 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE DROP
A monthly e-newsletter from the North Central Region Water Network
February 2025
|
|
|
|
|
Network News
It is February and that means producer meetings! We have been busy conducting virtual farmer-focused programming and attending the Annual Wisconsin Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Workshop where we presented a soon to be released curriculum for building farmer networks. Stay tuned for more information on the curriculum and how it can be used in your work!
While we know many of you are in the thick of meeting with producers we hope you make time for our three upcoming webinars:
-The North Central Region Water Network team
| |
This months The Current Webinar will feature updates on various Midwestern states Nutrient Reduction Loss Strategies. Speakers include:
- Matt Helmers, Director, Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Brent and Cindy Hart Professor, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Trevor Sample, Coordinator for the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
- Corrie M. Layfield, Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy Coordinator, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Photo by Lynn Betts NRCS/SWCS
| |
Madelynn Wuestenberg began her role with Iowa State University in January 2024, where she serves as an Agricultural Climatologist, specializing in environmental interactions and feedbacks with the atmosphere. Her love for the Iowa State Cyclones runs deep after earning her Bachelor of Science in meteorology and Master of Science in agricultural meteorology, both at Iowa State. Learn more
| |
Researchers from the FEWscapes project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently published two research briefs highlighting Midwest farmers’ views on farm financial programs and conservation. The briefs summarize the results of a 2024 survey taken by 527 farmers across eight states, covering row crop, forage, grass-based livestock, and confinement livestock production. Learn more
Photo by Michael P. King/UW–Madison CALS
| |
In The News
Upcoming Events
Algal Bloom Action Team Webinar: A Look at Cyanobacteria
Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, at 11:00 AM CT
Tune into this webinar from the Algal Bloom Action Team where we feature the work of Rick Stumpf of NOAA and Rebecca North of the University of Missouri. We will look at cyanobacteria in the Great Lakes and other large lakes from satellite and winter cyanobacteria. Join us! Learn more
Michigan Chapter Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Agricultural and Natural Resource Seminar
Friday, March 7th, 2025, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Michigan’s physical geography consists of diverse landscapes surrounded by the Great Lakes. These landscapes include complex rural, urban, and riparian environmental systems integrating a multitude of land uses, all supported by soil and its complex physical, chemical, and biological components. Management of these soils involves both supporting human needs for production and the environmental needs to support and protect the ecosystem. Attendees at this seminar will learn about efforts to support Michigan's ecosystem. Learn More
Soil Health Nexus Digital Cafe Webinar: Is Urban Gardening Hazardous to Your Health?
Wednesday, March 19th, 2025, at 2:00 PM CT
This Soil Health Digital Café will feature Dr. Anna Paltseva, who will explore the hidden risks of soil contamination in urban environments, focusing on heavy metal pollution, its sources, and its impact on human health and urban agriculture. She will discuss practical remediation strategies, innovative soil testing methods, and community-driven approaches to improving urban soil quality and sustainability. Register
Green Lands Blue Waters 2025 Conference: How We Come Together for a More Diverse Midwest Ag Landscape
April 7th - 9th, 2025
Green Lands Blue Waters is excited to bring our community of continuous living cover (CLC) agricultural enthusiasts together again! Join other ag practitioners at the Pyle Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madsion in a peer-rich environment with timely educational opportunities, lively dialogue, and open networking time. The conference is intentionally designed to balance information delivery with engaged working time and peer connections across a diverse, multi-sector mix of researchers, technical service providers, students, farmers, and advocates committed to actualizing CLC on the Midwest landscape. Their intention is to gather to support one another in cooperation, possibility, and positivity. Registration is open through March 28th. Learn More
Funding and Opportunities
The Green Lake Association is Looking for a Project & Operations Manager
The Green Lake Association (GLA) is seeking a dynamic Project & Operations Manager to lead critical conservation initiatives aimed at improving Green Lake’s water quality. This role offers an exciting opportunity to manage innovative, science-driven projects that address phosphorus reduction, aquatic invasive species prevention, and data collection—ensuring the long-term health of Wisconsin’s deepest natural inland lake. Applications received by February 2025 will be given preference. Learn More
Call for Presentations for the 2025 Iowa Water Conference
The 19th annual Iowa Water Conference will be held on September 9th-10th, 2025, at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa. The overarching conference theme is "Life Depends on Water. Water Depends on You." The conference is a unique opportunity for water, climate, urban, agriculture, and natural resource professionals to collaborate and exchange ideas. Iowa Water Conference and its conference planning partners invite individuals and groups to submit conference abstracts addressing how individuals and communities evaluate and protect Iowa's precious natural water sources. They welcome submissions from researchers, practitioners, and advocates who actively contribute to advancing water solutions around the Midwest. Submissions will be accepted through April 30th. Learn More
Assistant Professor - Water Quality and Climate - Michigan State University
The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University (MSU) invites applications for a full‐time, 9-month tenure system Assistant Professor with a 50% research, 30% teaching, 10% extension, and 10% service assignment. The position start date is anticipated to be August 16, 2025. The individual selected for this position will be expected to develop a regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized program centered on water quality and freshwater ecosystems in the context of climate change addressing adaptation, mitigation, management, sustainability, or conservation.
Learn More
News
Long-term Study Reveals Best Practices for Building Soil Carbon Agriculture
Long-term study reveals best practices for building soil carbon! MSU researchers analyzed 25 years of data at Kellogg Biological Station, uncovering key differences in soil carbon gains among cover crops, no-till, and perennial systems. Their findings highlight how farming methods impact soil health and climate resilience. Learn More
Virtual Fences are a Pollinator-Friendly Option for Rangelands
Fences are an effective stationary method of corralling livestock, but their sharp borders can create sudden changes in native grassland vegetation and the pollinators and birds that live there. New research finds that virtual GPS-based fences may be the nature-friendly future of fencing, creating more natural grassland habitat. Learn More
Wisconsin Conservation Model an 'Untapped' Resource
Wisconsin is the first state in the country to run its conservation programs by county rather than district. One conservation advocate said Wisconsinites may not realize this - or know how it benefits them. Matt Krueger is executive director of the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, which represents all 72 counties across the state. He explains the county conservation model is unique to Wisconsin. It allows for more diverse funding opportunities - and speaks to the state's innovative DNA. Learn More
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
