By Nicole Matson, Climate Change Coalition of Door County
When the Climate Change Coalition of Door County first developed the idea of bringing a free program about regenerative agriculture and soil conservation to Door County, we knew we needed help from the experts, our local farmers.
We were first introduced to Lauren Brey from Cycle Farm and Brey Family Beef and Whitney Prestby of the UW-Madison Extension, who brought an abundance of enthusiasm to our project. Lauren and Whitney invited us to tour Kinnard Farms and Cycle Farm to learn their conservation practices on large-scale working farms. We were inspired by their drive to integrate new techniques and technologies into productive and sustainable farming practices.
Many organizations and networks work together to help each farm learn, adapt, grow and succeed. Their conservation practices such as rotational grazing and nutrient management will help mitigate climate change’s effects by sequestering carbon in the soil and preventing rainwater runoff. As part of Peninsula Pride Farms and Door-Kewaunee Demo Farms Network, conservation practices can be shared and taught to other farmers looking to transition to sustainable agriculture. The more farmers work together to introduce these innovative and sustainable practices, the more they will reduce the effects of climate change.
The Climate Change Coalition enjoys building on these collaborations to share new ideas and information far and wide. We look forward to developing new relationships, making public education more accessible, and keeping ourselves informed of solutions already in place to mitigate climate change.
On Jan. 13, 2022, the Climate Change Coalition will present Soil Health and the Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture – a panel discussion with representatives from Cycle Farm and Brey Family Beef, Kinnard Farms, Polich Farms, and Door Karma Farms, moderated by Jamie Patton, senior outreach specialist with the Nutrient and Pest Management program, UW-Madison, at 7:00 pm at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor, WI. For more information, please visit climatechangedoorcounty.com/upcoming-events.
