BY KIM MEYER, AGRONOMIST, DANE COUNTY LAND & WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
Exploring conservation methods
Farmers have limited opportunities — approximately 40 over their lifetime — to explore new conservation practices. This makes change inherently risky as they often must wait until the following year for another chance. This reality underscores the effectiveness of farmer-led initiatives, where farmers collaboratively share knowledge and experiences to achieve common objectives, such as enhancing soil health while safeguarding water quality and ensuring farm profitability. Farmers have firsthand insight into the challenges associated with adopting new conservation methods.
A collaborative effort
The Dane Demonstration Farms Network was launched in 2023. It represents a collaborative effort between Dane County and the United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), in partnership with the University of Wisconsin. The network currently includes five diverse farms, ranging in type, size, and geographic location. These farms encompass dairy, grain, and mixed beef and grain operations. The locations reflect a spectrum of conservation-adoption levels focused on soil health.
Researching conservation practices
Dane Demo Farms works in conjunction with established farmer-led watershed groups. It offers customized information that aligns with local conservation interests and is driven by farmer-led research. Ongoing research at Dane Demo Farms aims to address various agronomic questions pertinent to farmers considering different conservation practices. For instance, while it is known that cover crops can reduce soil erosion and nutrient loss into surface waters, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding their management. Specifically, inquiries related to the timing of nitrogen release from cover crops post-termination and its availability for subsequent crops, as well as potential pest implications associated with cover crop usage, remain critical.
Collaboration with local farms
Farmers and their service providers manage all projects conducted at the demo farms. Projects involve all aspects of planting, fertilizing, spraying, and harvesting. Project designs are a collaboration between farmers, the University of Wisconsin, Dane County staff, and USDA-NRCS representatives who compose the Dane Demo Farm research team. This team is responsible for laying out field plots for the farmers, providing project maps, and collecting comprehensive soil, plant tissue, and forage samples throughout the growing season. Additionally, a graduate student conducts data analysis of the various sampling results. Project durations vary from one to five years, depending on the specific topic of inquiry.
In addition to research, Dane Demo Farms incorporates an outreach component featuring field days, winter events, a farmer-focused newsletter, social media, and podcasts. The aim is to collect valuable information through targeted research and disseminate it to the wider farming community.
A partnership for sustainability
Farming demands significant time commitments, often exceeding 100 hours per week, amid various competing responsibilities. Dane Demo Farms strives to adapt its outreach efforts to align with the seasonal rhythms of farming. It recognizes that conservation is just one element of a larger operational framework. Dane Demo Farms works to meet farmers where they are. It provides relevant local research to support farmers on their conservation journey.
To learn more about or sponsor the research work Dane Demo Farms is conducting, please visit: demofarms.danecounty.gov
This article first appeared in the 2025 Greater Madison Lake Guide. Read more from the publication.
