Conservation Professional Training Program

Regenerative Livestock Farming
2022-08-06 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
Learn how Wanda Farm operates effectively through trust and transparency. Take a tour; talk soil health, marketing, and agritourism. See how they manage their grassfed operations through land, livestock, and environment, while emphasizing positive impact to nutritional health.
In 2018, Joe and Hannah Wanda purchased a 77 acre farm to help provide the local community’s families a better source of meat. Recognizing the lack of trust between the food industry and the consumer, we are on a mission to transform agriculture by producing wholesome, nutrient dense food using regenerative farming practices and build trust with our consumer by being transparent about our farm, and positively impact their family’s nutritional health. We expect our products to be nutrient rich to nourish your body. We expect our products to be convenient to purchase. And we also want to have a relationship with you, so you can feel at ease knowing your farmer.
Info here.

Restoring wild rice in Green Bay west shore coastal wetlands
2022-08-05 10:30 - 11:30
Manoomin (wild rice) is a native annual wetland grass with profound importance for many indigenous tribes in Wisconsin along with fish and wildlife. Conservation professionals are using an adaptive management approach to seed wild rice in the fall at priority Green Bay west shore coastal marshes and then monitor sites during the growing season to inform future management and restoration efforts. An outreach program in local schools also provides an opportunity to introduce K-12 students to Manoomin as a teacher in the classroom and a connection to place-based wetland restoration.
Info here.

Wildlife Inventory and Monitoring
2022-08-05 - 2022-08-06
This course will give students a sound background in the theory and practice of wildlife inventory and monitoring (I&M), with an emphasis on its application in adaptive management for habitat restoration and management. The course will review standard techniques for I&M, and the essentials of study design and data collection, analysis of data, and the role of I&M in conservation assessments. Students will learn how to design I&M programs specific to various objectives, understand the differences between inventory and monitoring, and how to assess local wildlife conservation issues linked to habitat management. Common techniques for I&M will be demonstrated in the field, with a focus in 2022 on birds and monarch butterflies. The course is appropriate for researchers, planners, and property managers involved in wildlife habitat management, environmental planning, and wildlife monitoring. Come prepared to get wet and/or muddy for a field sampling component.
Info here.

Sustainability 3.0: Innovations for the Innovators Field Day
2022-08-04 13:00 - 16:00
Field Day August 4th–Sustainability 3.0: Innovations for the Innovators, joint-hosted by MFAI, the Nature Conservancy, and the Racine County Producer-Led Watershed group. Jim Stute of the watershed group will present the results of his study band-applying gypsum to alleviate soil crusting in no-till corn. MFAI agroecologist Nicole Tautges will demonstrate Kernza, the first perennial grains in the U.S., and talk about why WI growers could benefit from using a perennial grains on their farm. Ricardo Costa of TNC will present on a collaboration between TNC and a local grower to implement pollinator and wildlife habitat strips on farm, discussing incentives and benefits to cropland.
Info here.

Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future for Wisconsin
2022-08-04 13:00 - 14:00
America’s farm and ranch lands are rapidly disappearing, threatening our rural communities and agricultural economy, jeopardizing future food security, and increasing vulnerability to extreme weather events. Wisconsin faces a choice: let poorly planned development of this vulnerable resource continue or work to safeguard more farmland through better land-use planning and additional farmland protection tools. Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future, a new report from American Farmland Trust, maps three alternative futures out to the year 2040 in Wisconsin. Join AFT’s National Agricultural Land Network Director and guests to explore highlights of our findings and what they mean for the future of agriculture in Wisconsin.
Info here.

Co-existing with Wolves – History, Biology, and Policy
2022-08-04 - 2022-08-05
Come learn about wolf ecology, wolf monitoring, and the latest issues around wolf policy from Wisconsin wolf experts Adrian Wydeven and Peter David at Forest Lodge near Cable. Our topics in the afternoon and the following morning will include presentations and discussions on wolf ecology and Wisconsin wolf policy.
Join us to learn about wolf ecology, wolf monitoring, and the latest issues around wolf policy from Wisconsin wolf experts Adrian Wydeven and Peter David at Forest Lodge near Cable. Our topics in the afternoon and the following morning will include presentations and discussions on wolf ecology and Wisconsin wolf policy. Our evening will include an opportunity to tour wolf packs territories and practice wolf howls in surrounding forests. The workshop is open to any student or adult interested in wolves and how we co-exist with them.
Info here.

Follow the Sun Tour
2022-08-04
Join the AgriSolar Clearinghouse and Connexus Energy for a multi-site tour of Minnesota agrivoltaic sites.
The second stop on our Follow the Sun tour will feature a variety of agrisolar sites near Ramsey, Minnesota.
Info here.

Harmful Algal Blooms Webinar Series – Removal of Cyanobacterial Blooms
2022-08-03 11:00 - 14:00
This month’s Algal Bloom Action Team webinar focuses on the removal of cyanobacterial blooms. Presenters, Dr. Halis Simsek and Dr. Pankaj Bhatt discuss the HABs research being conducted in their lab at Purdue University. More specifically, how cyanophages interact with the cyanobacteria and how this knowledge is applied to remove blooms.
Info here.

Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference
2022-07-31 - 2022-08-03
This year’s conference theme, “Elevating Conservation to New Heights,” embraces the mountainous region of the location while emphasizing the shared vision held by conservationists around the world to scale our work, repair ecosystems, and create resilient working lands.
This year’s event is situated on the Front Range, where the plains meet the Rocky Mountains and where one can see the vast impacts of a changing climate and increased populations on our natural resources. A central concern for much of this semiarid to arid region is water, most often the lack of water. The west depends upon irrigation for crop production, which depletes both surface water and groundwater supplies. Additionally, competition between urban and agricultural land and water uses has increased as populations and cities grow. Other challenges pressing to the region include wind erosion, high soil salinity, rangeland soil health, brush control, and wildfire impacts. Here, the possibilities for partnerships to elevate soil health and water conservation are not only endless, but necessary. Regional sessions and tours will provide a space to share the latest projects and tools addressing impacts of a changing climate and increased populations on the natural resources of the area.
Info here.

Wetland Delineation
2022-07-29 - 2022-07-30
This course is a practical field-oriented guide to wetland delineation. Wetland delineation is the practice of locating the boundary between what is a wetland, and thus regulated by state and federal law, and what is upland. We will discuss what determines a wetland and how to identify and document wetland vegetation, soils and hydrology during a delineation. We will dig soil pits, identify vegetation, look for signs of hydrology, and physically stake the wetland boundary in the field. In the lab we will discuss the basics of completed data sheets and accurate reporting as well as regulatory oversight. This course is intended for beginners and will focus on relatively undisturbed wetlands present on the UWM Field Station. You can get your feet wet and decide if you want to learn more and make a career of wetland delineation or understand wetland identification for other purposes. Wetland delineation is an important tool for the protection of wetlands, and is very challenging but rewarding work.
Info here.

Starting Up Farmer Led Watershed Councils in Chippewa County
2022-07-28 13:00 - 15:00
Farmers across the Wisconsin are evaluating how they might adopt and expand farming practices that affect the quality of soil and water and address climate mitigation. Wisconsin Farmers Union, Chippewa County Farm Bureau, Chippewa County Land Conservation, and the Chippewa County Farmers Union are hosting a conversation about farmer-led watershed councils and incentive programs.
Info here.

Managing Your Woodlands
2022-07-28 12:00 - 13:00
Women landowners and the Lorax are kindred tree-protecting spirits, although instead of Truffula Trees we embrace our Wisconsin species like Aspen, Sugar Maple and Red Pine. Woodlands offer unique opportunities as well as challenges to manage. In this session, we’ll be talking all things forest and how to develop a long-term conservation plan for your woodlands that reflects your conservation values. Connect with conservation experts, meet other inspiring Wisconsin women that share your love for the trees, and learn about NRCS resources to support your conservation goals.
Info here.

Summer Farm Bill Series
2022-07-28 11:00 - 12:00
Do you care about sustainable agriculture and food security? Do you want to learn more about how the Farm Bill impacts those important issues? If so, the North Carolina Food System Advocacy Coalition’s Summer Farm Bill Series is right for you!
Building from our Farm Storm last fall, we are holding three virtual sessions this summer to continue to share information about the Farm Bill and two marker bills: the Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act and the Agriculture Resiliency Act. All three sessions will be the same but are designed to educate folks in your network as we look towards this fall and winter for more targeted advocacy around the Farm Bill after the elections.
Info here.

2022 National Strip-Tillage Conference
2022-07-28 - 2022-07-29
Discover cutting-edge ideas, techniques and strategies from the most innovative, forward-thinking minds in strip-till to raise your level of strip-till profitability, efficiency and efficacy.
The 2022 National Strip-Tillage Conference will offer a mix of thought-provoking general sessions featuring top experts; profit-boosting Strip-Till Classrooms led by strip-till authorities, and interactive farmer-to-farmer Strip-Till Roundtables.
Info here.

Cover Crop Field Day
2022-07-27 15:00 - 18:00
Cover Crops are key to soil health at the Farley Center. Tour and discuss cover crop varieties and their uses in the field with the Farley Center’s Farm Manager, Seth Riley. Rue Genger from UW Madison will also demonstrate a new walk-behind roller crimper designed by USDA inventor Ted Kornecki. The crimper is used for terminating cover crops in advance of no-till vegetable planting. All attendees will receive two cover crop books to aid in discussion and take home after the event.
Info here.

Prioritizing What Birds Prefer
2022-07-27 13:00 - 14:00
The Role of Birds on the Farm Course: Lesson 10 – Prioritizing What Birds Prefer
Info here.

Digging into the Science of Nutrient Density
2022-07-27 12:00 - 13:30
Whether you grow food, sell it, cook it, or just eat it—we all have a stake in gaining a deeper understanding of the links between soil health, plant health, and human health.
The concept of nutrient-dense food has been growing in popularity for decades, but how do we actually define and quantify it? During this webinar, we’ll explore the science behind on crop nutrient density, including how it can be measured, what new research is uncovering, and what we still need to learn. We’ll examine how factors like growing climate, management practices, and variety have the potential to broadly impact nutrient density.
Info here.

Not in my backyard! Managing invasives with help from CISMAs
2022-07-27 08:00 - 09:00
Info here.

The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz
2022-07-26 13:00 - 14:00
The “Blitz” recently celebrated its 5th anniversary with over 10,000 observations of monarchs and milkweed across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. This webinar presents the origins, present moment, and future plans of this trinational effort.
Info here.

What does the State’s new Clean Energy Plan mean for me?
2022-07-26 12:00 - 13:00
Part of Badger Talks. Presented by Maria Redmond, Director of State of Wisconsin’s Office of Sustainability & Clean Energy & Dr. Missy Nergard, UW-Madison Director of Sustainability.
Info here.

Enhancing Sustainability through On-farm Research and Metrics
2022-07-26 11:00 - 13:00
The Sustainable Agronomy Conference will provide Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs), Agri-Sales Professionals, and growers with the opportunity to more fully understand and implement sustainable agronomy in the field. Learn the drivers, economics, agronomics, environmental benefits, and implementation techniques of sustainable crop production. Economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainable agronomy will be considered.
Unlike other sustainability or agronomy conferences that simply describe broad research findings, this conference will be action-oriented, practical, interactive, and applied with a focus on decision support and execution. You will leave the conference with information that you can confidently recommend to clients and implement in the field. Speakers, moderators, and panel participants will have a deep understanding of “why” and “how” to implement sustainable agronomy.
Info here.

A Taste for Maize: More than Popcorn & Corn on the Cob!
2022-07-26 11:00 - 12:00
Celebrate the gastronomic experience and diverse cultural heritage of maize. Join our chefs as they conduct live recipe demonstrations and share their culinary knowledge.
Info here.

Rotational grazing
2022-07-26 10:30 - 11:30
Rotational grazing 100 Dairy Heifers on 80 acres for 6 months. May thru Oct. Corral design, using a pasture barrier between pasture fences and the woods, Clipping mature forages to set back vegetative growth for improved forage quality
Info here.

Info Ag
2022-07-26 - 2022-07-27
Since 1995, InfoAg has been the leading event in precision agriculture, attracting 1300+ attendees from 20 countries every year and offering a unique opportunity to engage the top practitioners searching for technology-driven solutions.
Today’s InfoAg now highlights a broader reach of tools, technologies, products, and practices that crop advisors can use to advance modern agriculture. The event features a tradeshow alongside education sessions that address the challenges of the retail agronomist through precision ag, environmental stewardship and sustainability, and product innovation.
Info here.

Organic Weed Control Intensive
2022-07-24 09:00 - 16:00
Join Kat Becker from Cattail Organics and Sam Tilton from Lakeshore Technical College to re-envision weed control on your vegetable farm. In this full day, workshop-style event you will build your knowledge of weed management systems, view and try a wide variety of tools, and learn from Kat, Sam, and other experienced farmer peers right in the field. You will leave with the strategies you need to develop a detailed, comprehensive, and actionable plan for managing weeds into the future.
Info here.

Paddling and Policy - 50 years of the Clean Water Act on the Wisconsin River
2022-07-23 12:00 - 17:00
On this afternoon flatwater paddling trip we’ll combine leisurely paddling with some rich riverbank discussions about the history of the CWA and its implementation in Wisconsin with our trip leaders Bob Martini, Todd Ambs, and Denny Caneff – all experienced paddlers and longtime river champions.
At the time of the 1972 passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA), few water bodies in Wisconsin needed clean up more than the Wisconsin River. Often called America’s hardest working river, the Wisconsin River Valley in the 1970s hosted a heavy concentration of pulp and paper mills, along with no less than 26 hydro-electric dams between Lake Tomahawk and Prairie Du Sac.
Meeting the standards established in the Clean Water Act required years of negotiation and some noteworthy collaboration between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the many pulp and paper mills and other industries along the river. The results of that effort are a true environmental success story. Our trip leaders Bob Martini, Todd Ambs, and Denny Caneff are experienced paddlers, longtime river champions, and conservationists who have been critical parts of those efforts
On this afternoon flatwater paddling trip between Brokaw and Wausau, we’ll combine leisurely paddling with some rich riverbank discussions over lunch about the history of the CWA and its implementation in Wisconsin. We’ll critically assess the state of the river today, including some longstanding threats to water quality the CWA has not addressed, including non-point pollution, newly emerging contaminants such as PFAS, and the ways in which environmental inequities are especially experienced in river communities.
Info here.

National Moth Week
2022-07-23 - 2022-07-31
National Moth Week celebrates the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths. “Moth-ers” of all ages and abilities are encouraged to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods. National Moth Week is being held, worldwide, during the last full week of July. NMW offers everyone, everywhere a unique opportunity to become a Citizen Scientist and contribute scientific data about moths. Through partnerships with major online biological data depositories, NMW participants can help map moth distribution and provide needed information on other life history aspects around the globe.
Info here.

Twilight Pasture Walk: Getting your farm dreams funded
2022-07-21 17:00 - 20:00
Join WFU at Gwenyn Hill Farm for a pasture walk specializing in rotational grazing for multi-species.
Info here.

2022 Surface Water Grant Webinar: For Applicants
2022-07-21 16:00 - 17:00
Are you curious about the WDNR’s Surface Water Grant Program?
Would you like to learn more about funding opportunities, applying, and managing grant projects?
Please sign up for and attend this webinar. Attendees will meet program staff and learn about grants available for the protection and restoration of lakes, rivers and wetlands. We’ll share a few tips on applying and managing projects and provide some time to answer your questions as you look toward preparing a pre-application in advance of the Sept 15 deadline.
Info here.

Pollinator Habitat Field Day at Sapsucker Farm
2022-07-16 13:30 - 15:00
Join pollinator biologist Sarah Foltz Jordan of the Xerces Society, and farmers Jim & Debbie Morrison of Sapsucker Farm for a buzz-worthy field day focused on pollinator habitat in an orchard setting. Attendees will learn about native bee diversity and habitat needs, including how to identify and support the rusty-patched bumble bee, a federally endangered bee that has recently been detected near the farm, and is persisting in very low numbers across the Midwest. Participants will tour the farm from the perspective of a bee, looking at foraging & nesting resources, protection from pesticides, and the many habitat strategies that Sapsucker Farm has employed, including their innovative and successful approaches to planting and managing diverse native flowers in the understories of their orchards.
Info here.
