Discovery Farm since:
2002
Family:
Jim and Jane Heisner, along with their sons and families
Location:
Mineral Point, Iowa County, WI
Enterprises:
Certified organic dairy/milk
Certified organic cropland to support dairy
Research Opportunities:
This farm was chosen to represent medium sized organic dairy operations that have associated cropland devoted to corn grain, corn silage, small grain and new seeding alfalfa/grass hay.
To discover the reasons for or lack there of nonpoint source pollution on a farm located in the southern end of Wisconsin's driftless region.
Surface water monitoring site designed to study nutrient and soil sediment loss due to runoff from organic (dairy based) crop production, with and without livestock manure. These losses can lead to reduced soil fertility for the farmer.
In-stream water monitoring site designed to study the influence of managed instensive grazing (MIG) on stream water quality where cattle have limited access, and to study the potential influence of a milking and housing facility on the water quality of a stream.
Monitoring in Place:
One edge-of-field surface water monitoring station, placed at the lower end of a grassed waterway. This is placed to collect water from a unique 15 acre watershed that is 100 percent farmed and controlled by the participating farmer and managed as organic cropland. Watershed management is important for any farm and this allows us to study a watershed owned entirely by a UW Discovery Farm.
Two in-stream surface water monitoring stations, placed at the upper and lower reach of a small stream bisecting MIG pasture land and in close proximity to the milking parlor and winter housing. This was placed to collect water from a 190 acre watershed that is 75 percent farmed and controlled by the participating farmer. This is managed as management intensive grazing pastureland and has associated cattle travel lanes. Cattle have limited access to the stream through a series of 10 paddocks, each grazed for 24 hours once every 30 days.
Slideshow of Heisner Family Dairy Pictures