Sustainable farming practices are important to farmers in Calumet County. One notable farm is Danes Fairylane Farm in New Holstein, Wis. This farm has been actively involved in the Calumet County Ag Stewardship Alliance and is committed to collaborating with other local farms to enhance their sustainability efforts.
Lauren Danes, a fifth-generation farmer, farms alongside her family. Her parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle, cousin and sister are all involved in the family businesses, which include the crop farm, a grain cleaning business, a trucking enterprise and a cover crop seed business.
Danes Fairylane Farm has been operating for over 100 years. The family has managed to sustain the farm by being open to new ideas and adapting over time. Their efforts to improve soil quality have benefited both the longevity of the farm and the surrounding environment.
“I believe sustainable farming is important. My dad taught me to always leave the ground better than you found it,” Lauren Danes said. “Healthy soil is often what makes or breaks a crop, and improving the soil helps keep the environment that it supports thriving. You always want to make sure you’re taking care of it the best you can.”
Over the years, the Danes have implemented various sustainable farming practices, such as cover cropping, no-till, grassed waterways, planting green and variable rate planting. They’re also a part of a carbon sequestration program.
Lauren’s father, Robert Danes, introduced her to the CCASA farmer-led group in 2024. After attending several board meetings and events, she found she enjoyed being a part of the group, and the mission behind it resonated with her.
“I truly believe no farm can survive on its own. It’s important to make relationships with others to be able to learn from each other’s successes and challenges,” she said. “I love being able to get to know other farmers through CCASA, especially those that share the same sustainability goals.”
Lauren now serves as CCASA’s board secretary, having been elected to the board in 2024.
“We all farm separately, but getting together for field days or shop talks is a really rewarding experience, where we work together and help one another improve,” she said.
Annual survey results
As part of their membership with CCASA, the Danes participated in the group’s 2025 Member Conservation Practice Survey. This survey highlights the collective conservation efforts among farmers in the group and demonstrates potential environmental impacts and benefits to the local community.
This is the sixth consecutive year the group has documented members’ sustainable practices, demonstrating their commitment to continuous improvement and enhancing soil and water quality.
The group, including 25 farms, implemented various conservation practices, including planting 9,384 acres of cover crops, practicing no-till with cover crops on 6,669 acres and planting green on 5,833 acres.
The potential environmental benefits of these practices:
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 1,763 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, which is equal to greenhouse gas emissions produced by 420 cars driven in a year.
- Prevention of sediment loss from farm fields of 27,753 tons, equivalent to 2,775 dump trucks worth of soil.
- Reduction of phosphorus runoff by 26,966 pounds of phosphorus, potentially preventing 13.5 million pounds of algae growth in local water bodies.
Data was analyzed by Houston Engineering, Inc., and Farmers for Sustainable Food.
Individuals interested in involvement with CCASA can find more details at calumetcounty.org.
By the numbers
Number of acres covered by conservation practices among Calumet County Ag Stewardship Alliance members:
2020 ― 25,795
2021 ― 62,916
2022 ― 112,693
2023 ― 84,575
2024 ― 102,892
2025 ― 103,859
*Multiple conservation practices can be used on a farm field
Potential impact of conservation practices in 2025:
Phosphorus runoff reduction ― 26,966 pounds
Sediment erosion reduction ― 27,753 tons
Carbon dioxide emission reduction – 1,763 metric tons
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