Waushara County Land Conservation

10/27/2026

$250 scholarship opportunity for Waushara County Students and Environmental Educators!
Apply now!!!🔔‼️

10/22/2026

🌱 Farmers: Have questions about nitrogen management on your farm?

The Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) is now accepting applications for 2027 projects! This program supports farmer-driven, on-farm research designed to help optimize nitrogen use, improve profitability, and protect Wisconsin's water quality.

NOPP projects can explore questions such as:
✅ What is the optimum nitrogen rate for your field?
✅ How much nitrogen does your soil supply?
✅ Can you reduce nitrogen inputs without losing yield?
✅ How do management practices affect nitrogen use?
✅ Have another nitrogen question? Custom research projects are also available!

Farmers are encouraged to collaborate with agronomists, county conservation staff, Extension educators, other producers, and others in their area.

📅 Important Deadlines:
➡️ Intent to Apply: December 18, 2026
➡️ Final Application: January 15, 2027

💰 Depending on the type of research project, funding ranges from $6,000 to $40,000 per producer.

👉 Check out the flyer for project options and application information!

10/13/2026

2026 Conservation Poster Contest ☀ 🌲 💧
WAUSHARA COUNTY STUDENTS: design a poster with this years theme: "From Source to Sea, Every Drop Has a Journey" and enter to win $25 and 1st place in your age group! 🌟🥇
More info below!

Click here for our website:
https://www.co.waushara.wi.us/45178/2027-land-conservation-poster-contest-from-source-to-sea-every-drop-has-a-journey

10/13/2026

Save the Date: The 2027 WI Envirothon will take place on Friday, April 9, 2027 at Wisconsin Lions Camp in Rosholt, WI. The current issue is: Soil Health Management: Agricultural Principles and Stewardship. Registration and more details coming soon.

10/06/2026

10/02/2026

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Conservation Field Days 2026 September 24th & 25th. 🌲☀🐢🐜

Waushara County LCD hosted the 19th annual Conservation Field Days for Waushara County 5th graders. Between the two days, 5 schools came to learn about Soils, Forestry, Fisheries, Aquatic Indicators, Invasive Species, Ticks and a Raptor presentation from On The Wing! 🦉

Couldn't ask for a better day to be outside learning valuable lessons from the experts themselves. Click into the photos below to get an inside scoop on our day!

Huge thank you to the presenters, volunteers and sponsors who help to keep this program running! Thank you to Kristin's Kitchen Bakery for feeding us an amazing meal once again! We couldn't have done it with out you all!

Kristin's Kitchen Bakery
On The Wing
NRCS
WIDNR
WI Department of Health
Wild Rose High School
Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc.

09/23/2026

At the 'Why Small Grains Give Your Soil Health System an Advantage' field day, Demo Farmer Eric Lind talked about the value of wheat as part of a larger agronomic plan, including opportunities it can create.

Eric said:
“My main takeaway is wheat (probably any cereal grain crop) around here needs to be looked at as to the value it can bring as part of a larger agronomic plan. It affords the ability to grow cover crops that can't otherwise be achieved here (gaining OM [organic matter], diversity, forage, etc.), creates additional windows for performing practices in field that otherwise are rushed in the pre- plant or post-harvest times, spreads fieldwork out across additional months to lower stress, creates late summer pasture areas (when paired with appropriate cover crop practices).

Also, knowing your cost of production in advance allows you to diligently watch the market for cash bid opportunities to take advantage of locking in profitable prices when they come rather than hoping they are profitable at harvest.”

That “larger agronomic plan” can also include accounting for what a legume cover crop provides to the following crop. Eric said, “The conversation with [UW’s Soils Program Manager, Chris Bandura] was enlightening on details of how to apply the N credit from the clover.”

Chris shared more about N credits at the field day. Read his takeaways here: https://go.wisc.edu/Ncredits

Waushara County Land Conservation
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension

09/03/2026

A merging of the Cover Crops Conference and Discovery Farms Conference in 2023, the Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference brings farmers, consultants, and Extension and agency staff to the same table to learn about and talk through what’s new in soil health and water quality. Registration ope...