Yahara Pride Farms Annual Watershed-Wide Conference
Greetings!
Yahara Pride Farms Inc. is a farmer-led, not-for-profit organization working to improve soil and water quality in the Yahara Watershed, located throughout much of Dane county. Since 2011, we have advanced and incorporated innovative ideas and technologies that balances water quality improvement with farm sustainability and profitability. We work directly with farmers to share water quality practices that are beneficial to their operation as well as the watershed, while providing a voice for farmers with local, state, and national government and conservation organizations.
We invite you to attend Yahara the Pride Farms’ annual Watershed-Wide Conference at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at Comfort Inn & Suites, 5025 County Road V, DeForest. Lunch will be provided; a fish option will also be available. To register, visit https://forms.gle/bzQeNTqxL9vDpfJVA
The keynote speaker is Dr. Frank Mitloehner, who is a professor and air quality specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California-Davis. Dr. Mitloehner is an expert in agricultural air quality, livestock housing and husbandry. He has authored 130 peer-reviewed articles, presented more than 1,000 invited talks at national and international venues and has received numerous distinguished awards for teaching, research and service. Dr. Mitloehner’s research and experiences have strong implications for Dane County and the future advancements of animal agriculture and mitigating climate change.
Dr. Mitloehner is also director of the CLEAR Center, which has two cores – research and communications. The CLEAR Center brings clarity to the intersection of animal agriculture and the environment, helping our global community understand the environmental and human health impacts of livestock, so we can make informed decisions about the foods we eat while reducing environmental impacts.
In addition, Kim Meyer, an agronomist with Dane County Land and Water Resources Department, will provide an update on the Yahara Pride Farms Cost-Share Program and Dane Demo Farms.
Yahara Pride Farms’ Cost-Share Program continues to increase in farmer participation, yielding continued growth of innovative conservation practices on farm fields throughout the Yahara Watershed. The results from the 2023 Phosphorus Reduction Report indicated that farmers in the program reduced the risk of phosphorus delivery to the Madison lakes and the Yahara River by 31,217 pounds. This represents an increase in reductions of 2,753 pounds compared with the previous year. Since Yahara Pride Farms was founded, the farms in the Yahara Watershed have reduced phosphorus runoff from their fields by more than 200,000 pounds.
Congratulations to everyone for their ongoing efforts and sustainable farming practices to ensure cleaner surface water throughout the Yahara Watershed.
Sincerely,
Jeff Endres
YPF Chair