Farmers in western Wisconsin are implementing more sustainable farming practices. The Western Wisconsin Conservation Council held its annual meeting earlier this month at Emmert & Sons in Baldwin. The meeting highlighted local research efforts focused on conservation, innovative techniques for enhancing soil health, and sustainability progress.
Vice President Greg Friendshuh highlighted WWCC’s achievements in 2025, emphasizing their commitment to environmental stewardship and community involvement.
The group is in its eighth year of the well testing program, developed in collaboration with UW-River Falls. Professor Jill Coleman-Wasik shared updates on current projects and new opportunities that lie ahead.
Scott Stipetich, Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist at Pheasants Forever, discussed the benefits of planting prairie and pollinator strips across farm fields. Both conservation practices help build more resilient ecosystems, while saving farmers money and reducing workloads.
Joe Alits of Alits Agronomy shared local on-farm and soil health research outcomes.
Farmers for Sustainable Food Farmer-led Group Collaborator Kaitlin Heusel discussed the results of WWCC’s 2025 Member Conservation Practice Survey. The survey captured responses from 50 members. It demonstrated a wide range of conservation practices across the farms, such as cover crops, no-till, low-disturbance manure applications, nutrient management planning and soil sampling.
“It’s inspiring to see the commitment this group has to continue making progress each year in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sediment loss and phosphorus runoff, even in the eighth year of this survey,” Heusel said.
The group concluded the meeting with board elections. Greg Friendshuh and Mark Serier were re-elected to the board, and Ellis Frank was elected to the board. Jerry Emmert was recognized as an outgoing member of the board.
Other board members include: Todd Doornink, president; Tom Zwald, treasurer; Kyler Hinriches, secretary; Spencer Anderson, Larry Knutson and Kevin Solumn.
For more information about the Western Wisconsin Conservation Council, visit: westernwisconservation.org.
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