Dane County farmer group wins national sustainability award
Press release courtesy Yahara Pride Farms
Yahara Pride Farms was honored by the The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, during its fifth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards ceremony May 11 in Chicago. The program recognizes dairy farms, businesses and partnerships whose sustainable practices positively impact the health and well-being of customers, communities, animals and the environment. Yahara Pride Farms received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship.
Growing Crops to Cover the Soil
By Heidi Johnson, Dane County UW-Extension Crops and Soils Educator
The use of cover crops as a conservation practice in conventional, commodity crop production has been greatly increasing over the last couple of years. Here is a quick run down on what cover crops are and how they are being used in agriculture.
Better with Buffers
Keeping fields green and lakes blue
Composting grant looks to identify new tools for managing manure
MADISON, Wis. — Clean Lakes Alliance has been awarded a $60,000 two-year grant from Fund for Lake Michigan to determine whether windrow manure composting could have water quality impacts in the Yahara River watershed and beyond, including potential reductions in phosphorus runoff.
“Our lakes face serious challenges from urbanization and intensification of agriculture,” said Elizabeth Katt-Reinders, Clean Lakes Alliance Deputy Director. “With its potential to manage manure, benefit soil health and protect our lakes, composting could be a big win-win.”
Cows, crops and caring for our lakes
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, agriculture in Dane County accounts for $3.4 billion in economic activity annually. From our multi-generational dairy farms, to our land-grant university, to the Dane County’s farmer’s market, agriculture is part and parcel to our identity.
A view from above: visit to the WI State Climatology Office
Carp Tracking and Removal Project – Peter Foy
Project update via Peter Foy, President of the Friends of Lake Kegonsa Society
The Friends of Lake Kegonsa Society (FOLKS) has initiated what is hoped will result in a major carp removal project that will be conducted over the next two years on Lake Kegonsa. An initial carp tracking study is intended to identify times and locations where large concentrations of carp might be targeted for removal. FOLKS is working closely with Dane County, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the UW Limnology Department on this challenging project. The project will be supervised and monitored by Kurt Welke, Fisheries Manager, WDNR with support from Dr. Richard Lathrop, honorary fellow at UW-Madison Center for Limnology and retired DNR limnologist.
Our top 5 summer memories
- Working with 17 companies and partners and 459 volunteers on Renew the Blue projects. #healthyshores #healthylakes
- At the beaches, slurping algae with Madison College and pitching wheelbarrows of lakeweed.
- These kids cheering on Loop the Lake riders.
- Big catches and proud moments at the Lake Explorer Camp
- Launching lakeforecast.org. Hello, real-time water clarity readings!
Fun and educational stops (see information below)