By Andi Anderson
Sand County Foundation has awarded $680,000 in funding to support nine farmer-led groups across Wisconsin. These grants are part of the Foundation’s Farmer-Led Fund for Watershed Improvement, designed to encourage local, farmer-driven conservation initiatives that protect water and soil health.
The Wisconsin-based national nonprofit is supporting projects that promote sustainable agriculture in specific watersheds. Each group will use its funding to lead farmer-focused educational events and apply practical conservation techniques tailored to their region’s needs.
The grant recipients and their funding include:
- Farmers of Fourteen Mile Creek – $100,000
- Farmers of the Sugar River – $100,000
- Kenosha Regenerative Producers Group – $30,000
- Rock River Regenerative Graziers – $50,000
- Sauk Soil & Water Improvement Group – $100,000
- Seven Rivers Soil Cooperative Inc – $50,000
- Walworth Alliance Teaching Regenerative Systems – $50,000
- Watershed Protection Committee of Racine County – $100,000
- Yahara Pride Farms Inc. – $100,000
These groups will focus on conservation practices such as cover cropping, reseeding pastures, managing invasive plants for grazing, improving grassland bird habitats, reducing tillage, and using biochar.
The grants are funded through a $13.8 million Regional Conservation Partnership Program award secured by Sand County Foundation from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. This larger award supports farmer-led environmental projects not only in Wisconsin but also in Illinois and Iowa.
“We’re honored to invest in conservation by partnering on projects that make a difference on the landscape,” said Craig Ficenec, Sand County Foundation’s Senior Director of Agricultural Conservation.
Sand County Foundation continues to inspire landowners to care for their land ethically to protect water, build soil health, and support wildlife.
Photo Credit: pexels-karolina-grabowska
Categories: Iowa, Business