November 13, 2019 @ 2:00 am – 3:00 am
Yahara Pride Farms: Collaborating for farm sustainability and water quality
Join us at Yahara Lakes 101 to learn about important issues impacting our lakes!
About the talk
Agricultural areas represent the majority of the Yahara Watershed and the largest potential for phosphorus reduction. So what is being done in rural areas to help our lakes?
Yahara Pride Farms (YPF) is a farmer-led nonprofit organization working to improve soil and water quality. Since 2012, farmers in YPF programs have documented nearly 68,000 pounds of phosphorus that have remained on farm fields and out of rivers and streams by embracing farming practices promoted by the group. In this month’s Yahara Lakes 101 talk, we’ll hear from Yahara Pride Farms Chair Jeff Endres about the organization’s strategic urban-rural partnerships and how farmers are investing in lake health.
About our speaker
Jeff Endres is co-owner of Endres Berryridge Farms LLC in Waunakee, together with his brothers, Randy and Steve. He has 26 years of experience in field management, machinery operation and repairs, and overall day-to-day dairy operation management. The Endres family has farmed with a conservation mindset for multiple generations and was one of the first farms in Wisconsin to have an official nutrient management plan.
In 2012, Jeff teamed up with other farmers to create Yahara Pride Farms, with the mission to promote agricultural stewardship. The group focuses on the Yahara River Watershed, which covers one of the most populated and agriculturally productive areas in southern Wisconsin. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labeled the Yahara River, which connects several Madison-area lakes, as an impaired waterway and since that time, Yahara Pride Farms has been working on solutions. Today, the organization’s purpose is to inform agriculturists about water quality issues, reward farmers for environmental stewardship efforts, advance new strategies to improve water quality, and connect with the public to show agriculture’s commitment to protecting natural resources.
Event Details
This event is at The Edgewater. Come at 7:30 a.m. for a meet-and-greet and to enjoy your coffee, pastries, and fruit. The program begins at 8 a.m., and class is dismissed by 9 a.m. Complimentary event parking will be available at The Edgewater.
Admission is FREE for Friends of Clean Lakes. If you are not a Friend, admission is $10 per event. Registration for each event is requested for all attendees.
Yahara Lakes 101 Science Café
Yahara Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance for residents to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences.
The series is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, with presenting sponsors First Weber Foundation and Johnson Financial Group, hosting sponsor The Edgewater Madison, supporting sponsor National Guardian Life Insurance Company, and media partner the Isthmus.
