Wisconsin awards 11 Producer Led Watershed Protection Grants

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) recently said the second round of Producer Led Watershed Protection Grants have been awarded to 11 groups of farmers who will work with resource conservation agencies and organizations to address soil and water issues.

Together they will receive just over $197,000 in this second round of awards. The grant program was designed to give financial support to farmers willing to lead conservation efforts in their own watersheds.

The emphasis is on innovation and practices not already covered by other state and federal programs, and the intent is that participating farmers will reach out to other farmers to help them adopt conservation practices. Each group is eligible for up to $20,000 a year.

Producer groups must work with DATCP, the Department of Natural Resources, a county land conservation committee, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, or a nonprofit conservation organization. Grant funds cannot pay for real estate, loans, equipment purchases, or lobbying, and the program places caps on the amount of funding that can be used for staff support to the groups.

Second rounds recipients included Farmers for Lake Country – Oconomowoc River Watershed; Buffalo-Trempealeau Farmer Network – Elk Creek Watershed; Farmers for the Upper Sugar River; Farmers of Mill Creek Watershed Council; and Milwaukee River Watershed Clean Farm Families.