The latest news on Grassland 2.0, grassland-based agriculture, and restorative agricultural systems.
Dairy Needs Real Innovation
William D. Hoard’s enlightened understanding of the importance of livestock to soil health, coupled with his courageous advocacy work, helped pull Wisconsin agriculture from the depths of despairing wheat production in the late 19th century. When year after year of wheat production led to devastating disease pressure, he opened a…Read More
Back to his grassroots: Jacob Marty returns to family land with new vision for agriculture
As a dairy farm kid from southwest Wisconsin, Jacob Marty had no desire to return to his family’s farm. He was set on attending UW-Stevens Point and pursuing a career in conservation. Studying wildlife ecology pointed him in an unexpected direction, however: back to the farm. “I got interested in…Read More
The Spring Digital Dialogue Series wraps up with four great presentations
And that is a wrap! This semester’s Digital Dialogue Series brought together over 700 participants to learn about the levers of change needed to bring about a transformational change to our agricultural system. This semester’s series featured four great speakers who discussed policy, populations dynamics and it’s impact on agriculture,…Read More
Last Digital Dialogue of the spring coming up May 17th
Grassland 2.0 is once again hosting our monthly Digital Dialogue webinar series! In the fall of 2021 the Digital Dialogues Series focused on what makes a healthy agroecosystem. This spring, we are changing lanes and will be focusing on the levers of change for our agricultural system. Tune in and…Read More
New tool helps dairy farmers explore the economics of grazing dairy heifers
To graze or not to graze? The newly debuted Heifer Grazing Compass is a spreadsheet tool designed to help farmers predict and understand the cash flow and long-term financial outcomes of deciding to raise heifers on pasture. Developed by the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems of CIAS and Grassland 2.0,…Read More
Cattle and Brookies: Making Modern Agriculture and Trout Habitat in Wisconsin
Some 10,000 years ago, glaciers from the last Ice Age were retreating from the Upper Midwest. While much of Wisconsin was scraped into the rolling landscape that is representative of much of the state, a roughly 24,000 square mile piece of land at the intersection of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa,…Read More
U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard incentivizes land use change with environmental consequences
In order to address global climate change, the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) aims to increase the use of biofuel in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to a new study by Tyler Lark of UW-Madison and co-authors, including several members of Grassland 2.0, the RFS may have missed…Read More
Creating a grazing movement in Sauk County
Serge Koenig has been serving Sauk County, Wisconsin as a county conservationist for the past 27 years. So, needless to say - he knows the community well. During his tenure he has helped a lot of farmers get back in touch with nature and rediscover why they farm. Koenig's journey…Read More
New GrassCast podcast shares cutting edge research linking animal and human health
How does the way we raise our agriculture impact our health as humans? That is the critical question surrounding Stephan van Vliet’s research. Stephan is a nutrition scientists and metabolomics experts at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University and in the fall of last year Stephan…Read More
GrassWorks: A place where working dogs (and their humans) belong
Exactly when dogs and humans started hanging around together is a matter of debate, but it’s been a good long time. Scientists suggest that ancestral wolves were likely the first animals to be domesticated by early humans, some 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. And what was those first dogs’ primary…Read More
Six ways to incorporate grass-fed meat and dairy this holiday season
December abounds with cultural and religious holidays. There’s Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Rohatsu, and the winter solstice, to name a few. It’s a time for family gatherings, celebrations, reflection – and sharing delicious meals with those we hold dear.
New podcast episode features poetry discussing the changes in dairying over the last 50 years
This fall Grassland 2.0 hosted a four-part Digital Dialogue webinar series exploring the question of "What are healthy agroecosystems?". The dialogues were hour and a half long conversations with farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals who each explored the different aspects that make up a healthy agroecosystems and the benefits these…Read More
Introducing Grassland 2.0’s Digital Dialogue Series
This fall Grassland 2.0 is hosting a 4-part Digital Dialogue focusing on the question - What are healthy agroecosystems? The series will explore the different aspects that make up a healthy agroecosystems and the benefits these systems have on people, farms, communities and the land.
New podcast episode describes the relationship between perennial ag and water quality
Every couple of weeks, Grassland 2.0 folks get together on Zoom for an informal, project-wide lab meeting. Each meeting features a short presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session, and a group discussion of how the work presented relates to the project as a whole. Presenters have included grazing specialists, grass-fed…Read More
Grassland 2.0 and partners receives grant to understand opportunities and barriers related to integrating livestock and crop production
Diversified crop and livestock systems offer some of the best options for getting more continuous living cover on the landscape. Incorporation of forage crops and well-managed pasture into crop rotations is key to achieving the economic and environmental outcomes. In recent decades, specialization has been a dominant trend in the…Read More
Caring for the land is caring for ourselves: A deeper look at care work
Growing up in a small town in Kansas, where my parents still farm wheat and raise cattle, I understood that humans are social beings who need each other. Only through community effort was it possible to accomplish education in the school system, religious practice through the church, the economic realities…Read More
Marie Raboin shares the importance of farmer dates in new GrassCast podcast episode
Marie Raboin is a Conservation Specialist for Dane County, Wisconsin. She has spent over a decade working in and around southern Wisconsin to get farmers to adopt conservation practices. She currently serves as an advisor on the Grassland 2.0 project, and this summer she sat down for an interview with…Read More
Kevin Oppermann shares his most common questions from customers in new GrassCast podcast episode
Kevin Oppermann is a beef farmer at Highland Spring Farm south of Madison, Wisconsin where he raises Scottish Highland cattle. For Kevin, his time on the farm has progressed over time. He used to concentrate on the management full-time, but more and more, he has found his knack for direct…Read More
Farming for the future: Research demonstrates the potential of pastures to sequester carbon
Story by Ashley Becker What gives me hope for the future? Farmers. Farmers can shift our landscape towards agricultural systems that are regenerative and I admire those who have committed to adopting sustainable practices. As I travelled throughout Wisconsin collecting soil samples and conducting interviews at a range of grazing…Read More
“In Her Boots” podcast provides a voice for women in organic and sustainable agriculture
The latest episode of the GrassCast podcast follows a different format than some of our previous episodes: we’re sharing a promotional trailer for a new podcast being released by our collaborators at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service or MOSES.