March 2017

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INSIDE

How are we doing? A question worth asking ................. 1, 2

Meet the newest Discovery Farms MN partners .............. 1, 3, 4

Why conservation? ........................................................................ 5

Spotlight on one farmer’s WaterWay experience ............. 6

Proactive progress for today and beyond ............................ 7

The UW Discover y Farms Newslet terThe Tree

Special Edition: The Farmer’s Voice

Curt and Carla Trost

How are we doing? A question worth asking.Conversations with David Arndt and the Rebout brothers, whose two farms make up the Discovery Farms core farm cluster in southeast Wisconsin.

UW Discovery Farms is currently monitoring water quality on two farms in Rock County,

Wisconsin, an area known for its agricultural diversity. As Nick Baker, Rock County UW-Extension Agriculture Agent, explained in a recent interview, “The county is really diverse. We’re known for a lot of corn-soybeans. We’ve got mint and a lot of canning crops grown here. And pheasant production, dairy production, and livestock production.”

The two farms partnering with UW Discovery Farms are very representative of the diversity that exists in Rock County. “We’re old fashioned farmers. We are doing the same rotating now, only on a bigger scale,” explained David Arndt, who farms with brothers Bob and Allen, and Bob’s sons, Austin and Abraham. They grow just about everything: field corn, seed corn, peas double cropped with green beans, alfalfa, and peppermint. As if that weren’t enough, they also feed out 1,600 head of beef cattle and have 100 beef cows on pasture.

Meet the newest Discovery Farms Minnesota partnersAn interview with Curt Trost

Last year, Discovery Farms Minnesota added two sites that monitor surface and tile on one field at

the Curt Trost Farm in Wabasso, MN.

Why the Curt Trost Farm?

Tim Radatz, Discovery Farms Minnesota Research Director explained, “The sites have a lot of potential because Curt is doing cover crops right now. We’d like him to continue to do what he is doing so we can pair those basins. Once they are paired, he could stop using cover crops in one basin but

UW Discovery Farms and Discovery Farms Minnesota have added dozens of farmer participants in the last year. This year’s farmer’s voice newsletter profiles new farmer-partners, highlights a Wisconsin conservation story, and ends with a word from a steering committee member.

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The Rebouts, on the other hand, run 4,000 acres of corn and soybeans. In addition, they have 170 milking cows and ship out 200 Holstein steers each year. They are focused on precision agriculture and strip till all fields in the spring when they put down their nitrogen. They use GPS with an RTK system, which allows them to plant right on the zone of the strip till machine.

The Rebouts, like the Arndts, are a family of brothers and sons that farm together in an area farmed by their families for decades. Currently, brothers David, Doug, and Dan along with David’s oldest son, Eric, Dan’s youngest son, Patrick, and family friend, Sam McGrath, are involved in the operation.

They may represent Rock County’s diverse agriculture, but the Arndts and Rebouts also highlight what we hear a lot from the farmers we work with. They have a strong desire to know if what they’re doing is sound, if there are ways they can improve, and an interest in contributing to the bigger picture in a mutually beneficial way.

Or as David Arndt puts it, “We just want to verify we are doing okay. Just like our soil probe that checks over what we are doing with our irrigators. We think we are probably doing alright before that but you want to verify it, you want to have some proof. And sometime, somewhere down the line somebody is going to ask for that proof. Someone is going to want the real story in the end. You wouldn’t get funding to do your work if no one thought it was valuable.”

When asked why they chose to participate, the Rebouts gave a similar answer: “Part of it is just curiosity to see if what we are doing is doing what

we think it is doing. Curiosity is part of what got us into it,” explained Dan Rebout. “We hope to learn what we are doing, how we are doing it, and can we get any better? Are there tweaks we can make here and there to improve it? The benefit is knowing that we are on the right track and headed in the right direction as to conserving the land. We try to be good stewards of the land.”

Participating in Discovery Farms requires being open to learning where there might be room for improvement and a willingness to share information. Data privacy is a real concern, but as Nick Baker highlighted, it is about the greater good. “It shows too that you have local producers that aren’t concerned and are willing to use their own records, their own data, their own cropping systems for the greater good beyond themselves but also using that data to benefit other farms in the area.”

“It is good to cooperate with you guys. Cooperation with the institutions of higher level learning is important. It’s important for you

to know what is happening in the countryside. You gain a lot from us and we gain a lot from you. It should be mutually beneficial,” explained David Arndt.

At the end of the day, it is all about learning together. Discovery Farms can provide the data and the Arndts, Rebouts and all Discovery Farms participants offer decades of experience and a desire for continual improvement. §

How are we doing?, continued from page 1

The Rebouts

Sunset on the Rebout farm

Arndt farm

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continue the same practices in the other so that we can start to get to the impact of what cover crops mean to both surface runoff and tile drainage in that area.”

There is a lot to be learned from these sites, but it will take several years to get the data. In the meantime, we sat down with Curt to learn a little bit more about his operation and why he chose to partner with Discovery Farms.

Farm Background:Location: Wabasso, Redwood County, Minnesota Farmed Acres: 1,400 Family members involved in the operation: Son-in-laws Justin Morin and Trevor Kukowski who also farm an additional 600 acres Crops: Corn and soy rotation. Cover crops for the last three years.

Can you tell us a little bit about your farm’s history?I grew up in town. When I came back home after college I worked for my dad’s construction company. While working on a house for a retired farmer, I was asked if I’d ever thought about farming. Although my initial response was, “I’ve never even driven a tractor” ultimately, the rest is history. Now I farm 1,400 acres with my son-in-laws. Some of the land is my family’s original 1888 homestead that we were recently able to purchase from relatives.

Why did you get involved with Discovery Farms?I wanted to find out how changing tillage practices and incorporating cover crops into our standard rotations would affect nutrient loss, soil loss, and that sort of thing, on the field with the monitoring sites. I plan to use that and extrapolate that data for the rest of my farm. I just want to know that I’m using best management practices and am getting the most out of my inputs without damaging the environment or losing soil. I’m conscious of that. The way I look at it is if you lose 1/64th of an inch of topsoil a year basically in 400 years you’ll lose all of your topsoil. We just can’t do that. In my opinion the

Meet the newest... continued from page 1

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Trevor, Joe, and Tiffany Kukowski

Andrew, Tara, Elizabeth, Justin, and Lillian Morin

Grandsons Andrew (left) and Joe (right) enjoying farm life.

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Meet the newest..., continued from page 3

Dan Wiese, Nick Miller, and Joe Bragger explain their cover crop successes and challenges to a crowd of 200 farmers, crop consultants, and agency personnel at the 5th Annual UW Discovery Farms Conference.

corn belt is so valuable we don’t dare risk depleting it. I really want to know that what we are doing is right and doesn’t affect the long term productivity of the soil.

Has anything surprised you so far?It seems like every time someone from Discovery Farms comes out to the site the conversation always ends up on something where I seem to come away thinking, ‘oh, I’ve never thought about that.’ ‘I’ve already learned some things from people that have a wider range of experience than I have; that is a real big plus for me. It is one I wasn’t expecting but one that has happened and I am grateful for.

Curt Trost Farm is one of two farms with monitoring sites added to Discovery Farms Minnesota in 2016.§

Curt Trost on cover crops: “We have better cover crop results when we seed the cover crop in soybeans than we do in corn. In soybeans, the soybean leaves drop sooner and expose the cover crops to sunlight. We use an airplane to seed the cover crop. We’ve been moving the seeding date up from August and think the biggest risk is seeding it too late not too early.”

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Why conservation? Excerpt of Phil Hein’s history of Maple Ridge Dairy from a PDPW Agricultural Community Engagement (ACE) On-the-Farm twilight meeting

I took a keen interest in soil conservation. We established our first conservation practices in

the 1950s. … Dad and I recognized the need and the value of establishing waterways and terraces. We not only wanted to keep our soil on our land but we also wanted to keep the soil out of the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir. To me, our topsoil is a very valuable asset. That reservoir is as valuable to this area of Wisconsin as a trout stream is in other parts of the state.

In 1968, I established terraces and waterways on the entirety of 120 acres of [newly purchased] land. Because of our type of subsoil we have to rely on surface drainage to get rid of the surplus water. The terraces that we designed intercepted the water starting from the top of the field and walking it off into a road ditch or waterways at about 200ft intervals.

It cost me $50 an acre for all of that conservation work plus the addition of lime necessary to bring the soil PH ratio up to seven. That made it possible for us to grow alfalfa, as well as corn for corn silage, which is the lifeblood of our dairy farm operation’s supply of cattle feed.

So tonight, to our guests and our legislators in attendance, this is my story:

My story is built around those 120 acres on which

Phil Hein giving Maple Ridge Dairy’s history of soil conservation at a summer PDPW meeting.

we established those conservation practices in 1968 and which still are in practice today. They were established by a team of men working for the United States Department of Agriculture, Conservation division. Because of these terraces and waterways, I am very passionate about maintaining our conservation programs on our farm. It has served our purpose very well.

I am reading about the challenges that the villages of Edgar and Stratford and Fenwood and Marathon are having in trying to get their phosphorus levels in water in line with federal regulations. They need to remove 700

pounds of phosphorus. At a cost of millions of dollars.

Do you realize how much 700 pounds of phosphorous is? That’s seven partially filled gunny bags of phosphorous. My argument is this, that if we keep the soil on the land, we keep the phosphorus out of the water.

To you, regulators, we need your help. We need to invite you to our farms and to our fields. We need you to see what we are doing and why we here at Maple Ridge Dairy are trying to do what we do to preserve our soil and keep it out of the water.

We producers need much help from you regulators, in influencing the writing of the rules and regulations. And we need to help you to understand that rules and regulations and laws don’t solve the problem. It is the understanding of what we need to do to get to the bottom of OUR problem. §

“My story is built around those 120 acres on which we established those conservation practices in 1968 and

which still are in practice today.”

Maple Ridge Dairy’s mission: Leave the land, air and water better than when we began.

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Spotlight on one farmer’s WaterWay Network experience by Dave Olson, a member of Discovery Farms’ new online discussion forum.

What Discovery Farms is doing with The WaterWay Network has a lot of promise. I enjoy reading about what other farmers are doing on

the network, and I especially appreciate getting my questions answered by other farmers and experts.

I recently asked a question about using oats as a fast establishing cover crop. I was able to get an answer on The WaterWay Network from another farmer who has experience using oats. I learned from him that oats do work as a great cover crop if planted by September 15th.

Our dairy operation has been in my family for over 100 years. We own 100 milking cows, 100 young stock and are a certified organic operation. The farm is located just outside of Black River Falls, WI in a hilly valley in the Spring Creek Watershed. The hilly nature of our farm requires us to do strip cropping and keep a lot of fields in sod. This also keeps our fields relatively small.

On our farm we always keep conservation in mind. With that, we are always learning and trying new conservation techniques. This spring when the weather warms up, we are going to try to incorporate some composting. I have gotten some good information from the neighbors about composting, but I am always looking to hear about other farmers’ experiences to guide my decisions. I hope to use The WaterWay Network to access good technical and applied information.

I use the computer to receive information via email and websites, but my biggest source of information for my conservation decisions comes from years of farming experience. I think The WaterWay Network is a great tool so farmers, like myself, can benefit from the knowledge of other farmers, while sharing our own knowledge.

For farmers, especially young farmers, interacting with other farmers is very beneficial. Every farmer has a different experience to bring to the table and I think this website will be a good place for sharing. §

Dave Olson

The WaterWay Network is accepting new users. Registering is easy and free! If you are a farmer or crop consultant, join the conversation today and become a part of the growing network. Visit www.waterwaynetwork.org

Dave Olson’s intro post on The WaterWay Network

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Discovery Farms – Proactive progress for today and beyondby Tom Bressner, UW Discovery Farms Steering Committee Member

As a native of Central Illinois growing up on a small corn, soybean, alfalfa, and dairy farm,

I was used to farming where it is black, flat, and almost 100% commercial fertilizer. Even though my family milked a small herd of registered Guernsey cows, we were one of the last around to include livestock in the farming operation. Spreading manure on the land was the exception to the prairie landscape.

And then it happened… six years ago, I came to Wisconsin and discovered a new world. I quickly discovered the deep sense of pride farmers have in Badger country. I also learned about the proud heritage of “America’s Dairyland”.

Let me tell you one other thing I learned when I came to Wisconsin. I learned about Discovery Farms. I was amazed to find that a producer driven organization was so proactive in research dealing with nutrient management issues. I learned about the numerous studies being done around the state, concerning edge-of-field monitoring, tile drainage, winter manure management, and how best management practices can be used to minimize the movement of nutrients. Among tons of other studies, Discovery Farms even studied water coming from bunker silos and the effectiveness of leachate systems. When asked to serve as a member of the Discovery Farms Steering Committee, it didn’t take much thought before I replied with a resounding “yes”.

Now let me tell you one other thing I learned about Discovery Farms. This is something you might not pick up on by only reading their articles and research. Many organizations are run by good people that work hard and do a good job. But for the leadership of Discovery Farms, it is more than a job – it is a passion. Attend a Discovery Farms event or simply talk to them at a meeting, and you will discover the energy and dedication that they bring to their research. Every day, Discovery Farms plans on making a difference… and they do. Talk about a proud heritage. Discovery Farms is a tremendous asset to production agriculture in the

State of Wisconsin.

One last thought. As the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, a big part of my job is lobbying legislators. While many of the issues I discuss with legislators are controversial and impossible to find bi-partisan support,

Discovery Farms is an exception to the rule. Think about it – who could possibly oppose water quality and research being done to keep it that way? I have spent many hours in the Capitol Building distributing copies of Discovery Farms’ Year in Review and talking about funding for

their research and projects. And regardless if I am talking to the most rural farmer legislator or the downtown big city legislator, they all applaud the proactive work being done by Discovery Farms, and support it whole-heartedly.

If you aren’t inspired by the work of Discovery Farms yet, it is time to come on board and show your support. It is time for everyone to recognize the value that Discovery Farms brings to agriculture in the State of Wisconsin. It is indeed: Proactive Progress for Today and Beyond. §

“I was amazed to find that a producer driven organization was so proactive in research

dealing with nutrient management issues.”

Tom Bressner (front right) joins a few other steering committee members for a group photo.

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Discovery Farms

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Pigeon Falls, WI 54760-0429

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Questions about this mailing? Call 715.983.5668 or email callie.herron@ces.uwex.edu.

An EEO/Affirmative Action employer, University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and ADA requirements. Request for reasonable accommodation for disabilities or limitations should be made prior to the date of the program or activity for which it is needed. Publications are available in alternative formats upon request. Please make such requests as early as possible by contacting the Discovery Farms office at 715-983-5668 so proper arrangements can be made.

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Farmer’s Voice

How are we doing? A question worth asking.

Meet the newest Discovery Farms MN partners

Why conservation?

Spotlight on one farmer’s WaterWay Network experience

Proactive progress for today and beyond

In this edition:

Stay Connected

The UW Discovery Farms® Program, part of UW-Extension, is a farmer-led research and outreach program that conducts research on working farms located throughout Wisconsin, seeking to identify agriculture’s impact on water quality.

A sunset on the Arndt farm in Rock County, WI