Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers visited the Peterson Dairy Farm on the south end of River Falls this past Thursday to announce additional state grant funding to help farmers control soil erosion, with the end goal of cleaner water. The current state-aid to help Wisconsin farmers sustain and improve their soil in the previous budget cycle was $1.5 million. The 2025-27 budget cycle for the farmer-led research soil conservation practices will be $2.5 million statewide, a 67-percent increase.

"We learned that nobody can change a farmer's opinion better than a farmer," said Pierce County Land Conservation Technician Dan Sitz.

"They (farmers) probably aren't going to listen to the state to tell them how to run their land and they shouldn't," said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers during the informal discussion inside the Peterson pole shed. "It's a nothing burger (the funding increase) in the whole scheme of things and it's a good investment. It's not only the right thing to do, the work is being done by the farmers that know what they're doing. It's simple."  

There are over 40 farmer-led soil conservation groups in Wisconsin, according to Sitz. Pierce County is one of the oldest.

"The goal is to keep phosphorus on the fields and not let them leave," said Sitz. "Typically, they leave through erosion."

Phosphorus from fertilizer and animal waste finding its way into lakes and streams has been the focus for many years, but according to Sitz, nitrates and PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) known as "forever chemicals" contaminating groundwater are a much bigger concern now.

High nitrate and PFAS levels in groundwater can be harmful for pregnant women to drink. Research is on-going, but according to numerous sources, PFAS are being linked to cancer and other health issues including reproductive, immune, and hormonal damage.

According to Sitz, Pierce County-area ground water nitrate levels are well within the required measurements.    

"These grants provide research data on when and how much fertilizer to apply because timing and amount is critical," said Sitz.

"We are so lucky to have the Petersons in our group," said Wisconsin Farmers Union Director of Conservation and Stewardship Tara Greiman. "I don't believe it's environment versus economy. We are here for the win-win scenarios."

In 2024, the Pierce County Land Conservation Farmers-Led group applied for close to $15,000 worth of this available state grant money to fund soil research in no-tilling and crop cover. The actual amount granted was $11,000 for last year. The Wisconsin Farmers Union kicks in about $10,000 each for the four groups they support (Pierce, St. Croix, Dunn, and Polk counties).

Mother Nature's watershed boundaries and county map lines don't always coincide and the Madison red-tape can be tough to justify if it bleeds into another jurisdiction.

"We can step across those boundaries," said Greiman. "The state was able to see that this model is really working well."

River Falls' farmers Brad Peterson and Brian Bergseng and their farmer-led watershed council has conducted plot research with this grant funding to show no-till and crop cover practices can save up to 70 percent of a farmer's soil.

"It holds the soil in place and keeps the microbiology humming along," said Greiman. "These practices protect the soil health and the soil is a farmer's most valuable asset."

"Conservation is a really big thing that we didn't think of 10 years ago," said Bergseng. "It needs to happen for business and it's the right thing to do."

Now, when the local farmers-led watershed council meets, they aren't talking soil 101, it's advanced conversations.

"When farmers are passionate about it, good things happen," said Sitz.

"The added funding from the state is going to open up a whole new level of imagination and conversations for our local farmers," said Greiman. "It's only going to get better."

"Brad (Peterson) and his group have the persistence to solve problems and that should be commended," said Polk County Conservationist Eric Wojchik.

For more information about the local Pierce County watershed initiatives and practices, you can visit farmerledwatershed.org.