Manitowoc County Discovery Farms Area

Manitowoc County Site 1

Manitowoc County Site 2

To say that environmental challenges have come to the forefront of animal agriculture is an understatement. Perhaps nowhere is that more the case than in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Manitowoc has been a leader in the state in terms of dairy expansion or modernization. A review of the past five to seven years indicates an average growth rate of five cows per farm. The number of truly “large” dairy farms has also increased. Manitowoc County now has about 10 permitted dairies (i.e. farms greater than 1,000 animal units) compared to three 10 years ago.

Not surprisingly, this increase in cows per farm was accompanied by an increase in requests for limits on animal expansion. Often the reasons stated for these proposed limits included concerns about the potential negative impacts on ground and surface water. With all of the turmoil and controversy and a corresponding lack of research regarding the impact of agriculture on the environment, a small group of individuals decided to investigate the possibility of obtaining funding for a Manitowoc County Discovery Farm. The leadership of the Discovery Farms Program was impressed by Manitowoc County’s commitment to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to work on identifying and solving environmental issues. The main factor in the decision to select Manitowoc County as the first Discovery Farms Project Area was the fact that several bays in Lake Michigan near the village of Cleveland were experiencing severe algae blooms. There are many factors that play a role in the development of algae blooms, including water clarity (increased light penetration), increase in near shore concentrations of dissolved phosphorus and water temperature.

While agriculture has some affect on water clarity (the major factor being the zebra and quagga mussel filtration) or in water temperatures, it can play a significant role in the delivery of phosphorus to the lake. The questions that need to be answered by the Discovery Farms Project Area include:

• How much phosphorus is entering Lake Michigan from agricultural fields receiving manure?
• What crops or farming systems contribute the highest losses of phosphorus?
• What phosphorus form (particulate or dissolved) is leaving the fields?
• What management practices reduce these losses to acceptable levels?
• What are acceptable levels of phosphorus loss from agriculture?
  

It was clear that people were making tremendous assumptions about the impact of agriculture on the lake with no data to support these claims. It was also apparent that many people had already identified solutions to the issue, with little or no data to document the cause of the problem. The goal of this project area was to add an in-field water quality and quantity monitoring program that would identify the rates, timing and sources of phosphorus losses from agricultural fields and to work with county staff and producers to correct management practices that cause high losses of phosphorus.

The Manitowoc County Discovery Farms Project Area is a unique collaboration of agricultural, conservation and environmental interests. The University of Wisconsin, including UW-Extension, along with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) work with privately-owned farms to find the most economical and effective ways of complying with environmental regulations and protecting the environment while maintaining farm profitability. The Manitowoc County Discovery Farms Advisory Committee developed the following mission statement to assist in guiding the research and dissemination of the research results:

The Manitowoc County UW Discovery Farms Project Area will gather on-farm research data, which may be used to determine the environmental and economic effects of currently available Best Management Practices. This data will be used to evaluate and improve Best Management Practices in order to achieve a healthy and sustainable agriculture, in a healthy and sustainable environment.

The goal is to collect and utilize research data and information to educate a wide variety of audiences. By cooperating with university and agency personnel, the local conservation departments disseminate the research results to farmers, consultants, other agribusinesses, recreational and environmental interests, governmental agencies, policymakers and the general public. The research has the potential to impact farming practices in northeastern Wisconsin and on farms throughout the state. The management practices identified and developed through this program are likely to be applicable on farms that have similar farming systems and/or similar physiographic settings and soil types. The information gained through this program will not only help farmers improve their already strong environmental stewardship, but it will also aid in the protection of both ground and surface water, which benefits not only farmers but all the residents of Manitowoc County.

After narrowing down the list of potential participants, Discovery Farms and USGS personnel visited each site to determine the viability for water quality and quantity monitoring. Two Manitowoc County farms were identified to serve as vehicles for a locally led education and outreach program. Farms that were eventually selected include Soaring Eagle Dairy and Saxon Homestead Farm.

These Discovery Farms also assist in the documentation of the effectiveness of adopting Best Management Practices to improve water quality and the affects of these practices on farm profitability. Planning for the project began in December 2003 with implementation starting in the summer of 2004. The project is slated to run through at least 2009, but the length and design of the study will depend on the data collected and the funding available to implement our recommendations.