25 Years of Discovery Farms

 

Discovery Farms

Discovery Farms® is a farmer-led research and outreach program within UW-Madison Division of Extension.

Current Projects
25th Anniversary Report

 

From Field to the Future: 25 Years of Discovery Farms

Video Series

As we reflect on 25 years of Discovery Farms, we hear from three people who were instrumental in shaping the program we know today.

Discovery Farms co-founder Dennis Frame takes us behind the scenes of one of Wisconsin’s most impactful agricultural programs, sharing the story of how it all started.
Sara Walling, Discovery Farms Steering Committee member, shares why this 25-year program has been a driving force for Wisconsin agriculture and water quality.
John Koepke of Koepke Farms shares what it was like to be a Discovery Farms data collection site, and why the experience changed how he thinks about soil health and water quality.

About Our Research

For 25 years, the program has been listening, learning, and leading alongside farmers, researchers, and partners. As we celebrate our past, we’re focused on the future: continuing to deliver trusted data, practical solutions, and strong relationships that support resilient farming and clean water.

105 Private Farms in
26 Counties

Types of Farms

Cow icon.

Dairy

Piece of steak icon.

Beef

Potato icon.

Seed Potato

Canned vegetable icon.

Canning Crops

Wheat icon.

Grain

Heifer icon.

Custom Heifers

Map of Wisconsin with counties highlighted where past and current Discovery Farms sites are located.
Map of Wisconsin with the following counties highlighted to indicate locations of past and current Discovery Farms sites: St. Croix, Dunn, Pepin, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Marathon, Langlade, Shawano, Marinette, Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, Kewaunee, Door, Juneau, Monroe, Vernon, Sauk, Columbia, Dodge, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Waukesha, Lafayette, and Rock.
A small group of people gathered in a corn field listening to a talk.

3,510

Water Samples

5,004

Runoff Events

2,000+

Outreach Activities

1.2 lbs/acre

Median Annual Phosphorus Loss

92 lbs/acre

Median Annual Soil Loss

3.07 inches

Median Annual Runoff

A flume at the end of a farm field on a summer day.

What We Study

A harvested agricultural field with corn stubble remaining after harvest. Scattered green, rye cover crop growth is visible among the dried stalks. The flat field extends to the horizon under an overcast sky, with a small cluster of trees and farm buildings visible in the distance.

Land Covers

  • Cropland
  • Grazing
  • Natural

Tillage Practices

  • No-till
  • Reduced
  • Conventional

Crop Rotations

  • With and without cover crops
  • Dairy forage and cash grain
  • Commercial vegetable

Nutrient Strategies

  • With and without manure

324 Site-Years of Water Quality Data

197

Surface runoff
site-years

99

Tile
site-years

22

Streams
site-years

6

Nitrate leaching
site-years