• What is a Discovery Farm?
• Who proposed the Discovery Farms idea?
• What are the goals of the Discovery Farms Program?
• How is the Discovery Farms Program designed?
• Length of Projects
• How is the Discovery Farms Program organized?
• What is a Core Discovery Farm?
• What is the Steering Committee and who are the members?
• How many core Discovery Farms are there?
• What is the desired number of Core Discovery Farms?
• How do Discovery Farms fit into the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative?

What is a Discovery Farm?

A Discovery Farm is an operating, commercial Wisconsin farm cooperating to conduct on-farm, systems research. Discovery Farms will evaluate management strategies and practices aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution while also protecting farm profitability.

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Who proposed the Discovery Farms idea?

Faculty members in the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Science and UW-Cooperative Extension proposed the concept after exploring farm-based, systems research efforts in the Netherlands.

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What are the goals of the Discovery Farms program?

• Promote economic viability of Wisconsin agriculture across all of the state's diverse livestock and cropping systems
• Reduce or eliminate farming's negative impacts on soil, water, and air quality
• Build understanding and respect for carrying capacity of agriculture's natural resource base
• Provide research-based information to public policy arena in areas relating to agricultural production and natural resource management
• Integrate outreach and research programs with environmental management and regulatory efforts
• Increase understanding of agro-ecosystems positive impacts on the environment

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How is the Discovery Farms Program designed?

The Discovery Farms Program has three branches:

• Core Discovery Farms
• Special Projects
• Environmental Education and Training

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Length of Projects

• The program works on some long-term studies (5-7 years in duration) designed to identify the environmental impacts of selected farming systems in varying topographies and settings throughout the state (Core Farms).
• The program also works on shorter projects (2-4 years in duration) that have already identified an environmental concern (Special Projects).
• The final program is the environmental education and training section which works with other agencies, staff and producers on the development and delivery of environmental education programs for producers and others in the state.

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How is the Discovery Farms Program organized?

All aspects of the Discovery Farms Program emphasize farmer input and direction. The Discovery Farms Steering Committee provides input on nonpoint pollution research needs, identifies research project possibilities, selects projects for funding, and solicits Discovery Farms cooperators. It helps with the coordination and dissemination of the research data and information generated. The steering committee is chaired by a farmer and has representatives from Wisconsin farm, agri-business and environmental organizations.

Finally, a producer selected to conduct a Discovery Farm research project will be supported by an On-Farm Advisory Team chaired by the farmer himself. Working with the farm cooperator, this team will implement the project, monitor progress, collect and analyze data, and share results through a variety of channels. The team will be made up of neighboring farmers, agribusiness consultants, county and other local extension personnel, and local representatives of state and federal agencies (NRCS and Land Conservation Departments), and local Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) instructors. Support and advice from university and agency specialists will be available to local teams.

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What is a Core Discovery Farm?

Core Farms are long term studies that begin with baseline water quality monitoring to identify a farm's impact on the environment. Farms are selected for the program by the Discovery Farms Steering Committee. After selecting a farm, the staff works to find funding for the installation of monitoring equipment. Baseline monitoring is designed to identify the impacts of the farming system on the environment. Best management practices are identified based on the results of the baseline monitoring program. Farmers agree to work with the program for a period of 5-7 years which provides adequate time for identification of concerns and the evaluation of effectiveness of best management practices.

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What is the Steering Committee and who are the members?

The Discovery Farms Program is governed by a steering committee representing different farm and environmental organizations. Each group was contacted at the beginning of this program and asked to select a representative for their organization. The following is a listing of our 2005 steering committee members:

• Ben Peterson, Grantsburg-Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin
• Amy Winters, Madison-WI Agribusiness
• Mark Riechers, Darlington-WI Cattlemen's Association
• Kevin Roche, Columbus-WI Corn Grower's Associatioin
• Joe Bragger, Independence-WI Farm Bureau
• Richard Keller, Mount Horeb-WI Farmers Union
• Dan Volden, Genoa-WI Federation of Coops
• Robert Messer, Beaverr Dam-WI National Farmers Organization
• Bob Uphoff, Madison-WI Pork Producers
• Jim Bacon, Hancock-WI Potato & Vegetable Growers
• Loren Asche, Lake Mills-WI Poultry Producers
• Darrell Reigel, Marshfield-WI Soybean Association
• Jay Stauffacher, Darlington-Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

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How many Core Discovery Farms are there?

As of April, 2005, we are working with the following Core Discovery Farms

• E&L Harrison Enterprises, Inc., (Swine) Elk Mound
• Bragger Family Farm (Dairy), Independence
• Heisner Family Dairy Farm, Mineral Point
• Breneman Farms Inc. (Dairy) Rio
• Riechers Beef, Darlington
• Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, Kewaunee

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What is the desired number of Core Discovery Farms?

Between 20 and 30 Discovery Farms are envisioned to span the state's diversity of soil types, physical and water characteristics, and cropping and livestock enterprises. The selection of new farms will depend upon available funding and staff.

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How do Discovery Farms fit into the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative?

The Wisconsin Agricultural Stewardship Initiative contains three significant modules:

• Discovery Farms network;
• Systems farm at UW-Platteville,
  • The Platteville Pioneer farm conducts nonpoint pollution systems research in a controlled setting and can evaluate practices or technologies that may be too financially risky to undertake on a Discovery Farm.
• Component research is conducted primarily at UW-Madison and its Agricultural Research Stations across the state, but also at UW System agricultural and natural resources consortium colleges at UW-River Falls and -Stevens Point
  • Component research generates research knowledge leading to strategies and practices that can be combined and systems-tested in the more real-world settings of the Discovery Farms network or the Platteville systems farm
  Work in each of the three areas will go on simultaneously and will be coordinated and complementary.

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