Farmer-led stewardship group plans field day

A new environmental stewardship coalition organized by farmers in Kewaunee and southern Door counties is heading into the field for a demonstration.

Peninsula Pride Farms’ first field day will give farmers and the general public an opportunity to learn more about the unique topography of the region as part of the group’s efforts to meet groundwater quality challenges.

Two identical demonstrations will be held on April 22, Earth Day. (April 29 if inclement weather.) Farmers and the general public. Lunch will be provided.

The events are planned from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. at EL-NA Farms, 4029 Pheasant Road, Algoma. Parking is in the farm yard (rather than on Pheasant Road).

Shallow soil depths and fractured bedrock in Northeastern Wisconsin and other parts of the state make groundwater particularly susceptible to contamination from manure and other nutrients applied to fields as fertilizer. Conditions can vary widely.

“Getting a clearer lay of the land will help each farmer identify the practices that make the most sense for the individual farm,” said Dennis Frame, a longtime professor at the University of Wisconsin-Extension who is assisting Peninsula Pride Farms.

“Education and outreach are important to the Peninsula Pride Farms mission,” said Don Niles, a veterinarian and dairy farmer in Casco who is president of the group. “At the same time we are empowering farmers with knowledge and training, it is important that the broader community sees the work as it happens.”

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: Farmer-led stewardship group plans field day