Landowners and farmers in SW Wisconsin can now borrow a no-till planter thanks to a partnership between Southwest Badger RC&D and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. According to Mike Engel, Biologist for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, “No-till planting is a great way to establish pasture and wildlife habitat with minimal soil erosion. We are excited to partner with Southwest Badger RC&D to offer this resource to farmers and landowners.”
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The effort is a partnership between Southwest Badger RC&D’s Fee-for-Service Program and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, which provides financial and technical assistance to private landowners to improve fish and wildlife habitat. The Partners program provides up to 50% cost-share on eligible habit projects, including pasture seeding, fencing, brush control, and streambank restoration.
Eligible landowners and operators must have a grazing plan, forest stewardship plan, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Agreement, or Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract in place to rent the no-till drill.
The Truax FLXII-812 drill is 8 feet wide and has separately metered seed boxes for grains, small seeds and legumes, and fluffy native species. Seeding rates can be adjusted to fit the renter’s needs. A minimum of 50 hp tractor with hydraulics is required to operate the drill.
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The cost to rent the drill is $11 per acre with a 10 acre minimum. Participants will also be asked at the time the drill is delivered to provide a $150 deposit that is fully refundable if the drill is returned in good condition. For full terms and conditions see the seed drill rental form online.
More information is available at 608-732-1202 or http://www.swbadger.org/services#no-till.
Southwest Badger Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working in the Southwest Wisconsin region. The organization’s mission is to implement natural resource conservation and rural economic development in the area through education and best practices relating to agriculture, grassland, forests, and waters.
