PIGEON FALLS, Wis. — On December 12, 2018 UW Discovery Farms will host it’s 7th Annual Conference in Wisconsin Dells. A highlight of the day will be the Plant green, harvest green, spread green panel which will feature farmers who’ve adopted and adapted unique cover cropping techniques. The panelists will present their innovative yet approachable solutions to incorporating cover crops, and will share some challenges they’ve faced. Adam, Derek and Tony are ready for your questions! Meet them below.
Adam Lasch Lasch Livestock and Land Solutions, Lake Geneva, WI
Adam and his wife Betsy own and operate Lasch Livestock and Land Solutions, a highly diversified farm on a little over 200 acres near Lake Geneva, WI. The farm is home to beef, dairy, sheep and laying chickens. Adam and Betsy started the farm in 2011 and pride themselves on being 100% no-till and incorporating cover crops into their acreage. Their goal is to not waste any sunlight and have something growing as many days as possible. They use diverse cover crop mixes to feed their animals and have noticed a benefit in animal performance because of the high feed quality. Adam says “The synergy that happens when multiple species are grown together is really amazing.”
Derek Van De Hey New Horizons Dairy, De Pere, WI
Derek, along with his father and two brothers, operates New Horizons Dairy in De Pere, Wisconsin. The farm is home to 950 milking cows and 850 young stock with over 2,500 cropping acres. The Van De Heys grow alfalfa, winter wheat, soybeans and corn diversifying their crop rotations yearly. In 2007, no-till and cover crops were incorporated into the farm. Initially, the cover crops were for extra heifer feed but since then, they have expanded their cover cropping acreage due to the noticeable soil structure benefits. New Horizons Dairy is now 100% no-till and each year, strives to get every acre planted with a cover crop. Derek recognizes the importance of addressing erosion and reducing impact on local waterways.
Tony Peirick T & R Dairy, Watertown, WI
Tony is a partner in T & R Dairy LLC farm near Watertown, WI with his brother Ralph, and their sons Josh and Dan. The Peirick family has 200 dairy cows and 1,100 acres, which is used for soybeans and forages as well as corn for grain and silage. Additionally, the Peirick family does custom planting, harvesting, and spraying, with some of the planting work being for cover crops. Tony has been utilizing no-till for 24 years, implementing cover crops for 10 years, and will discuss how he has been planting green for the past 3 years. He is the Chair of Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil – Healthy Water.
REGISTER NOW for the December 12 Conference set to take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Glacier Canyon Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI. 4.5 CEUs in Soil and Water Management will be available. Visit www.uwdiscoveryfarms.org or call 715.983.5668 by December 10 to pre-register OR register the day of. The cost is $50 for members of sponsoring organizations and $60 for non-members. Snacks, beverages and lunch are included. Questions? Contact Erica.olson@ces.uwex.edu.
— UW Discovery Farms
For more news from Wisconsin, click here.