Advancing Farmer-Led Incentives in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin

One of the most promising trends in agriculture in recent years is the growing enthusiasm of farmers to simultaneously improve soil health, climate resilience, and farm profitability. 

Increasingly, farmers are promoting these goals to their peers by organizing efforts within local watersheds. Agricultural and conservation partners can accelerate this progress by supporting flexible, customized financial incentives led by farmer networks at the watersheds scale.

In 2016, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) launched the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant (PLWPG) program. This program is unique as it requires a commitment by at least five farmers and a conservation partner (local, state, or non-governmental organization) within a specific watershed boundary. The farmers and partners design financial incentives and outreach/education activities based on local needs and motivations. Currently 47 producer-led groups utilize the program, with demand far exceeding the annual PLWPG program budget of $1 million. Partners in several states beyond Wisconsin are considering similar approaches for state-funded watershed-based programs.

Sand County Foundation secured a $13.8 million RCPP award from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to build upon the success of the Wisconsin watershed groups, and to initiate similar farmer-led groups in watersheds across Illinois and in Dubuque County, Iowa.

This project will enable farmer-led groups to apply conservation practices through locally designed financial incentives and individual technical assistance to farmer peers in their watersheds. The mix of practices and the structure of financial incentives will vary according to the needs and preferences of each group. All groups will prioritize improvement of local water resources and Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force goals through improved soil health, continuous living cover, and retention of nutrients on farmland. Applied practices will also lower greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon in the soil, and build farms’ resilience to the impacts of climate change.