Conservation Professional Training Program

Wisconsin Wastewater Operators' Association
2022-09-02 - 2022-09-07
Info here.

Agroforestry Series: Planning and Designing
2022-09-01 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Chicago)
This in-depth look into the planning and designing process for agroforestry systems will be led by Savanna Institute’s Agroforestry Technical Service Provider, Sven Pihl.
Sven Pihl is the Agroforestry Technical Service Provider for the Kankakee and Iroquois River Watersheds. Sven, a Navy aircraft mechanic before and during the Persian Gulf War, had also worked in technical and process engineering roles until the financial collapse of 2008. Taking advantage of this disturbance, he homesteaded for several years and later, through his business, CT Edible Ecosystems LLC, worked on community and residential food systems planning and design projects. As an autodidact, he combines his engineering, systems-thinking and project management experience with Ecological Landscape Design Permaculture, Holistic Management and Regenerative Agriculture studies to design systems that meet human needs while building ecosystem health. Sven enjoys being outdoors, be it growing his own food, camping, hiking, kayaking or hanging out with his dog, Cyrus.
Info here.

Farming to Build Soil Health with No-Till, Cover Crops & Crop Rotations
2022-09-01 09:00 - 12:00
Come join Iowa County’s Uplands Watershed Group at a field day to discuss how soil health practices like no-till, cover crops, and crop rotations can benefit farmers’ yield, as well as improve water quality and hold soil. We’ll start the morning at a soil pit in a field on the farm 1/4 mile west on Hwy 80 from the intersection of 80 and Clark Road (follow signs) where we will talk with a soil scientist about what the soil pit reveals about the farm’s soil structure, compaction, crop history, potential for crop yields, and more. There and back at the main farm, we’ll conduct slake tests and water infiltration tests and discuss how health tests can help farmers make sound decisions.
Info here.

Incorporating ​Elements of Old Growth Forests in Timber Sales
2022-09-01 08:00 - 17:00
Join a team of researchers and practitioners as we explore the Argonne Experimental Forest and discuss incorporating elements of old growth forest into forest management. Through a combination of presentations and field tours we will cover:

Elements of old growth habitat and silvicultural treatments to obtain them
Enhancing vertical and horizontal structure
Forest regeneration consideration
Importance and application at a landscape level

Info here.

Landowner Liability
2022-08-31 12:00 - 13:00
This webinar will focus on matters of premises liability and timber protection for forest landowners, including matters of trespass, legal sufficiency of boundary and hazard marking, as well as disputes over boundaries and easements.
Info here.

Agronomy and Soils Field Day
2022-08-31
Pest Management in a Changing Climate
Keeping up with disease management in an uncertain climate
Earlier migrations and more generations: Insect pests in a changing climate
Impact of extreme weather events on weed ecology and management
Climate-plus Agriculture
Soil Carbon
Challenges of nitrogen management in Wisconsin cropping system
Perennial cover reduces flooding downstream
Cover Crops and Soil Health
Fighting weeds with covers
Rye cover crops: where does the nitrogen go?
National projects on cover crops
Soil health across production systems
Using Technology to Drive Yield, Big Data
Using data-driven knowledge for profitable soybean management systems
Current state of unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology in production agriculture settings
Advances in maize kernel characterization methods and its applications
Info here.

Agronomy and Soils Field Day
2022-08-31
Details TBD

International Drainage Symposium
2022-08-30 - 2022-09-02
Solutions to agricultural drainage challenges and opportunities will be the focus of the 11th International Drainage Symposium. Two days of sessions will highlight drainage research, practice design, implementation, and policy. The third day of the symposium will feature field tours highlighting some of the innovative drainage work happening in the local area.
The challenge of increasing agricultural production on the world’s poorly drained soils in a changing climate, with ever-increasing water quality and quantity concerns, will require technical, economic, policy, and social perspectives. The symposium will provide an opportunity for the research, agency, industry, and practitioner communities to interact, share experiences, and address emerging issues related to agricultural drainage.
Info here.

2022 International Drainage Symposium
2022-08-30 - 2022-09-02
11th International Drainage Symposium
August 30-September 2, 2022
Des Moines, Iowa
Solutions to agricultural drainage challenges and opportunities will be the focus of the 11th International Drainage Symposium, held August 30-September 2, 2022 at the Marriott Des Moines Downtown in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Two days of sessions will highlight drainage research, practice design, implementation, and policy. The third day of the symposium will feature field tours highlighting some of the innovative drainage work happening in the local area.
The challenge of increasing agricultural production on the world’s poorly drained soils in a changing climate, with ever-increasing water quality and quantity concerns, will require technical, economic, policy, and social perspectives. The symposium will provide an opportunity for the research, agency, industry, and practitioner communities to interact, share experiences, and address emerging issues related to agricultural drainage.
Join us for this event and share your work with drainage researchers, professionals, and practitioners from around the world by submitting an abstract or participating as an exhibitor or sponsor. We look forward to seeing you in 2022!
Info here.

Field Day: Red Door Family Farm
2022-08-28 13:00 - 17:00
All women farmers, landowners and conservationists from Marathon, Portage, Shawano and surrounding counties are welcome to attend– whatever your background, from beginners to experts!
Info here.

Farm and Fiber Tour Stop 2
2022-08-27 09:30 - 12:30
Join Three Rivers Fibershed (TRF) and Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) local chapters for a series of on-farm events highlighting local fiber farms, soil-to-soil farming practices, and regional textile systems in Wisconsin! Featuring WFU and TRF members/stewards, attendees will have the chance to connect with local farms and shepherds engaging in climate-beneficial, pasture-based farming practices and learn about TRF and WFU and their work to support farmers and cooperative efforts to promote local agricultural systems.
Info here.

Raising Regenerative Tree-Range Poultry
2022-08-27
Chickens are versatile and serve as powerhouses in regenerating a farming system. Hop on the bus with other poultry enthusiasts to learn from Reginaldo “Regi” Haslett-Marroquín and Wil Crombie of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance in Northfield, Minnesota. Regi and Wil will share how chickens in the “Tree-Range” system are raised in a coop and paddock system that integrates trees and perennial crops like hazelnuts and elderberries.
Content will be delivered in Spanish and English during this event, and interpretation will be provided.
See & Discuss:
Rotationally raised pastured poultry
Agroforestry
Coop infrastructure and set-up
Perennial crop production (hazelnuts & elderberries)
Processing and marketing Tree-Range poultry
Info here.

Summer Farm Bill Series
2022-08-25 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.

Farm Stress Management and Resiliency
2022-08-24 16:30 - 17:30
Farm and farm families experience a variety of stressors that lead to disruptions on the farm. Building resilience is necessary to reduce the impact of stressors and strengthen the farm and farm families. This session will share strategies that promote resilience and identify signs of stress on the farm.
Info here.

Organic Advisor Call Series
2022-08-24 08:00 - 09:00
The Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s OGRAIN, and the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) have launched two new opportunities for organic advisors and ag professionals to connect and learn from each other. These are perfect for ag professionals who work with organic and transitional farmers.
The Organic Advisor Call Series are free, monthly Zoom discussions and Q&As with farmers and experts focused on all aspects of organic grain farming. Join us for the following sessions:

June 29, 8-9am CT – “Managing Weeds with Organic Crop Rotations and Technology” with Dr. Adam Davis, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
July 27, 8-9am CT – “Cover Crops, Inter-seeding, and 60-inch corn in Organic Management” with Dr. Joel Gruver, Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL
August 24, 8-9am CT – “Reduced Tillage in Organic Systems: No Till Soybeans into Cereal Rye” with Dr. Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Register here.

Critical Conversations: Learn how to connect
2022-08-23 14:00 - 15:00
Have you ever had a tough message to deliver but just didn’t know how to say it? Or, what you said clearly wasn’t what they heard? Making it a meaningful connection – especially when having a critical conversation – takes a lot of work.
Info here.

Climate, Weather, and Monarchs
2022-08-23 13:00 - 14:00
Weather is a key determinant of monarch numbers, but the story is complicated and interesting. Join us to learn the latest on what we know about monarch population drivers, in the past, present, and future.
Info here.

Vegetable Disease ID & Prevention
2022-08-23 12:00 - 13:30
Taking an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach on sustainable and organic farms is all about planning, observation, and timely responses—nowhere is that more true than with plant disease.
Join Dr. Beth Gugino, Penn State University professor and extension specialist in vegetable pathology, to learn about observation and diagnostic tools you can use to recognize the signs of different diseases quickly, and how respond to before they get out of control. We’ll also discuss steps you can take to prevent disease in your crops.
Info here.

"Suck the Muck" at Sixmile Creek
2022-08-22 16:00 - 18:00
Dane County’s “Suck the Muck” project has received a lot of exciting attention over the past few years for its legacy sediment removal in Dorn Creek and Token Creek. Now on the third phase of the project, Dane County will begin the work in Sixmile Creek. It is estimated that approximately 25,000 tons (or about 1,800 dump truck loads) of material will be removed from this section of Sixmile Creek, including an estimated 60,000 pounds of phosphorus contained in the accumulated sediment.
In this month’s Clean Lakes 101 field trip edition, we’ll hear an update from Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Assistant Director of Land and Water Resources John Reimer about the project. Attendees will get to see the phosphorus-laden sediment islands firsthand and learn about the removal process. Ultimately, this project is currently estimated to divert thousands of pounds of phosphorus from entering our lakes.
Info here.

Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day - 2022
2022-08-20 08:30 - 12:30
Wisconsin Snapshot Day is a statewide, one-day event connecting volunteers, water lovers, and local groups in a search for aquatic invasive species (AIS). You can help protect Wisconsin’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands from these invasive plants and animals that negatively impact habitat, wildlife, recreation and health. This event is coordinated in partnership with UW-Madison Division of Extension, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, local partners, and YOU!
Volunteers will look for invasive species at critical monitoring sites, and potential invasive species will be verified and cataloged with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to guide species control and conservation management plans. No experience is necessary and training is provided virtually prior to the event
Info here.

Gitigaaning Farm & Manoomin Tour
2022-08-20
Join us for a tour of these two incredible agricultural sites of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa! Visit Perch Lake to learn about manoomin (wild rice) and the importance of treaties in tribal food sovereignty, including the management, production, and marketing aspects of manoomin. Gitigaaning, which means “the place of the gardens” in the Ojibwe language, is a 36-acre farm with a growing dome, orchard, berry patch, pollinator plantings, and 4-acres open to the growers of the Bimaaji’idiwin Producer Training Program. The property also houses Na’eniminigamig, a cannery with a root cellar, seed room, and commercial kitchen. Learn about innovations using traditional Ojibwe knowledge and indigenous agriculture practices, including wild rice hulls as mulch, as well as food sovereignty projects made possible by collaborations between tribes and federal, state, and local agencies.
Info here.

Restoration Field Day 2022
2022-08-20
The Restoration Field Day is a gathering for ecological practitioners, vendors, property owners, naturalists, and students of all ages. This full-day workshop will make ecological management accessible to everyone. Participants will explore a variety of land management tools, techniques, and services through field demonstrations, hands-on learning experiences, and vendor booths led by experts in restoration ecology.
This year we are showcasing the intersection of restoration, foraging and agro-ecology. We have a strong line-up of experts in each of these fields including Sam Thayer (Author of the Forager’s Harvest), Matt Smith (Riveredge Research and Conservation Director), and Devon Brock-Montgomery (The Savanna Institute).
Info here.

Swimming with superbugs: Exploring how antimicrobial resistance moves in our environment
2022-08-19 13:30 - 14:30
Understanding the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment (the one-health framework) is essential to address a growing public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, examinations of the role of the environment to harbor and transport AMR have lagged behind efforts in human and animal medicine. In this webinar, we’ll explore what we know about how AMR moves in our environment, and explore critical needs to improve our understanding of environmental health aspects of the AMR problem.
Info here.

Learn all about stockpiling forage to extend your grazing season
2022-08-18 18:00 - 20:00
Hosted by Connor Laukant at S5737 Rock Elm Rd, Rock Springs. Learn all about stockpiling forage to extend your grazing season at this pasture walk.

Info here.

Managing Soil Healthy and Grazing for Better Pastures Field Day
2022-08-17

Pasture Management, OAD and Fall Seasonal Calving on an All Forage Dairy
2022-08-16 12:00 - 14:00
Ricky is a DGA Journeygrazier. Together with his wife Thelma they took over Thelma’s parents farm. Since then they built a parlor, went to OAD and fully fall seasonal calving. They also added ancillary, Direct-To-Consumer enterprises. Ricky will talk about their decision making process and their Pasture Management.
Info here.

Climate Adaptation for Forest-Dependent Wildlife Webinar Series
2022-08-16 12:00 - 13:00
This 12-part series tells a story about climate change and its impacts on forest ecosystems and forest dependent wildlife species. We will examine forest ecosystems and their composition and structure under a changing climate, and the influence on wildlife populations and carbon dynamics. We will also share tools and management approaches to help facilitate forest and wildlife climate adaptation at both landscape and stand scales.
Info here.

NAWM's Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting
2022-08-15 - 2022-08-19
We invite you to join us for NAWM’s (formerly ASWM)Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting, to be held at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) from August 15-19, 2022. The purpose of this annual meeting is to support state and tribal wetland program managers, and other wetland professionals as they respond to challenges in the coming year. Although we are currently scheduled to be at the NCTC, we will be monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic very closely and will follow all federal guidelines and mandates related to the pandemic. If circumstances require it, we will shift the meeting to a fully virtual format.
Info here.

Identifying Raptors in Fall Migration in Wisconsin
2022-08-13 10:00 - 14:00
The goal of this course is to learn to identify and monitor raptors during migration. We will especially focus on learning how to identify raptors in flight; that is how we are most likely to see them during their autumn migration. Many field guides are useful for identifying a perched raptor, but the birds when seen in flight can look quite different from images in standard bird field guides, and their appearance can be confusing at first. Participants will learn how to identify and count the Wisconsin species, including how raptors appear in various lighting conditions as well as timing by species and weather conditions. We will cover likely locations in eastern Wisconsin for autumn raptor migration and how to participate in a “hawk count” (an “official” count, or one you start by yourself). We will also investigate resources for learning and study, including online sources, field guides on raptors, tools, and equipment. The course will cover vultures, eagles, accipiters, buteos, osprey, northern harrier, falcons and kites.
Info here.

Field Day: Together Farms
2022-08-12 10:00 - 11:00
We will meet and do a farm tour, have a chance to hear about Intensive Rotational Grazing and take a Wagon ride around the farm prior to burger night. Learn how Stephanie has used her land with an eye to conservation and the health of the animals.
All women farmers, landowners and conservationists from Pierce, Pepin, Buffalo and surrounding counties are welcome to attend– whatever your background, from beginners to experts!
Info here.
