Division of Extension
Organic and grass-based dairy farms in southwest Wisconsin’s driftless region face a unique set of water quality challenges. The hilly, unglaciated landscape and shallow fractured bedrock create conditions very different from the rest of the state. To better understand how these farms affect water quality, Discovery Farms partnered with Heisner Family Dairy in Iowa County, Wisconsin to monitor water from 2004 to 2007.
From 2003 to 2010, Discovery Farms and the U.S. Geological Survey monitored surface runoff from three field watersheds to measure how this system affects soil, phosphorus, and nitrogen loss.
From 2003 to 2008, researchers monitored both surface runoff and tile drainage at multiple field sites to understand how this large-scale farming system affects water quality on the fine-textured red clay soils common to northeastern Wisconsin.
From 2005 to 2009, Discovery Farms and the U.S. Geological Survey monitored surface runoff and tile drainage on two fields at Koepke Farms to measure how this system affects soil, phosphorus, and nitrogen loss.
If you farm in Eastern Wisconsin on heavy clay soils and apply manure regularly, this research has a direct message for you: your tile lines are moving phosphorus to nearby water, and that loss may be larger than you think.
There is a clear risk of nutrient loss from feed storage areas. To reduce nutrient loss on a farm scale, paying special attention to feed storage area management is important.
Use this walkover guide to find areas of your field susceptible to soil erosion.
Whether your farm already has tile or it’s a practice you’re considering, it’s important to understand the opportunities and challenges of tile drainage. These underground pipe systems remove excess water from poorly drained soils, helping you get into the field on time, improve yields, and reduce soil compaction and erosion. However, tile drainage also comes […]
Discovery Farms® programs from Wisconsin, Vermont, Arkansas, and Minnesota come together to share their latest updates and brand-new data.
As we reflect on 25 years of Discovery Farms, we hear from three people who were instrumental in shaping the program we know today.
In this webinar, speakers will share approaches and tools for measuring and understanding nitrate leaching and water budgets.
In this webinar, speakers will share approaches and tools for measuring and understanding nitrate leaching and water budgets.
