What is Precision Ag Farm Business Planning?
Precision ag technology is used to make a variety of agronomic management decisions on farms. Increasingly, this technology has become critically important in identifying underperforming acres within farming operations. Pheasants Forever supports agricultural producers by assisting them in understanding how their farm-specific data can serve as a guide to identifying areas where management changes and conservation programs can improve the profitability of low-yielding areas. Changes that are implemented as a result of this analysis are beneficial for wildlife habitat, building soil health, increasing water quality, and improving sustainability.
Pheasants Forever offers producers Precision Ag Farm Business Planning and unlimited technical support in analyzing data using your preferred data platform. Voluntary solutions for marginal acres that make economic and agronomic sense. A trusted resource in navigating all available land programs, including access to exclusive funding opportunities. Services are provided at no cost to the producer.
This program is being offered as part of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Farm Climate Smart program alongside practices like no-till and cover crops because we know how important and valuable it is for producers to understand their data. As stewards of the land and business owners, growers need access to all options, including conservation, when analyzing ROI-negative acres.
What is Precision Ag Farm Business Planning?
Precision agriculture technology is used to make a variety of agronomic management decisions on farms. Increasingly, this technology has become critically important in identifying underperforming acres within farming operations.
Pheasants Forever offers Precision Ag Farm Business Planning and unlimited technical support to assist in understanding how their farm-specific data can serve as a guide to identifying areas where management changes and conservation practices can improve the profitability of low-yielding areas. Changes that are implemented as a result of this analysis are beneficial for farm economics, improve wildlife habitat, and sequester carbon.
The Precision Ag Process
Field Analysis
Using multiple years of field-specific information, like yield data, Pheasants Forever will create profit maps to identify historic trends in return on investment.
Field Analysis
Using multiple years of field-specific information, like yield data, Pheasants Forever will create profit maps to identify historic trends in return on investment.
Identify Options
Pheasants Forever works with participants to compare how alternative management can increase profitability on poor ROI acres.
Identify Options
Pheasants Forever works with producers to compare how alternative management can increase profitability on poor ROI acres.
Identify Options
Pheasants Forever works with participants to compare how alternative management can increase profitability on poor ROI acres.
Implementation
Pheasants Forever works with producer to find cost share programs and provides technical assistance to install conservation practices on poor ROI acres.
Implementation
Pheasants Forever works with producer to find cost share program and technical assistance to install conservation practice on poor ROI acres.
Incentive Rates
Payment per acre based on percent of acreage converted to alternative management practices. See tiered payment structure for more information.
Payment will be made following a commitment to implement alternative management.
Enrollment
Ready to start farming Climate Smart? To begin enrollment, review the Precision Ag Farm Business Planning program requirements. When you are ready to enroll, complete and submit the required application documents. Simply download, fill out, and scan and email or mail to Fox-Wolf. Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance will respond within 2 weeks upon receipt of application. Timeline is dependent upon verifying eligibility through USDA-FSA.
Step 1: Review Practice Requirements and Eligibility
Before filling out the required enrollment paperwork, please review the Precision Ag Farm Business Planning requirements and eligibility to determine if you qualify.
Program requirements and eligibility can be found in the Requirements and Eligibility document. If you have questions regarding eligibility, contact the Pheasants Forever Climate Smart staff.
Step 2: Download and Fill Out Documents
To begin enrollment, download and fill out the Producer Application packet. To download, click the image and follow the download instructions prompted by your browser.
All documents may be filled out online or by hand. Either way you decide to complete the application, the documents must be signed and dated by hand or as an encrypted digital signature.
Requirements
Analysis Requirements
- A minimum of one year of yield data must be provided to Pheasants Forever for qualifying crops for each field enrolled.
- Yield data must be geospatially (GPS/mapped) referenced.
- Willingness to participate in meetings with Pheasants Forever staff.
General Requirements
- To receive incentive payments, producers must sign an Intent to Implement Alternative Management document to certify commitment to convert marginal acres following the analysis.
- A minimum of 0.5 acres must be moved into conservation practices.
- Pheasants Forever will work with producers to identify appropriate conservation practices to implement.
- Conservation practices must follow NRCS standards and lifespans.
- Incentives are for implementing a plan and do not cover the cost of installing a conservation practice. New conservation practices may qualify for funding through other cost share programs.
- Pheasants Forever will provide producers with assistance to find funding for conservation practices (ex. NRCS, EQIP, CRP, or CSP) or connect them to other Fox-Wolf Farm Climate Smart programs.
- Payment will be tiered and based on the percentage of identified marginal acres moved into alternative management. See the Practice Requirements and Eligibility document for tiered payment information.
Contact Information
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
Project Management & General Questions
Tim Burns
(920) 841-0104
┃tim@fwwa.org
Wisconsin Farmers Union
Underserved & Small Producer Project Outreach
Erin Lenninger
(715) 382-0341
┃elenninger@wisconsinfarmersunion
Pheasants Forever
Precision Ag Farm Business Planning & Wildlife Plantings
Johnny Behrendt
(331) 201-1496
┃jbehrendt@pheasantsforever.org
Have a question?
Need help enrolling? Maybe a question about eligibility? Confused about program requirements?
Fill out the Contact Us form and we will get back to you as soon as we can!