Field edge surface water monitoring on a beef farm

Name of farm:
Riechers Beef

Discovery Farm since:
Fall, 2003

Family:
Mark and Jan Riechers, along with their son Joe Riechers.

Location:
West of Darlington, Lafayette County, WI

Enterprises:
Finishing beef cattle from feeders to market weight.
Corn. Soybeans.

Farm photo tour - view here.

Research and advisory team:
Mark Riechers
Joe Riechers
Bryan Black, Ag-Trac Agronomic consulting
Dennis Frame, UW Extension/Discovery Farms
Dennis Busch, UW Platteville/Pioneer Farm
Kevan Klingberg, UW Extension/Discovery Farms
Amber Radatz, UW-Extension/Discovery Farms

Research opportunities:
This farm was chosen to represent medium sized beef feedlot operations that have associated cropland devoted to row crops. Farm location is in the southern end of Wisconsin's driftless region. The farm has a very productive soil type, and documented high yields of corn grain, corn silage, and soybeans.

Gentle to moderate sloping landscape and field configurations result in 3 distinct 15-30 acre watersheds, all completely controlled and farmed by participant. Ideal for studying this farming system: nutrient and soil sediment loss in a long-term direct plant (true no-till) system, with and without livestock manure.

Monitoring in place:
Edge of field surface water monitoring stations, placed at lower end of grassed waterways. Three of these are in place, each collecting water from a unique watershed that is 100 percent farmed and controlled by participating farmer. Watershed sizes range between 15-30 acres. The participating farmer worked with the on-farm research team to intentionally spread livestock manure prior to two major winter snowmelt events to measure impact of applying manure at that time.

Click here to see real time monitoring data.