DARLINGTON, Wis. — More than 50 attendees, including farmers, community members and industry partners, attended the Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance’s annual meeting on March 4. The event focused on discussing sustainable initiatives and featured a variety of guest speakers.
“The farmers in our group demonstrate that conservation is for everyone, whether you have a few hundred acres or a few thousand acres; everyone can do their part,” said LASA President Jim Winn.
John Gaska, a Fields of Sinsinawa board member, shared details on an ongoing carbon benchmarking project and encouraged LASA members to participate.
Dani Heisler from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection shared an update on the impact farmer-led watershed groups are having around the state. With over 50 farmer-led groups across the state, the agency continues to support farmer-led conservation efforts to improve Wisconsin’s soil health and water quality.
Because conservation practices vary from farm to farm, what works well on one farm might not work on another. Myles Elsen of Steward Link shared how his team helps connect farmers with funding sources for their own unique needs.
Dr. Harkirat Kaur, a UW-Madison corn agronomist, presented on corn studies, outlining economically and environmentally sustainable methods for corn production. One study evaluated stalk height, with a focus on short corn. The results were variable based on management and weather events, and showed less reduction in silage yield compared to tall corn. He noted that additional corn performance trials are taking place, and more data will be available soon.
Farmers for Sustainable Food Strategic Account Manager, Marti Viste, shared results from LASA’s 2025 Member Conservation Survey. With eight years of data, the 2025 survey shows the group’s use of various conservation practices, including soil sampling, planting cover crops, utilizing no-till and reduced-till methods, split nitrogen application, low disturbance manure application and planting directly into cover crops, also known as “planting green.” In 2025, LASA members planted 12,773 acres of cover crops and 37,120 acres using no-till or strip-till.
During the business portion of the meeting, the group recognized outgoing board member Jason Rowe and elected new board member Dakota Meier. Ryan Temperly and Steve Carpenter (vice president) were re-elected.
Other board members include President Jim Winn, Treasurer Ken Norgard, Secretary Jean Stauffacher, Jim DiGangi, Mike Berget and Chris Wison. Steve Fleming and Dennis Busch are board advisers.
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About Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance:
Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance is a farmer-led non-profit organization with a vision of a community where farmers and friends of agriculture work together to protect and improve water quality and the environment. The group is based in Lafayette County in southwestern Wisconsin. More information: www.lafayetteagstewardship.org.
