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In: Agriculture, andy kiefer, conservation, conservation champions, cover crops, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, GLRI, huebner farm, in progress, Keepers of the Fox, kesler farms, land and water, low disturbance manure application, Lower Fox River, manure injection, no-till, Outagamie County, outagamie county land conservation, regenerative, seven oaks dairy, soil health, Water quality, Watershed Project

As we come to the conclusion of the Fox Farmer Conservation Champions grant, the outcomes of this initiative to promote sustainable farming practices are becoming increasingly evident. The collaboration between Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Outagamie County Land and Water Conservation Department (LWCD), and local producers have not only yielded successful results but have also fostered trust and a shared commitment to the journey toward enhanced soil health.

Despite the conclusion of the grant this winter, the enthusiasm among local farms remains palpable. The prospect of experimenting with new ideas and implementing previously successful strategies underscores the enduring commitment of producers to soil health practices.  And producers beyond those enrolled in the grant project are on board.    Due not in a small part to the influence of the project’s farmers, many surrounding farms are installing cover crops with and without cost-share payments. The commitment the participating farms have to soil health practices has been one of the project’s most noted successes. This commitment is shown by both expanding soil health practices on acres outside those under contract and continuing practices on acres that no longer receive cost share from this grant or others. Soil health practices are beyond the minimum requirement of cover crops and no-til and are being incorporated as part of each farm’s operation.  At first, the different practices seemed challenging or an extra step, for example buying seed or finding someone to drill in cover crop directly after harvest.  With each year, the farms were able to better manage these challenges or “extra steps.”  Now planting cover crop, for example, is almost fully incorporated into their mindsets.

A triumph of this initiative lies not only in tangible outcomes such as acres implemented but in the relationships and trust woven between farms and project staff. The willingness of producers to confront challenges head-on, coupled with their commitment to learning and adaptation

paints a vivid picture of the great work our these and other local farmers are undertaking. Thanks to funding and investments in planning resources, producers are empowered to navigate obstacles, forging a resilient path rather than abandoning sustainable practices. The harmony between producers and project staff reflects a shared dedication to the soil health journey.

As we wrap up this Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project that started back in 2019, the success stories and lessons learned from this collaborative venture resonate as a model to replicate in other grant projects. The commitment to innovation and adaptability by the producers and the strong relationships established between producers and project staff have demonstrated the need for conservation staff to support producers in adopting soil health practices. With each growing season, agricultural conservation work across the basin shows that by sowing the seeds of collaboration and sustainability, the harvest reaped is one of resilience, prosperity, and environmental stewardship.

These efforts are possible through a GLRI grant focused on:

  • Continuing to build on conservation momentum in the Plum and Kankapot subwatersheds by providing support to producers by Outagamie County Land Conservation Department staff
  • Working with Conservation Champions to overcome the hurdles of consistent implementation of cover crops, no-till, and low disturbance manure injection and
  • Tracking successes and challenges and communicating best practices to other local producers

Questions? Want to learn more? Contact the Lower Fox River Watershed Program Director, Katie Woodrow, at katie@fwwa.org

Questions? Contact us:

Basin Agriculture Coordinator: Justin Loehrke, 920.841-6938 or justin@fwwwa.org

Climate Smart Agriculture Project Manager: Katie Woodrow, 920.915.5767 or katie@fwwa.org

To receive periodic updates on these projects as well as many others, please subscribe to our newsletters: CLICK HERE

The post Sowing Success: Fox Farmers Wraps Up appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/12/19/fox-farmers-wraps-up/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fox-farmers-wraps-up

Katie Woodrow

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In: contaminated sediments, detroit river, Feature Homepage, GLRI, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Old Business: EPA broadly designates legacy toxic sediment sites for funding priority

The seemingly endless process of crafting, negotiating and passing the infrastructure legislation is over. 

The bill topped out at a trillion dollars, and $1 billion of that funding is coming to the Great Lakes region for continued restoration of the lakes. That’s in addition to the ongoing federal funding of over $300 million annually the lakes have received since 2010.  

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/epa-toxic-sediment-funding/

Gary Wilson

On:
In: 2020 Budget, Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Drinking Water Infrastructure, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, GLRI, Press Releases

Trump Budget Undermines Efforts to Protect Drinking Water, Great Lakes

Strong support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is undermined by drastic cuts to other core clean water programs.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The Trump Administration’s proposed 2020 budget, released today, supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, but undermines these proposed investments by substantially cutting core clean water and drinking water programs elsewhere in the budget. The White House budget comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s historic roll-back of clean water protections.

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“This budget is one step forward, three steps backward. The bottom line is that the Trump Administration’s proposed budget undermines efforts to protect our drinking water and our Great Lakes. One budget line item cannot erase an overall budget that contains drastic cuts to essential clean water programs. With many of our towns and cities still struggling with unsafe drinking water, now is not the time to cut funding or clean water protections. We need a White House that will use all of the tools at its disposal to fight for clean drinking water for all of the people who call this country home.”

The Trump Administration’s proposed budget includes:

  • $320 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, reduce runoff pollution, and restore fish and wildlife habitat – level with current fiscal year 2020 funding of $320 million
  • $1.12 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help communities pay for sewer upgrades and repairs – almost $500 million less than fiscal year 2020 funding of $1.64 billion
  • $863 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund to help communities pay for drinking water infrastructure – almost $266 million less than fiscal year 2020 funding of $1.13 billion
  • 27 percent cut to U.S. EPA budget

The post Trump Budget Undermines Efforts to Protect Drinking Water, Great Lakes appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/trump-budget-undermines-efforts-to-protect-drinking-water-great-lakes/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: GLRI, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding, Press Releases

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (February 5, 2020)—In a major victory for clean water advocates, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019. The bill reauthorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for 5 years, and increases the program’s funding from $300 million to $475 million per year by 2026.

Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition Director Laura Rubin said:

“This is excellent news for the 30 million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, jobs recreation and way of life. Over the past decade, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been producing results for communities across the region, but serious threats remain. This reauthorization recognizes the work we have left to do to ensure that the basic need of clean drinking water is fulfilled for all who call this region home.

“We thank Reps.  David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) for their leadership in passing this vital bill, and the dozens of Republicans and Democrats who are co-sponsoring the bill and  working in a spirit of bi-partisan cooperation to make sure that Great Lakes restoration and protection remain a national priority.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative invests in local projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to clean up toxic pollution, fight invasive species, reduce runoff from cities and farms, and restore fish and wildlife habitat.

The post House Vote Paves Way for Boost to Great Lakes Funding appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/house-vote-paves-way-for-boost-to-great-lakes-funding/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: GLRI, Great Lakes, Press Releases

Coalition Urges House to Vote on Great Lakes Restoration Re-authorization
Bi-Partisan bill would increase restoration funding from $300 million to $475 million per year.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (December 4, 2019) – The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi yesterday, urging the House of Representatives to bring H.R. 4031, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019, to the floor for consideration this year. The act re-authorizes the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and increases the annual authorization over five years from $300 million to $475 million per year.

“Over the past decade the GLRI has improved lives across Great Lakes communities after decades of environmental damage threatened public health, the regional economy, and drinking water,” the letter reads. “The GLRI has allowed the 8-state region to undertake one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem restoration projects. Since its inception, the initiative has resulted in economic returns of more than 3 to 1 across the region and made tremendous progress.”

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“This funding re-authorization is excellent news for the 30 million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs, recreation, and way of life. Over the past decade, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been producing results for communities across the region, but serious threats remain. This increased annual re-authorization acknowledges the work we have left to do. We thank Reps. David Joyce and Marcy Kaptur for their leadership, and we thank the region’s House delegation, who are working in a spirit of bi-partisan cooperation to make sure Great Lakes restoration and protection remain a national priority. We urge the House of Representatives to bring this bill to the floor without delay.”

The post Coalition Urges House to Vote on Great Lakes Restoration Re-authorization appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/coalition-urges-house-to-vote-on-great-lakes-restoration-re-authorization/

Pavan Vangipuram

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