From the pastures of Waupaca County to leadership tables across Wisconsin, Rachel Bouressa wears many hats, including beef farmer, agriculture advocate, and conservation coaches. On her family’s farm near Royalton, Wisconsin, she practices rotational grazing and helps other farmers navigate the ups and downs of conservation work.
Conservation is an important part of farming for several reasons including protecting soil health, efficiently managing water use, maintaining biodiversity, and encouraging sustainability to ensure long term success.
Here are five ways to help you get started on your conservation journey.
1. Build your community
Find the right network of peers and mentors. This could include connecting with the Natural Resources Conservation Service for cost-share and technical support, your county conservation staff who know the local landscape, or farmer-led watershed groups that offer on-the-ground experience and camaraderie.
Connecting with like-minded individuals not only gives you advice but also presents you with new, innovative ideas.
2. Start small with experiments
Agriculture is a science, and experimentation is a part of the process. This is where you can make farming fun and interesting.
Whatever you decide to experiment with, start small – test a new practice on a marginal field or split your field into test plots. Experiments could include drone-seeding cover crops or planting new cover crops to break up soil compaction and attract pollinators.
3. Diversify your operation
Diversity builds resilience, whether it’s in your soil or your income. For example, as a beef farmer, partner with a neighboring dairy operation to grow cover crops that benefit both operations. It improves soil health for the dairy farmer, while extending the grazing season as a beef farmer. Creative ways to collaborate include:
- Can livestock and crops work together on your land?
- Can neighbors share seed, data, or equipment?
- Can you find alternative markets for new crops?
4. Reframe risk as an opportunity
Many farmers hesitate to try conservation practices because of perceived risk, whether it be cost, uncertainty, or the fear of failure. Instead, reframe risk as an opportunity. By starting small, you minimize financial exposure while learning what works. With cost-sharing programs available through NRCS or local initiatives, support is often just a conversation away.
5. Measure success
Look for more than yield when measuring success.
Take a shovel to your soil and look for worms and structure, watch how water moves after a rainfall, and listen for birdsong in your pastures. Yield still matters too, but biodiversity, soil health, and inspiring others to try something are also long-term indicators of success.
As the number one farm insurer in Wisconsin, we provide knowledge and insight to help you make the best decisions to protect your farm and way of life. That’s why we go beyond the policy by providing educational content on best practices – from farm safety to succession planning. Reach out to a local agent to learn more.
