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As part of the Discovery Farms program, Soaring Eagle Dairy has implemented buffer strips throughout the farm to protect their water resources.
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Although Wisconsin is not a coastal state, it is largely defined by water. Let's start with Wisconsin's more than 14,000 lakes. Then, on Wisconsin's eastern border lies Lake Michigan; the northwestern border, Lake Superior; and the Mississippi River separates Wisconsin and Minnesota, and Wisconsin and Iowa. A tributary of the Mississippi River–the St. Croix River–forms the rest of the state's western border. Water plays a key role in driving many of Wisconsin's economic engines, from agriculture to manufacturing to recreation.
To help protect and sustain the state's water and other natural resources, the University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms program conducts on-farm research to determine economic and environmental effects of agricultural practices across Wisconsin's diverse landscape, from the Eastern Ridges and Lowlands (Great Lakes Basin) to the Western Upland. This program is a unique collaboration of agricultural, conservation and environmental interests.
Among the cooperating farms in the Great Lakes Basin is Soaring Eagle Dairy, owned and operated by Jim and Sandie Fitzgerald, along with their three daughters and their families: Kelly and Brian Goehring, Julie and Rick Maurer, and Stacy and Jeremy Klotz. (Visit the Farm Families section of this website to learn more about Soaring Eagle Dairy.) From 2004-2007, they provided a site for surface water and nutrient and soil sediment loss studies. Their cooperation is important as agriculture better understands how to prevent and minimize the delivery of phosphorus to Lake Michigan and other waterways in, around and near America's Dairyland.
"Studying various farming practices on real dairy farms provides an opportunity to learn what is different from data gathered on 'test' sites versus in laboratories," said Julie Maurer in explaining why Soaring Eagle Dairy of Newton was excited to cooperate with the UW Discovery Farms program. "Discovery Farms' findings should be used to help drive dairy policy. Thus, it's critical that farms like our family's farm participate in this type of on-farm research."
Soaring Eagle Dairy was the first to graduate from the UW Discovery Farms program. Researchers discovered some valuable information to help sustain Wisconsin's natural resources and the dairy industry. The "report card" concluded and recommended:
- Establish and maintain grassed waterways in areas of concentrated runoff flow. Runoff in the Great Lakes Basin has the potential to carry significant levels of sediment and nutrients to surface waters, such as Lake Michigan.
- Implement better mapping of established waterways and enhance communication among dairy farmers, crop consultants and custom manure haulers to prevent tilling through waterways. Grassed waterways play a critical role in reducing soil erosion and sediment delivery to surface waters.
- In agricultural landscapes with shallow bedrock or tile-drained fields, perform pre-tillage or concurrent tillage for manure application to break up preferential flow paths.
- Due to the high percentage of phosphorus loss in the dissolved form, buffers may have limited capacity to reduce phosphorus loss.
Julie said being a Discovery Farms program participant was an honor and helped alleviate many concerns regarding modern farming practices. "In Manitowoc County, we had a group of folks who were opposed to large farms. They participated in our local Discovery Farms steering committee. The group's diversification helped bridge the gap between farm and non-farm communities in our area, strengthening our local economy and environment."
UW Discovery Farms research projects, such as those conducted at Soaring Eagle Dairy, strive to find the most economical and effective ways of complying with environmental regulations and protecting the environment while maintaining farm profitability. Ultimately, the goal is to achieve a healthy and sustainable agriculture in a healthy and sustainable environment.
Visit the UW Discovery Farms website for a complete report of research done at Soaring Eagle Dairy.