How are Discovery Farms projects conducted?
What makes this program unique is that monitoring is conducted (by the USGS in cooperation with the University) first to determine if an operation is having a negative or positive impact on the environment. All management practices are documented, and we work with the producer to understand how and why they have adopted their farming system. If the farm has a negative impact on the environment, then we work with the producer, their consultants and a group of experts to identify best management practices that will fit the operation and monitor their effectiveness on working Wisconsin farms. Although cooperating farmers are compensated for the substantial effort and additional costs the project may require, every cooperator must agree to do what is necessary to successfully complete the project. The cooperating farmer is the key to project success, but s/he does not stand alone. The farms receive considerable advice and information from the staff of Discovery Farms, the USGS and staff fr
