07-14-2009
Governor Doyle Announces Nearly $1 Million to Develop Grazing, Protect Environment
Contact:
Carla Vigue, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
Laura Paine, DATCP, 608-224-5120
MINERAL POINT -- Gov. Jim Doyle today announced nearly $939,000 in grants for the Wisconsin Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, which protects the land and water of the state through education, technical planning assistance and research for dairy and other livestock farmers.
Gov. Doyle made the announcement today as part of his visit to communities in southwest Wisconsin including Monroe, Darlington, Spring Green and Mineral Point to discuss investments in dairy modernization, specialty cheese production, drinking water infrastructure, and grazing.
"Grazing is important to our continuing -- and successful -- efforts to revitalize agriculture in Wisconsin," Doyle said. ?Grazing helps young farmers enter the business by reducing costs, and at the same time protects our environment. But this is not your grandfather's grazing; this is management intensive grazing, a scientific approach. I'd like to thank the University, UW-Extension, and farmers themselves for their research and education efforts."
Grazing as it is practiced today rotates animals to fresh pastures regularly, resting pastures so they can recover. Grazers actively plant and manage pasture crops to provide optimum nutrition for the animals. Nearly half of new dairy farmers use managed grazing, because it requires a smaller capital investment in buildings and equipment than a conventional system that keeps animals in barns, eating grain, hay and other feeds.
The Wisconsin Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative is unique in granting funds to farmers to share information among themselves and to do research on their own farms.
Doyle made the announcement today at the Charles Opitz farm in Mineral Point, where he also presented grants to recipients from the southwestern part of the state. Opitz was a pioneer in Wisconsin?s grazing movement, and has been a strong leader and advocate.
Grazing awards presented today in Mineral Point were to:
- Grassworks, a state organization of grazing farmers that includes Opitz
$46,258 for a statewide grazing conference, education to lead more farmers to adopt managed grazing, and building grazing networks for farmers to share information - Randall Jackson, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Agronomy Department, and Mike Casler, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dairy Forage Research Center
$65,521 for research into reed canary grass in pastures.
The Governor also announced statewide education and technical assistance grants including:
- Pri-Ru-Ta Resource Conservation and Development Council, Medford
$46,580 for the Lake Superior Basin -- Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas and Iron counties
$79,930 for the North Central Region -- Clark, Taylor, Price, Rusk and Sawyer counties - Marathon County Conservation, Planning and Zoning Department, Wausau
$67,820 for Marathon and Lincoln counties - Glacierland Resource Conservation and Development Council, Green Bay
$48,705 for the Northeastern Region -- Brown, Calumet, Door, Fond du Lac, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Outagamie, Sheboygan and Winnebago counties and the Oneida Nation - River County Resource Conservation and Development Council, Altoona
$70,000 for the Chippewa Valley Grazing Network -- Chippewa, Clark, Eau Claire and Dunn counties
$83,333 for the Coulee Graziers -- Buffalo, Trempealeau and Jackson counties
$57,011 for the River County Grazing Program -- St. Croix, Pierce, Dunn and Pepin counties - Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Council, Stevens Point
$65,264 for the Central Wisconsin Region -- Wood, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, Adams, Juneau, Marquette, Marathon and Monroe counties - Town and Country Resource Conservation and Development Council, Wauwatosa
$69,042 for the Southeastern Region -- Dane, Dodge, Columbia, Green Lake, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Rock, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties - Carl Fredericks, Grass Mapping Enterprises LLC, Mount Horeb
$31,446 to work on grazing conservation projects with farmers in Dane, Iowa, LaFayette and Grant counties - Vernon County Land and Water Conservation Department, Viroqua
$22,524 for technical assistance on grazing for farmers in Vernon County. - Columbia County Land and Water Conservation Department, Portage
$9,600 for Columbia county - Rhonda Gildersleeve, UW-Extension grazing specialist
$29,957 for statewide education about managed grazing
The Governor also announced statewide research assistance grants including:
Randall Jackson, UW-Madison Agronomy Dept., & Geoff Brink, USDA Dairy Forage Research
$65,521 to study grass density and persistence in pastures- David Combs, UW-Madison Dairy Science Department
$64,521 to measure how early grazing influences lactating cow performance - Ken Barnett, UW-Extension
$10,537 to study potassium fertilization rates - Jim Munsch, Coon Valley, farmer
$2,500 to conduct on-farm research on legumes in organic pastures.
###
Return to Previous Page Back to Search Results
|
