Yahara Pride Farms reflects on progress
Although the 2019 growing season was an extremely challenging one, farmers in the Yahara Pride Farms network are optimistic about the work they’re doing and the future of farming in the Yahara Watershed in southern Wisconsin. The group’s annual conference brought reflections on their conservation efforts with a nod to the future as they build on what they’ve learned and encourage more farmers to become involved.
Future goals and aspirations formed the core of the Yahara Pride Farms Watershed-wide Conference on March 5 in DeForest. Yahara Pride Farms (YPF) is a farmer-led non-profit organization working to improve soil and water quality. The group strives to help advance new ideas and technology that balance water quality improvement with farm sustainability and profitability.
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YPF to host Watershed-Wide Conference March 5
Yahara Pride Farms will hold its annual Watershed-Wide conference on March 5 at the Comfort Inn and Suites in DeForest, the farmer-led conservation group announced today.
The event will showcase speakers on a variety of topics in modern sustainable agriculture. Experts from within the Yahara Watershed and across the state will share information that can be applied to farms locally and beyond.
More than 100 farmers, agribusiness professionals and community members are expected to attend this free educational event. The public is invited.
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Conservation grant will help YPF in watershed work
Yahara Pride Farms has received a state grant to continue the farmer-led watershed conservation group’s mission of protecting and improving soil and water quality in the Yahara Watershed in south-central Wisconsin.
The grant is part of the Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection’s Producer-Led Watershed Protection program, which gives financial support to farmers willing to lead conservation efforts in their own watersheds. The emphasis is on innovation and practices not already covered by other state and federal programs, and the intent is that participating farmers will reach out to other farmers to help them adopt conservation practices by offering incentives and through education and outreach activities.
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YPF Composting Initiative
Yahara Pride Farms has initiated a long-term study of bedpack manure composting to document the environmental and agronomic performance of the practice.
- Prevent the land application of bedpack manure on frozen and/or snow covered ground where runoff is more likely to occur.
- Reduce the volume of manure that is handled decreasing the time/cost of land application.
- Increase the nutrient density of the compost encouraging the distribution of nutrients further from the livestock production facility.
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Yahara Pride Farms Releases 2018 Annual Report
BROOKLYN, Wis. – Yahara Pride Farms has just released its Annual Report that documents information and research on the reductions in phosphorus delivered to nearby surface waters by farmers in the Yahara watershed in 2018. YPF has measured on-farm results for six years, and this is the third year that an annual report has been compiled to share program outcomes with the public. In 2018, Yahara Pride Farms documented an impressive 22,000 lbs of phosphorus delivery reduction.
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2019 On-farm Rye Forage Comparison: KWS Progas Hybrid Forage Rye vs. VNS Rye
Many Wisconsin farmers are following corn silage harvest with a winter cereal grain, such as rye or triticale, planted for a fall-to-spring cover crop intended to prevent soil erosion and nutrient loss from runoff or leaching. The fall-planted cover crop, with proper management, can also be harvested as a forage crop in mid-to-late May, leaving enough time for a full-season crop to follow. The “double cropped” cereal grain forage, if harvested timely at the ‘boot’ to ‘early heading’ stage of growth, can provide a forage option desirable for feeding to dairy heifers and, often, for a portion of the lactating cow ration. One challenge to the economics of this practice, however, is the relatively low forage yield (1-2 tons dry matter (TDM) per-acre) when harvested at this fairly early growth stage. This makes for a relatively high feed cost per-TDM when considering seed, planting, and harvesting costs.
Yahara Pride Farms seeks farmers for cost-share participation
BROOKLYN, Wis – Enrollment is now open for the Yahara Pride Farms (YPF) cost-share program. The deadline to enroll is Nov. 15 and is open to farmers in the Yahara Watershed which includes southern Columbia, Dane and northern Rock counties.
The program is designed to help minimize the risk associated with trying new conservation practices on the farm. One of the program goals is to provide farmers with value in hopes they continue or combine endorsed practices for even greater environmental impact. In particular, cover crops and low-disturbance manure injection have proven extremely effective in reducing phosphorus loss from farm fields while increasing soil health and crop yields.
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Yahara Pride Farms at Dane County Breakfast on the Farm
BROOKLYN, Wis. — Yahara Pride Farms, in collaboration with the Farmers for the Upper Sugar River, Dane County Land & Water Resources Department, The Nature Conservancy, UW-Madison Extension and Yahara WINs provided an educational exhibit at the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm held June 8th at Klondike Farms in Brooklyn.
The “Farmers for water quality tent” was an opportunity for farmers and other conservation experts to explain the agricultural practices that benefit water quality currently taking place in Dane County and answer questions from the public.
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2019 watershed conference recap; Hope for the future
DEFOREST, Wis. — Hope for the future brought more than 130 farmers, community members and agribusiness professionals together recently to discuss results from the latest research conducted on participating farms and how urban and rural citizens are impacting the Yahara watershed.
Future goals and aspirations formed the core of the Yahara Pride Farms Watershed-wide Conference on March 7 in DeForest. Yahara Pride Farms (YPF) is a farmer-led non-profit organization working to improve soil and water quality. The group strives to help advance new ideas and technology that balance water quality improvement with farm sustainability and profitability.
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Yahara Pride Farms hosts first annual Twilight meetings
Yahara Pride Farms hosted two Twilight meetings this past August: The first in the southern part of the Yahara watershed at Badgerland Grain Farm in Evansville, and the second in the northern part of the watershed at Henry Farms in Dane. Both Badgerland Grain Farm and Henry Farms have completed the YPF certification program which helps farmers document how their farm protects soil and water quality and identify high-risk situations and practices that need to be modified.
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Farmers in Yahara Watershed dramatically reduce phosphorus delivery in 2017
Yahara Pride Farms has just released its 2017 Annual Report that documents information and research on the reductions in phosphorus delivered to nearby surface waters by farmers in the Yahara watershed in 2017. YPF has measured on-farm results for five years, and this is the second year that an annual report has been compiled to share program outcomes with the public.
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YPF hosts tent at Dane County Breakfast on the Farm
WAUNAKEE, Wis. (June 11, 2018) — Yahara Pride Farms, in collaboration with the Farmers for the Upper Sugar River, provided an educational exhibit at the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm held on June 9th at Hensen Bros. Dairy in Waunakee.
The “Farmers protecting water quality tent” was an opportunity for farmers in both groups to explain the conservation practices that are currently taking place in Dane County and answer any questions that people had.
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Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison honors YPF
MADISON, Wis. (April 10, 2018) — Yahara Pride Farms was recently honored with the Conservation and Environment award from the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison, the farmer-led conservation group announced today. Board members Jeff Endres and Scott Maier, both dairy farmers from Waunakee, accepted the award on behalf of Yahara Pride Farms.
The Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison is a service club with a membership of around 80 men and women. The group was founded in 1917 as one of the first Kiwanis Clubs in the State of Wisconsin. They are one of approximately 8,000 Kiwanis Clubs worldwide.
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YPF builds on success
DEFOREST, Wis. (March 9, 2018) — More than 125 farmers, community members and agribusiness professionals came together recently to celebrate conservation accomplishments and future projects.
“Building on success” formed the core of the Yahara Pride Farms Watershed-wide Conference on March 7. Yahara Pride Farms (YPF) is a farmer-led non-profit organization working to improve soil and water quality. The group strives to help advance new ideas and technology that balance water quality improvement with farm sustainability and profitability.
Several speakers covered topics that affect all farmers such as staying focused in challenging agricultural times, cover crop usage and the future of the organization.
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YPF releases 2016 Annual Report
BROOKLYN, Wis (Aug. 7, 2017) – Yahara Pride Farms (YPF) has just released its 2016 Annual Report that documents information and research on the reductions in phosphorus delivered to nearby surface waters by farmers in the Yahara watershed in 2016. YPF has measured on-farm results for four years, but this is the first year that an annual report has been compiled to share program outcomes with the public.
Aided in part by cost-share dollars, farmers have made changes to their farming practices that have resulted in more that 27,000 pounds of documented phosphorus remaining on the land and thus not entering surface water since the group began in 2012.
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Farmers continue efforts to reduce phosphorus in Yahara Watershed
Ag Innovation Day Brings farmers and community together
Waunakee, WI. (August 22, 2016) — On August 16, Yahara Pride Farms welcomed more than 100 guests to the annual Ag Innovation Field Day event. New this year, the Ag Innovation Day was open to farmers, agribusinesses and the general public from across the state. In year’s past, the event was designated for farmers in the Yahara Watershed, but organizer’s wanted to expand the reach of the programs and practices that are applicable to a wide audience.
The day kicked off with lunch, followed by several hours of field demonstrations. Manure was a central topic of the day and attendees had the chance to see dragline and tanker methods of applying manure using Low Disturbance Manure Injection techniques. The group had the opportunity to tour the newly built manure composting facility at Endres Berryridge Farms and learn the science behind the process and the equipment needed to successfully compost manure. Attendees also had the chance to see finished compost applied to a field. The final stop included a detailed cover crop planting demonstration where attendees had the chance to see eight different pieces of equipment plant a Barley-Pea mix on a recently harvested wheat field.
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Yahara Pride Farms to host Ag Innovation Field Day Aug. 16
Yahara Pride Farms is excited to announce the annual Ag Innovation Field Day scheduled for August 16. This program showcases innovations in sustainable agriculture in the Yahara Watershed which includes southern Columbia County, Dane County and northern Rock County. Featured techniques are applicable to farms across the state with similar conservation goals.
Yahara Pride Farms developed a certification program where farms undergo an extensive voluntary audit process and achieve a specific passing score. In all cases, farms are provided with prioritized feedback on current conservation practices as well as areas for improvement. Yahara Pride Farms has engaged the community, public utilities, environmental groups and agribusiness through a holistic approach to conservation where everyone shares in the successes and areas for learning. In 2015, farmers in the program reduced phosphorus delivery to Madison lakes and the Yahara river by 8,642 lbs. Since 2012, farmers have documented a total phosphorus delivery reduction of 15,872 lbs.
“We want to extend the invitation to farmers from across Wisconsin,” said Jeff Endres, chair of Yahara Pride Farms. “What we are doing here in the Yahara Watershed is applicable everywhere. As farmers, we can all learn from each other.”
Farmers from across the state are encouraged to attend this event. There will also be a specific track for members of the community and media who wish to learn more about sustainable agriculture in the Yahara Watershed and beyond. The event is free and all are welcome to attend the lunch and tours as well as the dinner and program at the end of the day. Sponsorships are also available for qualifying agribusiness partners. Go to yaharapridefarms.org for the complete schedule (including field demonstration topics) and availability. Online RSVP is required.
Yahara Pride Farms wins national sustainability award
Chicago, Ill. (May 13, 2016) — Yahara Pride Farms was honored by the The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, during its fifth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards ceremony May 11 in Chicago. The program recognizes dairy farms, businesses and partnerships whose sustainable practices positively impact the health and well-being of customers, communities, animals and the environment. Yahara Pride Farms received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship. {Read full release}