With the financial resources provided by the cooperative agreement, the LWRD will create a Demonstration Farm Network all over Dane County, and work closely with farmers in the region.
County Executive Joe Parisi went on to say:
“Clean water and healthy soils are a priority for our community and help ensure our natural resources can be enjoyed for generations to come. We are excited to continue to support innovative opportunities for our farmers and facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning.”
The farms already established in places such as Fitchburg will conduct research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of existing and cutting-edge conservation systems in safeguarding the region’s water quality. These Demonstration Farms are also tasked with serving as learning hubs, offering educational opportunities such as tours for agribusinesses, watershed groups, and agencies in charge of natural resources. They will also facilitate knowledge exchange between farmers, fostering a culture of shared learning among farmers. Poster printing could be used to identify which farms are part of a program.
In order to kickstart the establishment of this network, the Dane County LWRD is going to look for potential farms throughout all through the summer. Farmers who choose to sign up to be demonstration farmers will be eligible to receive payment as part of the program.