Wisconsin Farmers Receive Grants for Sustainable Projects

By Madisen Potratz

Stephanie Bowers of Glorious Goat Ranch in Greenleaf, WI, was recently awarded $15,000 for the project, “Demonstrate the Impact of Multi-Species Grazing with Virtual Fencing as Ecologically Beneficial Vegetation Management in Critical Watersheds.”
 
“This project demonstrates the impact of multi-species grazing as a chemical-free way to manage vegetation on varying landscapes. Pre and post vegetation inventory, leader-follower grazing, commingled grazing, and virtual fence containment across species (cattle, goat, sheep) will be evaluated,” said Bowers.
 
This grant was awarded as part of NCR-SARE’s Farmer Rancher Grant Program, a competitive grant program for farmers and ranchers who want to explore sustainable solutions to problems through on-farm research, demonstration, and education projects. 

SARE approved seven other Wisconsin farmer projects grants this year:

• Jennifer Falck of Kahulahele Farmstead in Oneida, WI, was awarded $30,000 for the project, “Indigenous Food and Agriculture Apprenticeship Project,”
• Michael Gutschenritter of Three Brothers Farm in Oconomowoc, WI, was awarded $29,956 for the project, “Automating Grain Feeding in Mobile Pastured Poultry Coops,”
• Donale Richards of Madtown Food Services in Madison, WI, was awarded $16,069 for the project, “Strengthening Black Farming and Food Businesses in Dane County,”
• Gabriel Smith of Loading Ranch in Madison , WI, was awarded $13,160 for the project, “Seeds of Sustainability: Cultivating the Future – A Comprehensive Journey into the First Year Farming, from Business Planning to Challenging Stereotypes,”
• James Stute of Stute Farms in East Troy, WI, was awarded $13,520 for the project, “Up or down: Should Row Cleaners be used when Planting Green into Cereal Rye?,”
• Alex Tanke of Dispersion Farms in Middleton, WI, was awarded $15,000 for the project, “Hybrid Hickory Variety Recommendations and Propagation Trials,” and
• Debra Weiss of Ethereal Gardens in Antigo, WI, was awarded $6,500 for the project, “Sustainable Greenhouse Heating.”

Calls for Proposals for the next round of Farmer Rancher Grants are currently out and proposals are due December 5, 2024.  Individual farms can apply for up to $15,000, and groups of two or more farms can apply for up to $30,000 under the program.  Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online, as well as useful information for completing a proposal, at northcentral.sare.org/grants/apply-for-a-grant/farmer-rancher-grant.