Eligibility, practices, enrollment, FAQ,
& Contacts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched its Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program in 2023 to increase adoption of climate smart practices on farms across the country and to work to develop markets that could lead to premiums for commodities grown using these practices.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance secured Climate Smart funding because many of the same practices that USDA supports for carbon capture also build soil health and reduce runoff resulting in improved water quality.
Agriculture is a vital part of Northeast Wisconsin’s landscape. To ensure Northeast Wisconsin farmers remain competitive in a changing market, this program is offering technical assistance and cost share to help farmers work toward adoption of climate smart practices.
eligibility Requirements
- Enrolled farm and field(s) must be located within the 21 counties or a Tribal Nation of the Fox-Wolf Basin:
- Adams, Brown, Calumet, Columbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Forest, Green Lake, Marathon, Manitowoc, Marquette, Menominee, Langlade, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago Counties. Additionally, Tribal Nations and Reservations located within the Basin are eligible for enrollment. Reservations eligible for enrollment include Menominee, Stockbridge-Munsee, and Oneida Nations.
- While all producers located in counties and Tribal Nations within the Fox-Wolf Basin may participate, enrollment is dependent on the availability of dedicated technical assistance staff to see through the implementation of the project. Priority will be given to producers in Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago counties.
- Producers may not be receiving funding for or be currently implementing incentivized practices on contracted fields.
- Producers must be enrolled with USDA-FSA. FSA Enrollment is required for participation.
- Technical support to assist with enrollment is available, through this program, by Wisconsin Farmers Union.
- Producers must maintain land control of the contracted fields for the entirety of the contract and provide documentation of lease agreements where applicable.
- Producers must be U.S. citizens and not foreign persons or entities.
- Producers must agree to follow program standards as defined by NRCS related to incentivized practices.
- Producers must be committed to implementing incentivized practices long-term. Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is seeking producers that are interested in continuing to implement practices after contract ends.
Contact local Fox-Wolf or County Land Conservation Climate Smart Staff for more information and to determine eligibility.
If you’re ready to apply, select a Farm Climate Smart Practice from the section below.
enrollment
Ready to start farming Climate Smart? To begin enrollment, review chosen Farm Climate Smart practice requirements and eligibility in the section above. Details are provided by clicking above on the practice you would like to enroll. Additional information on each practice can also be found on these pages including specific practice requirements, any additional eligibility standards, FAQ, and contact information.
When you are ready to enroll, complete and submit the required application documents. Simply download, fill out, and email or mail to Fox-Wolf. Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance will respond within 2 weeks upon receipt of application. Timeline is dependent upon eligibility verification through USDA-FSA.
Download and Fill Out Documents
To begin enrollment, download and fill out the Producer Application. 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.
Need help filling out the Application or have questions? Reach out to a Farm Climate Smart staff member for assistance. Contact information can be found in the section below.
Frequently asked questions
Contact Information
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
Project Management
Katie Woodrow
(920) 915-5767
┃katie@fwwa.org
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 Analysis & Wildlife Plantings
Johnny Behrendt
(331) 201-1496
┃jbehrendt@pheasantsforever.org
County Land Conservation
Climate smart staff
Dedicated County Land Conservation Climate Smart staff are located in 8 counties throughout the Fox-Wolf Basin. Contact the staff person in the county nearest to you to determine program eligibility and to begin enrollment.
Brown County
Brent Levash
(920) 391-4620
┃brent.levash@browncountywi.gov
Calumet County
Autumn Gomez-Tagle
(920) 849-1493
┃autumn.gomeztagle@calumetcounty.org
Fond du Lac County
Justin Loehrke
(920) 414-0096
┃justin.loehrke@fdlco.wi.gov
Outagamie County
Austin Headlee
(920) 832-5073
┃austin.headlee@outagamie.org
Shawano County
Bill Koepke
(715) 526-4620
┃bill.koepke@shawanocountywi.gov
Waupaca County
Stefan Stults
(715) 258-6245
┃stefan.stults@co.waupaca.wi.us
Waushara County
Kaylee Overby
(920) 787-0443
┃kaylee.overby@wausharacountywi.gov
Winnebago County
Eric Bertram
(920) 232-1958
┃ebertram@winnebagocountywi.gov
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!