Michael Fields Agricultural Institute – www.michaelfields.org/cover-crops
The Wisconsin Cover Crop Citizen Science Project
Beginning in 2020, we launched an effort to build a statewide network of farmers sharing data and samples from their cover crops systems and contributing to the state’s growing knowledge base about cover crops.
Wisconsin farmers are sharing how they use cover crops and helping to improve cover cropping for farmers all around the state.
A state wide network of collaborating citizen science farmers fill out a survey about their cover crop practices, take photos of cover crop growth, and provide biomass samples. We pay participants an honorarium, and share personalized cover crop nutrient analysis data in addition to total biomass production and forage quality information. We also incorporate farmer feedback in research and outreach programming, including the Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference.
Conservation Cropping Outreach Specialist Dane Elmquist gives an overview of the Wisconsin Cover Crop Data Network and highlights project results. He also showcases the project’s interactive data dashboard and provides information on how to participate in the project for the 2024-2025 season.
Building WI Cover Crop Knowledge Through Citizen Science: https://youtu.be/SgBU6O0m8h4
For more information, please visit:
Wisconsin Cover Crop Citizen Science Project – Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
The Wisconsin Cover Crop Citizen Science Project is a partnership with The Nature Conservancy. Our collaborators also include UW-Madison’s NPM Program and Agronomy Department, as well as the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center and the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.
Questions? Contact:
Mrill Ingram, Michael Fields Agrictultural Institute, mingram@wisc.edu, 608-381-6702
Dan Marzu, UW-Madison Nutrient & Pest Management Program, dan.marzu@wisc.edu, 608-381-6702
Ricardo Costa Silva, The Nature Conservancy, r.costasilva@tnc.org, 573-639-8971
