Discovery Farms > Completed Projects

Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy

Discovery Farm since:
Fall 2003: 3 surface water monitoring sites -- one discontinued Fall 2006
Fall 2004: 2 tile drainage monitoring sites

Family:
John and Kim Pagel and family

Location:
West of Kewaunee, Kewaunee County, WI

Enterprises:
Milk
Corn, soybeans, forage, and other crops for on farm feeding

Agri-Tourism

Video courtesy of Wisconsin Dairy News.

Reserach Opportunities:
This farm was chosen to represent conventional, total confinement large-scale dairy operations that have associated cropland. Farm location is in the Great Lakes Basin, a region once glaciated. Gentle to moderate sloping (2-6 percent slopes) landscape and field configurations led to 2 paired 13 and 21 acre watersheds, all competely controlled and farmed by participant. Ideal for studying this farming system. Nutrient and soil sediment loss in surface and tile-line discharge of fields with liquid and solid dairy manure.

Conservation Practices:
All manure is either injected or surface spread and incorporated within 48 hours with a disk.
Follows USDA -- 590 nutrient management standards -- phosphorus based
Grassed waterways
Manure storage system

Monitoring in Place:
Edge-of-field surface and tile-line water monitoring stations, placed at lower end of grassed waterways. Two of these are in place, collecting water from a unique watershed that is 100 percent farmed and controlled by the participating farmer. Watershed sizes range between 13-21 acres. A third surface water monitoring station in another watershed was in operation from the Fall of 2003 until Fall of 2006.

Paired surface water and tile-line water runoff quality, as impacted by a 20+ year history of corn and alfalfa, with liquid and solid dairy manure. Manure is typically applied to cropland in fall and spring. Under certain conditions when manure is available, alfalfa fields may have manure applied after second or third cutting. The manure is held in a series of storage lagoons when conditions warrant no spreading.

Pagel's Ponderosa Website

Slideshow of Pagel's Ponderosa Farm Pictures

Pulications related to this farm:

View Slideshow of Pagel's Ponderosa Farm Presentations

Related Materials

14 Documents


PPD . Understanding Nutrient & Sediment Loss at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy: Project Summary File (16 pages) An article summarizing nutrient runoff data performed at a confinement operation Wisconsin dairy farm by UW Discovery Farms and its on farm research.
PPD 1. Farm, Site and Study Design Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) Discover a confinement Wisconsin dairy farm operation and why UW Discovery Farms performed water and nutrient runoff on farm research.
PPD 2. Equipment, Procedures and Sampling Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (6 pages) Description of the on farm research monitoring station, equipment, sample collection, and maintenance performed by UW Discovery Farms.
PPD 3. Water Budget at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) A description of the runoff events occuring in 2005 through 2008 field years that could have caused severe nutrient runoff events.
PPD 4. Understanding Water Loss at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy: Surface Water Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) Explanation of surface water monitoring, basin comparison, timing of surface runoff and conclusions from the on farm research study.
PPD 5. Understanding Water Loss at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy: Tile Drainage Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) Explanation of tile drainage monitoring, basin comparison, timing of the flow, and conclusion of the UW Discovery Farms study.
PPD 6. Understanding Water Loss at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy: Surface and Tile Drainage Comparison Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) A comparison of surface water and tile drainage runoff on a Wisconsin dairy farm.
PPD 7. Sediment Loss Potential at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (6 pages) A description of precipitation and runoff trends, and surface and tile sediment loss.
PPD 8. Phosphorus Loss Potential at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (6 pages) Surface and tile phosphorus loss, timing of surface phosphorus loss, basin comparison and phosphorus speciation. UW Discovery Farms used this research for improving soil fertility on confinement Wisconsin dairy farms and to reduce their losses.
PPD 9. Nitrogen Loss Potential at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (6 pages) Describes surface and tile nitrogen loss, surface versus tile comparison, basin comparison, and nitrogen speciation. Confinement Wisconsin dairy farms were able to use this data to improve their soil fertility and reduce losses.
PPD10. Soil Moisture and Potential for Runoff Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (6 pages) Describes soil moisture probes, surface and tile water monitoring, precipitation volume and intensity to evaluate the events that could lead to sediment loss.
PPD11. Single Storm Event Loss Comparison to Total Annual Sediment and Nutrient Loss Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) Explains the surface and tile water monitoring and the conclusions of single storm event loss comparison to total annual sediment and nutrient loss.
PPD12. Concentration Comparison to Yield Loss for Sediment and Nutrient Loss Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) Understanding concentration, loads and yields, conclusions about comparing concentration versus yield for sediment and nutrient loss.
PPD13. Impact of Discovery Farm Research on: Agricultural Management at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy Brief (2 pages) Factsheet (4 pages) Explains the lessons learned, the changes in agricultural management at PPD, and changes in public perception of agricultural losses.