Discovery Farms Current Projects
Discovery Farms
Discovery Farms® is a farmer-led research and outreach program within UW-Madison Division of Extension.
Current Projects
Discovery Farms currently has 11 active project sites on 10 private farms throughout Wisconsin. Each site is studied for several years to capture multiple crop rotations and a range of weather conditions. This work is supported by Discovery Farms’ long-term partner, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
Click through the projects below to explore Discovery Farms’ current sites.
Surface Monitoring Sites
Seed Potatoes in Langlade County
Project type: Surface runoff monitoring sites on three private farms. Two of the three sites completed monitoring in Fall 2025. The third site will be removed in Fall 2026.
Partners: Ag Source, Antigo Silt Loam and Water, and USGS
Goal: Understand timing and magnitude of surface losses from seed potato systems
Langlade County Site Details
Langlade County Farm 1
- Seven years of data collected (2019-2025)
- Farm type: Seed potato
- Crop rotation: Seed potato with three years of alfalfa/grass mixture
Langlade County Farm 2
- Seven years of data collected (2019-2025)
- Farm type: Seed Potato
- Crop rotation: potato, green bean, two years of alfalfa
Langlade County Farm 3
- Data collection began in 2021
- Farm type: Seed potato
- Crop rotation: potato, green bean, red clover/oats
Forage Rotations in Kewaunee County
Project type: Two surface runoff monitoring sites and one tile drainage treatment monitoring site on two private farms
Partners: USDA NRCS, Kewaunee County Land and Water Conservation, Peninsula Pride Farms, and USGS
Goals
- Phase 1: Compare surface runoff losses before and after grassed waterway renovation and addition (concluded in 2023)
- Phase 2: Compare how crop rotations impact surface runoff losses following the grassed waterway addition and renovation.
- For Farm 1: Compare continuous corn silage to no-till established alfalfa.
- For Farm 2: Compare continuous corn silage to rotation of Italian ryegrass and corn silage
Kewaunee County Site Details
Kewaunee County Farm 1
- Data collection began in 2019
- Farm type: Dairy
- Crop rotation: Alfalfa, corn silage (cover crop following corn silage)
Note: Surface monitoring site is currently in the year 2 alfalfa portion of the rotation (plan to keep in alfalfa for additional 2-3 years if alfalfa establishment remains strong).
Kewaunee County Farm 2
- Data collection began in 2019
- Farm type: Dairy
- Crop rotation: Corn silage and Italian ryegrass (Tries to establish a cover crop following corn silage, dependent on weather)
Continuous Cover in Marathon County
Project type: Surface runoff monitoring sites on two private farms
Partners: Marshfield Agricultural Research Station, Marathon County Conservation, Planning and Zoning, Eau Pleine Partnership for Integrated Conservation (EPPIC), and USGS
Goal: Explore how a row crop system with continuous living cover compares to a pasture system for surface runoff losses
Marathon County Site Details
Marathon County Farm 1
- Data collection began in 2022
- Farm type: Dairy
- Crop rotation: Alfalfa ( two years) and Corn (Silage); Tries to establish a cover crop following the corn silage years of the rotation
- Located near Athens, WI
Marathon County Farm 2
- Data collection began in 2024
- Farm type: Pasture (custom raised dairy heifers)
- Located near Athens, WI and Edgar, WI
Surface and Tile Monitoring in Marathon/Wood County
New project area installed Fall 2025.
Project type: Two sites monitoring surface runoff with a plan to add tile drainage after ~3 years to assess the before and after of tile drainage and the impact on crop production, surface runoff, and water quality.
Partners: USDA ARS (Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research Unit)
Goal: Understand how adding tile drainage impacts water quality, crop production, and water budget, including surface runoff losses.
Marathon/Wood County Site Details
Marathon/Wood County Farm 1
- Farm type: Cash crop
- Crop rotation: Corn (grain) and soybeans
- Located near Marshfield, WI
Marathon/Wood County Farm 2
- Farm type: Dairy
- Crop rotation: TBD (trying to focus on corn silage and soybeans, but may include alfalfa or other small grains)
- Located near Vesper, WI
Tile Monitoring Sites
Bioreactor in Kewaunee County
Project type: One tile drainage treatment monitoring site
Partners: USDA NRCS, Kewaunee County Land and Water Conservation, Peninsula Pride Farms, and USGS
Goal: Understand how a woodchip bioreactor performs in Northeast Wisconsin for nitrate removal from tile drainage
Kewaunee County Site Details
- Data collection began in 2024
- Farm type: Dairy
- Crop rotation: Alfalfa, corn silage (cover crop following corn silage)
Nitrogen Leaching Sites
Calumet County
Project type: Nitrate leaching using pan lysimeters installed below the crop rooting zone
Partners: Calumet County Land and Water Conservation, Calumet County Ag Stewardship Alliance
Goal: Understand nitrate leaching timing and magnitude; practices to reduce nitrate leaching
Calumet County Site Details
- Data collection began in 2024
- Farm type: Cash crop at monitoring site, but farm also has some beef
- Crop rotation: Alfalfa, corn, soybeans, canning vegetables, potential for small grains like wheat
- Tries to implement cover crops when it fits into rotation
Pepin County
Project type: Nitrate leaching using pan lysimeters installed below the crop rooting zone
Partners: Pepin County Land Conservation and Planning, Farmers 4 Health, DATCP
Goal: Understand nitrate leaching timing and magnitude; practices to reduce nitrate leaching
Pepin County Site Details
- Data collection began in 2021
- Farm type: Dairy
- Crop rotation: Corn silage and soybeans
- Plants a cereal rye cover crop following corn silage
Rock County
Project type: Nitrate leaching using pan lysimeters installed below the crop rooting zone
Partners: Rock County Land Conservation, Farmers on the Rock
Goal: Understand nitrate leaching timing and magnitude; practices to reduce nitrate leaching
Rock County Site Details
- Data collection began in 2024
- Farm type: Cash crop
- Crop rotation: Corn (grain) and soybeans
- Trying to establish a cover crop (aerial seeded rye cover crop into standing corn in year one of data collection)
