Outagamie SHED Facility Supports Local Producers

There are a variety of agricultural soil health practices in use on Northeast Wisconsin farms that provide a water quality benefits such as cover crops, no-till/minimal-till, and low disturbance manure application. Recognizing the water quality and economic benefits, some farmers have successfuly adopted these practices; others are hesitant to jump on the soil health bandwagon due to real and perceived barriers. When changing any system, there is a learning curve as new practices require new ways of managing the land and new equipment to farm efficiently. To support new and hesitant adopters of these practices through the transition, county conservation departments provide staff and equipment resources to producers as they transition and use the lessons learned from trials and nearby farms to overcome some of the hurdles that come with changing systems. A key way Outagamie County Land Conservation Department is providing this support is through the Soil Health Education and Demonstration Facility (SHED).

SHED facility located on Jordan Court

While unassuming from the outside, the SHED facility is a huge win for local farmers and conservation professionals. Over the last few years, Outagamie County had secured funding to purchase farming equipment that supports soil health practices, but did not have a central location to store or demonstrate the equipment. Thanks to a cooperative agreement with Oneida Nation, land on Jordan Court in the Town of Oneida was provided for Outagamie County to build a storage facility as well as plant test plots trialing a variety of soil health practices. The SHED offers a central location in the Lower Fox River watershed to research and trial innovative cropping practices, educate and collaborate with producers and advisors, demonstrate equipment, and provide technical assistance for the installation of conservation practices.

Construction on the agricultural storage building began in May 2021 and was completed in March 2022.

Test plots were planted at the SHED beginning in 2020. In 2022, 16 different plots were trialed to examine variables such as timing of planting, seed mixes, tillage methods, and cover crop termination techniques.

The storage building houses a variety of equipment that is used on the SHED trial plots and is available for local producers to rent at a low cost. It is also a great location for farmer meetings and field days for producers to learn from each other and county staff and hosts meetings with producers receiving technical and financial assistance through grant projects such as the Conservation Champions in the Plum & Kankapot watersheds.

In September of 2022, Outagamie County invited the staff of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance to visit the SHED. Project Coordinator Jeremy Freund and Agronomist Andy Kiefer led the site visit, walking Fox-Wolf staff through the equipment available as well as test plots. Fox-Wolf staff were able to learn more about how this equipment is used and the modifications needed to transform traditional farming equipment into equipment that is effective to use when utilizing soil health practices such as cover crops, no-till or minimal-till, and low disturbance manure application. Andy and Jeremy also showcased the trial plots and the resulting productive soil. After just three years of conservation farming, the soil is rich and dark and full of worms, a sure sign of health. A diversity of cover crop species were on display as well, including flax, cow peas, and hairy vetch.

Andy Kiefer Chris Acy Katie Reed at Shed

The SHED facility offers a unique opportunity for education in the Lower Fox River basin. We are excited to continue to partner with Outagamie County to continue the soil health conversation with local producers and illustrate how soil health practices are a win-win for water quality and farm economics.

If you are interested in learning more, to rent equipment, or have ideas for future trials, contact: Andy Kiefer at Andy.Kiefer@outagamie.org