of using managed intensive rotational grazing to raise heifers as part of the farm’s overall system.

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  • Climate change and the impacts to edge-of-field runoff

    There is an ever-increasing focus on climate change and corresponding changes to rainfall and weather patterns. Increasing numbers of extreme rainfall events and warming temperatures have been recently documented in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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  • Spreading manure

    Controlling nutrient loss

    4 tips for controlling soil and nutrient loss. A link

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  • Conservation benefits of a grade stabilization structure

    A grade stabilization structure (GSS) is an on-farm conservation tool that can effectively decrease the amount of sediment and nutrient runoff entering nearby streams.

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  • At-grade stabilization structure impact on surface water quality monitoring on an agricultural watershed

    Use of an at-grade stabilization structure (AGSS) as an additional conservation practice to contour strip cropping and no-tillage, proved to be successful in reducing organic and sediment-bound N and P within an agricultural watershed located in the DA.

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  • Grass field

    An at-grade stabilization structure impact on runoff and suspended sediment

    We evaluated the ability of an at-grade stabilization structure (AGSS), designed as a conservation practice to reduce the amount of overland runoff and suspended sediment transported to the surface waters of an agricultural watershed.

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  • Wisconsin map showing Dry Run Watershed (western) and Jersey Valley Watershed (south-central).

    Edge-of-field water quality in two Wisconsin watersheds

    For seven years, UW Discovery Farms monitored water quality in the Jersey Valley and Dry Run watersheds. See results from the studies in this final report.

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  • The Bragger family farm.

    Lessons Learned from Bragger Family Dairy

    How farm management influences water quality in a challenging, diverse landscape.

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  • Waterway landscape

    Field walkover guide: A practical on-farm conservation tool

    Inside: On-farm lessons learned, finding vulnerable areas, ways to adapt tillage, the waterway option, checking non-tilled areas, plus field management decision trees.

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  • Grass field

    Grass Waterways: Tips and Tricks for Maintenance and Function

    Tips and tricks for maintenance and function of grass waterways. Includes purposes, maintenance and repairing tips, and how to get started on your own farm.

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