VIROQUA, Wis. – Following a contentious one hour and twenty minute meeting on Sept 21, the the Vernon County General Government Committee voted 4-1 to require the minimum of conservation practices on the county owned farm acreage just outside Viroqua’s city limits.
Vernon County sold about 250 acres of what was once the “County Farm’ on the north edge of Viroqua the city for development a few years ago but still still owns about 351 acres of farm land in the area roughly between Vernon Manor and the new county highway shop.
The job of leasing out county owned farmland falls under the Buildings and Facilities Department of county government. County Highway Commissioner Phil Hewitt is also the Buildings and Facilities Director, and reports to the General Government Committee. Hewitt has historically negotiated the leases with local farmers with direction and approval from the committee, but this year some of the committee members expressed an interest in requiring specific conservation practices in the leases that were up for renewal.
Hewitt related to the committee that over many years of leasing county farmland that many of the conservation practices that had been in place have slowly fallen by the wayside, in part because there was no requirements in the leases that they be maintained. Contour strips and grass waterways have been removed or reduced and there has been an increase in erosion as a result.
As a result of those discussions the committee asked Vernon County Conservationist Ben Wojahn to attend some of the meetings over the summer to provide input on best practices for conservation and help the committee develop a plan, or some requirements, that could be put into their lease agreements. Wojahn runs the county Land and Water Conservation Department that helps farmers, among other things, develop conservation and nutrient management plans for their farming operations. The committee expressed a desire to not only to improve the conservation practices but also to “showcase” the practices they would like to see more farms adopt throughout the county. The idea being if you show the practices in action they are more likely be adopted by more producers.
Vernon County Land and Water Conservation asked to develop conservation plan – June 7
At the committee’s June 7 meeting Wojahn presented some alternatives to the committee that included options for a conservation plan for all the acres and options that would split the acreage between the “East” Farm and the “West” Farm acres. The county acreage is divided by Railroad Avenue and the area west of the road is referred as the West farm and vice versa. Wojahn presented four potential conservation practices that could be incorporated into the county land, or used in combination with one another.
- Prairie strips or buffer strips
- Grass waterways
- Managed grazing
- Tree plots
Wojahn suggested the minimum requirement might be to require “buffer” or “prairie strips to slow water and soil runoff, and the requirement that grass water ways be included. Wojahn said the strips could be along the edges of the fields of incorporated strips between crops. Prairie strips were less likely to be a harvested crop but farmers interested in forage crops could plant the strips in a forage like alfalfa. Wojahn suggested about 10 percent of the acreage be placed in these kinds of practices.
As part of his presentation Wojahn also showed a picture of a hydro seeding project that was undertaken by his department a number of years ago to establish a grass waterway to prevent erosion on land that was later sold to the city of Viroqua for development. An area that now the Sleepy Hollow Car dealership. Wojahn pointed out that project was paid for with state funding and asked that if the county wants to actually do conservation practices on their land, that there be a long term commitment to those practices.
“Part of the reason I am showing this (photo) is…please don’t waste my time,” said Wojahn. “Because this happened where ‘we want land conservation to be involved in the county farm’. And we were. And we helped. No one asked me if we could sell this to the city of Viroqua….This was expensive.”
Wojahn said the picture was for historical context but also to emphasize that “If we are going to do this, lets do this.”
Wojahn also presented a potential forestry option to the committee that he said could be implemented on five or ten acres, or on all the county land if wanted. Wojahn said County Forester Nic Gilman helped him develop a plan to plant Black Walnut trees on some or all of the acres. According to those projections, in 60 years a five acre Black Walnut plot would yield a return of $200,000, which equates to $670 per acre/ per year for 60 years. In the past the rental for row crops has been the $250 – $300 per acre range at the high end. Previous leases have resulted the county seeing a gross income of between $75,000 and $80,000 a year.
Wojahn threw out a third option which was managed grazing.
“We can clearly show that it is the best land use if it is managed rotational grazing,” said Wojahn. “It is one of the best land uses for building your soil, improving organic matter, not causing erosion, not losing phosphorous, and really your land becomes more and more of a sponge. So when we look at flooding, our land management can make something more like concrete, or it can make something more like a sponge.”
Wojahn said managed grazing does have more upfront costs because fences would need to be installed and it may limit the pool of potential renters, but he went on to say that his department would very likely be able to find funding to have the fences partially, if not fully, paid for through state and federal programs.
Wojahn said the local watershed groups have been implementing grazing programs, and those groups along with recent University research have been able to show managed grazing can be the most profitable use of land, and the most beneficial for soil retention and water infiltration. Wojahn said there could be an option to combine the tree planting with the managed grazing. Wojahn estimated rental income for managed grazing land is about $150 an acre.
Wojahn said there is also benefit to the practices beyond the counties own land.
“When the floods come, not if but when,” Wojahn said. “The more acres in Vernon County that have become more sponge like and less concrete like, the more water it can absorb and the less damage to infrastructure and so forth.”
County Supervisor Mary Bringe said she would prefer a smaller tree plot if that plan is chosen.
Hewitt said there is an ideal spot for a tree plot below the county highway shop that is small field that is hard to get to. Wojahn said a small plot could be managed by the county forester and used for educational purposes.
Wojahn suggested putting a way to enforcement mechanism in the lease for items like grass water way size, soil testing and nutrient management plans. Wojahn said there provisions for some of those items in previous leases but they had not been enforced.
“So what’s going to happen guys when Bill Gates says we all have to eat bugs and cows are producing too much methane and you can’t graze them?” asked Bringe.
Wojahn said those are the kinds of questions do get asked and the acreage would provide the opportunity to show that the practices do work and it has been shown that managed grazing sequesters carbon and is a net benefit.
The overall recommendation from Wojahn was some combination of buffer strips, contour strips, managed grazing and tree planting would diversify the county’s income and risk.
“The thing is,” said Bringe. “If you complicate it too much you are going to have difficulty finding a renter. That’s the reality.”
“So I think that is part of what we’re we have to decide as a committee though,” said County Supervisor and Committee Chair Alycann Taylor. “Like, we asked them to present to us the best conservation plan to show … I’m just recapping …to showcase our County farmland and that they have presented to us the best way… Because that’s how this whole thing started like shouldn’t we have, if we’re going to be a model of conservation, and good farming techniques, shouldn’t our land be illustrating that? So that’s what they’ve come to us, and yeah you’re right it might be more difficult to rent, but now I’m conflicted because if it was all about renting it then why did we ask them to come? If we can’t find the renter to hold the standards then I guess we plant black walnut everywhere.
Bringe said it would make the most sense to have a combination of practices but questioned the economics of some of the practices.
“I think you have to have a combination,” Bringe said. “I think if you want to put some land aside for black walnuts if it’s not really productive land for other things that makes sense, but to to take a six percent slope black loam and put it to trees I think is dumb.”
“Not economically its not,” said Wojahn. “But it’s okay if you think it is.”
“I don’t know, I managed to survive quite a few years,” said Bringe. “I do think its a better use of ground if it’s not your most productive ground.”
County Board Chair Lorn Goede and Wojahn pointed out that there would likely be opportunity to use the plots as educational tools like field days and teaching events, that could also spur economic development. Hewitt pointed out that the walking path the connects with the new business park could be transitioned to tree plantings and buffer strips.
“I would like to see exactly what you’re talking about on a piece of paper,” said Bringe. “Because you know you guys think this is really fun, but there’s going to be a lot of farmers that really want us to explain why we’re thinking about doing what we’re doing.”
Wojahn it would be possible to make a plan that includes all the practices but there would need be a time to phase some practices in.
“If you’re not going to go down those roads, how can you say I’m going to make this decision it’s going to be good for 60 years?” asked Bringe. “I mean, I gotta have more information than this.”
“So, I mean, to have three more meetings before we have a direction is what I am concerned about,” said Wojahn.
“I want to know your vision,” said Bringe. “What do you have to do first year? What do you have to do second year? Where do you have to do third year? Because you’re going to have to present this to whoever you’re thinking about renting this to.”
“I think model lease would be beneficial for all of our landowners in Vernon County,” said Wojahn. “We’ve kind of played around with, that landowners should be empowered to include more of these types of things into their leases.”
The committee seemed to reach a consensus to keep the current practices in place for the 2024 rental year and develop the long term plan for 2025 and beyond.
Wojahn also ask that some of the revenue from the rent be directed back toward the implementation of some of the practices. All of that income in the past had been used by the countyin their general budget and none of it had been used to maintain the property.
“You’re telling me that in all these years we’ve rented this land out and none of the revenue has ever gone back in to preserving?” asked Bringe.
“Oh absolutely, nobody brought it to us,” said Wojahn. “We brought all those funds to put in those grass waterways that don’t even exist anymore.” said Wojahn.
“That seems kind of bizarre,” said Bringe.
“Thank you for seeing it that way,” Wojahn said. “I agree.”
Refined Conservation Plan Presented on August 1
The General Government Committee again discussed the farm leases on August 1 when Wojahn came back to the committee with a further refined conservation plan for the county farms acreage.
Wojahn again reiterated that the he presented four conservation practices at the previous meeting and the committee asked for some combination of all four. Wojahn’s new plan laid out a 100 acre managed grazing portion of the property on the “East Farm”. Wojahn said by converting the land to managed grazing it was estimated that water infiltration would increase by around 59 percent.
“So again, I believe this committee has given the direction of not just the highest dollar amount for rental, but considering showcase example,” said Wojahn. “What we’re encouraging the community to do. In general your management strategies can either make your land more like concrete, or it can make your land a sponge. And with that comes the concept in mind, hopefully we can use the county farm to be more like a sponge that really is reducing our high costs of flood impacts and infrastructure damage, including all of our dams.
Supervisor Mary Meehan-Strub asked for more detail on where the money would come from for the infrastructure for managed grazing. Items like fencing and water. Wojahn said there would have to be some money from rents going back to those costs but he was confident he could get state or federal funds to offset some or all of the cost for fencing. And water for cattle grazing would be supplied by connecting to the county highway shop water supply. Wojahn estimated the grazing land would bring in around $150 and acre.
We want people when they’re going by this land, because it is in the prime spot, to see this is the right type of farming we need in our area to protect our watersheds
County Supervisor Mary Henry
Bringe stated she did not think $150 per acre was possible.
Wojahn proposed the use of buffer strips and grass waterways for the West Farm.
“We want people when they’re going by this land, because it is in the prime spot, to see this is the right type of farming we need in our area to protect our watersheds,” said County Supervisor Mary Henry.
Bringe expressed concern about the long term investment into a grazing scenario.
“I am really wondering if we want to get in to the whole deal of fencing and and grazing,” said Bringe. “I think the right farming methods can do as much for the soil as grazing. I don’t …you know … I’m not particularly sold on putting 100 acres into grazing and becoming the people that keep up the fences, and this is not something that’s going to happen overnight. There’s nothing wrong with this ground being used for actual cropping is there?”
“I believe this committee did tell us to go forward and with grazing as one of those options,” said Wojahn.
I’m not particularly sold on putting 100 acres into grazing and becoming the people that keep up the fences, and this is not something that’s going to happen overnight. There’s nothing wrong with this ground being used for actual cropping is there?”
County Supervisor Mary Bringe
“But I’ve been giving this a lot of thought since we discussed that and I just don’t know that we have the manpower, the time, the energy to do this,” said Bringe. “I guess really question, and you know, you do right now, but as with all things you know you’re saying this is a possibility, what if the person in your position in three years could care less about it?”
Bringe again questioned the ability to get $150 per acre for grazing.
“I don’t think you can generate the income that that you’re saying it can,” said Bringe “I know what it costs to rent land for cow calf and I don’t pay that much.”
Supervisor Dave Eggen said he rents his pasture for $150 an acre with specific guarantees for the kind of grasses he will provide.
And I think the feedback, I believe Phil has heard, and I’ve certainly heard is, how can you guys ask farmers to do this if you’re not doing it yourself?
Vernon County Conservationist Ben Wojahn
“$150 an acre for improved pasture is not at all out of the range whatsoever anymore,” said Wojahn “I could show charts and everything right in a high corn year, you wish you would have been growing corn but managed grazing does a better job of balancing out the the peaks and valleys of a market. And again, we were charged with doing something a little more interesting that really is soil conserving and long-term benefits. You cannot build organic matter in any other way as fast as you can with manure, and properly managed manure. That is the key to building healthy soil for sure. We do feel we’re reserving a very considerable amount of the land still for cropping. and to just demonstrate different options we are out there trying to promote, I would say relatively successfully promote, with our farmers. And I think the feedback, I believe Phil has heard, and I’ve certainly heard is, how can you guys ask farmers to do this if you’re not doing it yourself?”
“And that is what we said as a committee, Said Supervisor Henry. “We want this to be like if you have a new young farmer coming in, or one that’s doing very conventional, come see how it’s done. We want the county showing for people to learn.”
I think that you have done exactly what this committee asked you to do. I believe it was Lorn (Board Chair Lorn Goede) who brought it here first, saying, can we not start showcasing our practices on our own land?
County Supervisor and Committee Chair Alycann Taylor
“I think that you have done exactly what this committee asked you to do,” said Taylor. “I believe it was Lorn (Board Chair Lorn Goede) who brought it here first, saying can we not start showcasing our practices on our own land? This is not my wheelhouse I acknowledge that. I just know that I feel like you’ve done what we asked you to do. And I hear you Mary Bringe, kind of throwing out potential obstacles in the future, but then when they just be addressed in the future if they were to present?”
“Yes, this board or this committee did ask you to do a plan,” said Meehan-Strub “I don’t know that there was anything in that statement that said that that plan was definitely what we would accept. Now, I think we have an idea and a concept here. I don’t see the full plan. I don’t see any cost factors. No cost factors in terms of what’s income. What it’s going to cost for the fencing? Great idea to get interns or summer help to do this. In reality you might as well figure hiring a fencing company to do it, and do it right. So you don’t have to do it again. But those are all costs. And even if you got a hundred and fifty dollars a month rent that’s still in the range of seventy dollars less a month per acre than what you have been getting. No guarantee you’re going to get that in the future either, but I don’t see a financial plan. I don’t see anything long-term, mention of long-term. I also don’t know what are the options, how many real farmers do we have in the community that would look at a hundred acre grazing area? And maybe there’s a lot, I don’t know. And how many of them would really bid on it? I expected that before this this group could actually act on this we need to have a formal plan laid out, just as if I was a farmer and wanted to purchase a farm or land, or rent lands.”
“But I do also think I remember them (Wojahn and Hewitt) saying that before they go that deeply… is this the concept that we want them to pursue?” said Chairperson Taylor. “So I can appreciate why, because if if we’re gonna say no, don’t do it, again, not my wheelhouse, but don’t do managed grazing, then he’s not going to go in depth to get those bids. But if we are conceptually saying this is the direction we want to go then we’d probably see a more comprehensive plan, and then weigh in on it.”
And I guess I would say that it’s kind of looking at the prettiness of it and, the beauty of it, and the concept but without getting to the nitty-gritty. And so, just so, it’s wonderful, and it’s great that we all should be concerned about our soil, and our soil content, but in the long-term you need to look at that total package before you just say, oh we got to do this as a showcase.
County Supervisor Mary Meehan-Strub
“And I guess I would say that it’s kind of looking at the prettiness of it and, the beauty of it, and the concept but without getting to the nitty-gritty,” said Meehan-Strub. “And so, just so, it’s wonderful and it’s great that we all should be concerned about our soil, and our soil content, but in the long term you need to look at that total package before you just say, oh we got to do this as a showcase.”
“I don’t think you know me well enough or what my department does,” said Wojahn. “I will not recommend anything for a farmer that will harm their bottom line. Just so you know, that’s part of my ethos, and my life philosophy. I can bring you lots of spreadsheets that will show you how corn versus managed grazing actually, over time, managed grazing can be more financially viable. I mean, I can have experts come in and present to you on that both from the farmer level. So it’s okay. I understand that you don’t inherently have that trust of the system. But I do want to tell you that this is not like.. hey a bunch of hippies who like green grass and we feel good about it. I’m just saying like it is very very practical economic agriculture for Vernon County. Our watershed groups, who are mostly meat and potato farmers who, you know, they can’t make decisions that lose them money, are going with managed grazing as a very viable option”
“I don’t think you know me well enough or what my department does. I will not recommend anything for a farmer that will harm their bottom line. Just so you know, that’s part of my ethos, and my life philosophy. I can bring you lots of spreadsheets that will show you how corn versus managed grazing actually, over time, managed grazing can be more financially viable…. I understand that you don’t inherently have that trust of the system. But I do want to tell you that this is not like.. hey a bunch of hippies who like green grass and we feel good about it. I’m just saying like it is very very practical economic agriculture for Vernon County. Our Watershed groups, who are mostly meat and potato farmers who, you know, they can’t make decisions that lose them money, are going with managed grazing as a very viable option
Vernon County Conservationist Ben Wojahn
Goede said he uses managed grazing on his farm and named several neighbors who have told him they make more income now that they use managed grazing.
“People get their mindset that the way they do it is the way everybody else should do it,” said Goede. ‘”And until you open up your mind and look at the other people and what they’re doing it’s just like… well I’ll say when I was doing green chop and everything stored, it was pretty tough, but I’m sure, you have to get your fences up. It’s how long does a pasture fence last? If it’s built right 40 years.”
Bringe said she would like more information on the managed grazing proposal including cost of infrastructure and transition time.
“I can’t make decisions on… ‘well this is a good idea’,” Bringe said.
“I don’t think they said… let’s just say yay… let us go,” said Taylor. “What I am hearing, if I can get there is, this managed grazing part of the plan, we need a little more information on how quick we can get there in the costs associated with it conceptually are we agreeing that?”
“Absolutely, said Eggen. “And the negative vibes that are being sent out so early aren’t helpful.”
“Sometimes reality is hard,” said Meehan-Strub.
“That is not fair,” said Wojahn. “Managed grazing and cropping are both very legitimate farming systems in Vernon County. You know, and I do think we have to be careful.”
Hewitt said the revenue from renting cropland has always gone into the counties general fund and nothing has even been available to do maintenance or repairs.
In the 12 years, whatever it is I’ve been in this position, If I would have, or if the department would have gotten 10 percent of the revenue from the County Farm, this would have all been fenced in and the paddocks would be laid out and the water lines would be run, and we’d be having people saying… so when do you want me to move my cattle in?”
Vernon County Highway Commissioner/Buildings and Facilities Manager Phil Hewitt
“In the 12 years, whatever it is I’ve been in this position,” Hewitt said. “If I would have, or if the department would have gotten 10 percent of the revenue from the County Farm, this would have all been fenced in and the paddocks would be laid out, and the water lines would be run, and we’d be having people saying… so when do you want me to move my cattle in?”
Wojahn said some of the future revenue will need to be used to put back the grass water ways and buffers that were farmed out over the years and never should have been removed.
Direction from the committee by the end of the meeting was for Wojahn and Hewitt to work with corporation counsel to draft a five year lease for the West Farm (approximately 200 acres) that includes the restoration of conversation practices, and to draft a two year lease for the East Farm that notifies and potential renter that that property will be transitioning to managed grazing by the end of the lease.
Draft lease agreement presented to General Government Committee – September 6
Committee Chair Alycann Taylor and County Conservationist Wojahn were both absent from the September 6 meeting. Supervisor Meehan-Strub filled in as chair of the committee for the meeting. Buildings and Facilities Manager/Highway Commissioner Hewitt brought a draft lease agreement that had been put together with Corporation Counsel Nikki Swayne and Wojahn. Swayne said the committee could delegate authority to Hewitt and/or Wojahn to further refine the permitted, prohibited and required land uses and come back to the committee with final bids before the leases are approved.
Meehan-Strub said she would need more time to review what had been drafted to make it sure it was what the committee and county wanted. Corporation Counsel Swayne said it was time consuming to rework the county contracts but worth the time given the commitment the county was undertaking.
“I wanted to explain at some point that these contacts are important and not insignificant,” said Corporation Counsel Swayne. “And this is also a great opportunity to. As the committee has already discussed, to redefine these contracts. They’re long-term contracts here we really are signing up for. A commitment as the county. So I think it’s laudable that you guys are endeavoring on this path that is a lot of work. But then will ultimately, ideally, if goals are accomplished, be reflective of what land and water is striving for all of our farmers.”
I wanted to explain at some point that these contacts are important and not insignificant. And this is also a great opportunity to. As the committee has already discussed, to redefine these contracts. They’re long-term contracts here we really are signing up for. A commitment as the county. So I think it’s laudable that you guys are endeavoring on this path that is a lot of work. But then will ultimately, ideally, if goals are accomplished, be reflective of what land and water is striving for all of our farmers.
Vernon County Corporation Counsel Nikki Swayne
Mehaan-Strub said she wanted to get things approved so farmers willing to bid on the land had time to plan for the next planting season but pointed out the previous contract started in April of the year it was signed.
“I think the the sooner you can get someone to identify if they’re going to do the crops in next year the better off you are,” said Meehan-Strub “But I would not want to move forward in haste without having had it looked at and identified that we’re clearly going to get what the county wants from this. I’ve asked ever since the initial presentation for financial figures on inputs and outputs and what the county is going to get, however we rent this, or potential of what they can and can come in and not come in, and I’ve yet to see those.”
The committee then discussed the timeline for letting the current renter know the possible changes that could be in the new lease and how to finalize the language of the lease to give potential bidders time to get bids and in and hopefully take advantage of fall seed and fertilizer pricing. Swayne said the new lease would have language regarding requirements for a conservation plan and a nutrient management plan. It also would specify who would enforce the requirements and what potential penalties might be.
The committee passed a motion giving Swayne the okay to send the letter to the current tenant and then set a special meeting date of September 21 to finalize the new lease conservation plan. There was then more discussion on what was agreed to in earlier meetings. Some felt the committee has agreed to do one year lease with current or slightly modified leases so the more detailed plans could be finalized and implemented by 2025. Others felt the decisions was to resign leases for two or three years and then implemented more stringent practices and alternatives after they expired.
There are issues with transition (to managed grazing etc.). So there’s questions there that I’ve asked for all the costs, and then what’s the potential income going to be? How it’s going to be maintained? Do we have the staff to do that is the other thing? You know, what’s it going to take? So ultimately there’s a lot that that remains unanswered before the county should vote on that, basically. We should have a whole specification sheet that that lists all that out.
County Supervisor Mary Meehan-Strub
“There are issues with transition (to managed grazing etc.), Said Meehan-Strub. “So there’s there’s questions there that I’ve asked for all the costs, and then what’s the potential income going to be? How it’s going to be maintained?” said Meehan-Strub. “Do we have the staff to do that is the other thing? You know, what’s it going to take? So ultimately, there’s a lot that that remains unanswered before the county should vote on that basically. We should have a whole specification sheet that that lists all that out.”
“Per the discussion at the last committee meeting for the East Farm, it was to be started and you guys talked two years and three years,” said Swayne. “The takeaway from that meeting was, let’s maintain status quo for the next four years, and then at that time the county will likely be looking at implementing the practices discussed by then. Including the grazing and cropping rotations.”
“I thought it was one year in crop rotation and then it was going to transition,” said Meehan-Strub. “That’s what I recalled from that meeting,”
Swayne said she reviewed the previous meeting and the discussion did go many directions and it was confusing.
“It was all over the place and it’s understandable why everybody walked away with a different understanding,” said Swayne.
September 21 – Special meeting to finalize the conservation plan
The special meeting of the General Government Committee had only one agenda item and the was the county farm lease agreements. The meeting started with the same discussion that had ended the previous meeting, what the direction the committee had decided to go in the early discussions.
Committee Chair Alycann Taylor said her recollection was the committee had decided to put a one year lease in place with similar terms as previous leases with perhaps minor conservation adjustments, and then worked toward more detailed requirements in the next lease in 2025.
“I guess I have a difference of opinion,” said Meehan-Strub. “Because I think at the meeting I said we couldn’t really make a determination on what to do with a lease until we knew what we were gonna do with it. And there was no decision about what we were going to do with it so there’s no lease.”
County Conservationist Ben Wojahn said that was not his recollection of the plan.
“From my recollection the direction, I don’t know if that was voted on or just consensus was to extend for one year, because you were requesting additional information to help with a longer plan,” said Wojahn.
Corporation Counsel said she went back and reviewed the August meeting where the issue was discussed and had to listen to it several times to determine what the committee decided.
“I reviewed it online,” said Swayne. “I had to listen to the meeting three separate times to figure out what the heck y’all actually decided. Ultimately my takeaway after reviewing that was consistent with what Ben just summarized.”
“I think at the last meeting when we discussed this and you gave us that same information you had said then that you could see how anyone who sat at the meeting could come away with a different opinion on it,” said Meehan-Strub.
“Oh, I’m not disagreeing with that,” said Swayne. “That’s why I had to listen to it three times.”
“And that’s why I’m saying I don’t know that I ever agreed to a one-year lease,” said Meehan-Strub.
We don’t have any financials on anything. I asked for them for four months.”
County Supervisor Mary Meehan-Strub
“I sat in on it,” said Supervisor Mary Henry. “You wanted more information per acre, what this option showed. What this option showed. From our committee of land and education, the vision for that land from our group is to showcase diversity on those plots. And use it as a learning tool to help farmers transition because of our watershed issues. And we, our thought is, on our committee we don’t want farmers going by it (the county farm) and saying ‘well this is what they’re doing, what’s wrong with what I’m doing?’ So, we’re trying to show the best options in land conservation for our area to preserve it.”
“You’re right we didn’t vote on it,” said Taylor. “We directionally had said that we can’t get all this information and have a lease ready for people coming up on our October deadline and so that was my understanding, it sounds like something shifted.”
“We don’t have any financials on anything,” said Meehan-Strub. “I asked for them for four months.”
County Highway Commissioner and Buildings and Facilities Director Phil Hewitt presented information on potential lease rates he had gathered since previous meetings and presented them to the committee.
This whole conversation came about when the end of the contract come into play and my concerns about the erosion areas on the County Farm. Especially on the East Farm, to the east of the highway shop. So I asked the committee to consider options to help alleviate that. The waterways have been narrowed up over the years and not a lot of maintenance has been done on the waterways, or the County Farm in general, in the last 15 to 18 years. So now is the opportunity to try it, or to do that renovations. So that brought up the conversation of what to do with it.
Vernon County Highway Commissioner/Buildings and Facilities Manager Phil Hewitt
“This whole conversation came about when the end of the contract come into play and my concerns about the erosion areas on the County Farm,” said Hewitt. “Especially on the East Farm, to the east of the highway shop. So I asked the committee to consider options to help alleviate that. The waterways have been narrowed up over the years and not a lot of maintenance has been done done on the waterways, or the County Farm in general, in the last 15 to 18 years. So now is the opportunity to try it, or to do that renovations. So that brought up the conversation of what to do with it.”
Hewitt presented several options to the committee to alleviate the worst erosion problems on both farms. He pointed to areas near the highway shop where renters are fixing washouts and the on the West Farm where erosion is bad enough the soil is washing over the bike and walking path recently put in. Hewitt suggested taking about 30 acres out of row crop production and seed it in “buffer strips” of “prairie strips” to slow the erosion in those areas. Hewitt said the the grass waterways would also need to be reestablished.
Another option Hewitt presented would require seeding forage strips in alfalfa. Hewitt said that option would likely require a longer contract to get renters to invest in alfalfa seed. Hewitt said the farmers he talked to led him to believe the county could see a rental rate of $225 and acre with those requirements.
A third option included pricing for grazed pasture including costs for providing water and fencing. Hewitt said there are likely cost share programs available that could offset some or all of the cost of providing that infrastructure to renters, but that would have to applied for after the lease was in place.
The big thing I said is to decide which path we want to take. It’s been brought up to me at past contract negotiations, this has been talked about since I’ve been in this position, of different options of what we could do. It always turned to the revenue stream was of the largest importance. That’s the committee’s decision, but we’re at a time right now where I think we can do a substantial revenue stream and still change our practices.
Vernon County Highway Commissioner/Buildings and Facilities Manager Phil Hewitt
“The big thing I said is to decide which path we want to take,” said Hewitt. “It’s been brought up to me at past contract negotiations, this has been talked about since I’ve been in this position, of different options of what we could do. It always turned to the revenue stream was of the largest importance. That’s the committee’s decision, but we’re at a time right now where I think we can do a substantial revenue stream and still change our practices. Because I think the the want is out there. The need is definitely out there. Especially for the …to me the conservation practice that we should never should have went away from of the contour strips. Buffers. Alfalfa. Whatever, there’s enough big dairies close enough now where we’re gonna get good bids. I think these numbers I got on the paper are actually low.”
Local farmer Jim Munsch has been farming in the Coon Valley area using managed grazing since the 1980’s and said there are more opportunities to make money with managed grazing now. He said large dairies are pressed for land and sometime have to pasture young dairy stock as far as away as Nebraska.
“So that is a high level income opportunity,” said Munsch. “They wouldn’t pay three dollars per head per day here, but they might pay two and save one. And transportation to Nebraska and back.”
Munsch suggested using a University program known as SnapPlus (Soil Nutrient Application Planner) to calculate the conservation savings from implementing certain practices.
“We have programs at the University now including snap plus but a new program where we could predict how much soil you could save by going from row crops to manage pasture,” said Munsch. “Or row crops to perennial forage. And so the forage off it could be a couple of different uses. Part of it on the particularly fragile land could be pastured and that would be the best from an erosion and a phosphorus loss standpoint. And then a little bit less fragile land could be in a long-term alfalfa rotation. And that is incredibly sellable right now…. you know those contracts are easy to get. So, what I think would be clever might be to take a map of the thing and run it through SnapPlus with contours, well with row crops, no-till the whole thing. Then a mix of cropping, perennial hay and pasture, and I think you can you can get the final loss (soil loss) down dramatically. And to your point that would be a showcase a viable agricultural practices for this county, you know, somebody could say, I can do that on my farm.”
Wojahn said there would likely be funds available through a couple of state or federal programs to help pay for at least some, if not most of, fencing and some of the other infrastructure needed to transition to grazing. Wojahn also pointed to the flood mitigation aspect of transitioning to the other practices that go beyond rental income.
“For example,” Wojahn said. “We have a dam that is just below the newly developed portions of the County Farm. That dam was at capacity before the sheriff’s department and the Kwik Trip (new construction), or any of those things existed there now. So there is a flood event, I mean so there’s very tangible financial aspects as well that are not on this sheet of paper.”
“I guess what you’re talking about is what we asked for four months ago,” said Meehan-Strub. “And we didn’t get the financials and so this is the first time we are getting it but now we’re four months down the road.”
“The last meeting I was at was when you asked me for it,” said Wojahn.
“The very first time the idea was presented I asked,” said Meehan-Strub. “So I think Phil (Hewitt) has done a good job with what he has put together at this point in time.”
“We asked for this way back in April when we first talked about the very first time it was presented,” said Bringe.
“That’s not true,” said Taylor. “That’s just simply not true. We started opening the discussion of how we wanted to change our lease in April, but coming from like we’re going to change a conservation model, we weren’t talking about that in April. I’m not saying like maybe numbers haven’t come as fast, but certainly wasn’t back in April. I just don’t think that’s totally fair.”
“I also think when I had to listen to a meeting three times over to figure out what the takeaway of the meeting was it’s fair to then hold folks accountable for not providing information reportedly requested,” said Swayne. “Prior to that August meeting there wasn’t that request for data that’s being requested today.”
“I disagree,” said Bringe. “We did ask for that.”
“You didn’t,” said Swayne. “I was there.”
“I’ve asked for financials every time it’s been discussed,” said Meehan-Strub.
“Well I must have missed it because I’ve been attending these meetings and then coming back to work committee,” said County Supervisor Mary Henry. “So I missed it, but I heard it this last time. Mary I heard it very clear.”
Wojahn pointed out that the large amount of information it would take to plan the transition is the reason they had asked to extend existing leases for one year.
“Instead of the county trying to come up with 75 grand I would have time to come up with some of this,” said Wojahn.
“That’s right,” said Taylor. “That is absolutely right.”
“I would have brought it back to our committee (conservation and education committee),” said Henry. “That we need to have more financial, because we were talking about how do we want to use it. What’s the best way to do it. So I don’t think we had that Mary in April yet because we were still talking about what do we want to do with this.”
“We needed more time to figure out,” said Wojahn. “I mean, we know how long it takes and I never would have pretended that we were going to come up with an entire whole farm plan in six months.”
“But the value of this that we have here is that you’ve actually gone out and you’ve talked to the market,” said Munsch. “You’ve actually talked to people who would be willing to rent land for various purposes that’s huge.”
I think one of our issues here is you know what is our real purpose? You know first of all, are we here to take this piece of property that the county owns and and use it to our best source of revenue which requires the least input, or are we here to, you know, showcase? I don’t know. I don’t know that we need to Showcase anything. We have several kinds of Agriculture that work very well in this County. I happen to have raised cattle all of my life on my farm, and I have row cropped all my life on my farm, and um I can tell you many different scenarios. I know where I make my most money but it’s not on grazing.
County Supervisor Mary Bringe
“Where part of this conversation came from is that a number of the options with the seeding and the alfalfa,” said Hewitt. “They’re (renters) not going to do it for one year. I had one guy said I’ll seed the whole damn thing if you want, but he said it’s gonna be a 10 year contract.”
“I think one of our issues here is you know… what is our real purpose?” asked Bringe “You know first of all, are we here to take this piece of property that the county owns and and use it to our best source of revenue which requires the least input, or are we here to, you know, showcase? I don’t know. I don’t know that we need to showcase anything. We have several kinds of agriculture that work very well in this county. I happen to have raised cattle all of my life on my farm, and I have row cropped all my life on my farm, and um I can tell you many different scenarios. I know where I make my most money but it’s not on grazing.”
And I also remember our conservationist (Wojahn) saying, ‘look – I’ll go do this work if we’re actually committed to taking on this type of model’. And so we can debate whether the work came in and in the time that you wanted to, but he was sitting right here saying please don’t make me do all this research if at the end it’s all going to come down to what’s going to make the county the most money. So, am I the only one who, does anyone else recall that happening in this meeting? Because that absolutely happened. So now here we are with that resource. So if you’re asking the committee members, and I’ll ask the committee members, to me I think you accomplished both. You can get money, which Phil actually outlined, and you can illustrate a proper way to do it. I’ve said a million times, I’m not a farmer. You all are, but you can also have two two principles at play and accomplish the same goal. And I just wanted to remind you that our conservationist said… please don’t make me do this work, and at the very end you’re just going to say it’s all about the money.”
County Supervisor and Committee Chair Alycann Taylor
“I do want to remind this committee that when this whole thing started and Lorn (board chair Lorn Goede) was here, he introduced this concept that if we have a conservation department, and we are borrowing practices that we should utilize on some of our land to illustrate the best way to do that,” said Taylor. “And I also remember our conservationist (Wojahn) saying, ‘look I’ll go do this work if we’re actually committed to taking on this type of model’. And so we can debate whether the work came in and in the time that you wanted to, but he was sitting right here saying please don’t make me do all this research if at the end it’s all going to come down to what’s going to make the county the most money. So, am I the only one who, does anyone else recall that happening in this meeting? Because that absolutely happened. So now here we are with that resource. So if you’re asking the committee members, and I’ll ask the committee members, to me, I think you accomplished both. You can get money, which Phil actually outlined, and you can illustrate a proper way to do it. I’ve said a million times, I’m not a farmer. You all are, but you can also have two two principles at play and accomplish the same goal. And I just wanted to remind that our conservationist said… please don’t make me do this work and at the very end you’re just going to say it’s all about the money.”
But it is not all about the money,” said Bringe.
“That’s what you just said,” said Taylor.
“Well you’re acting like it’s all about the money but it’s not,” said Bringe. “The other thing we have to say is how much time do we want to involve in all this. I mean we already are over, I mean we have a big problem with finances, and people that we hire.”
“That is a separate issue,” said Taylor.
“No it’s not,” said Bringe. “Not if we’re going to say to people you have to put hours into this. Because you’re not going to build fences, you’re not going to do all this thing and not have input and hours in it. And who is going to get the call when the cattle are on the road?”
“The person with the lease,” said Taylor.
After more discussion on options the discussion turned to the value of conservation.
“I am an advocate of saving soil,” said Munsch. “And it’s all financial and soil is your asset.
“Oh, don’t tell me I know this,” said Bringe.
If you’re only going to save soil I would tend to agree with you but you’re going to lose some income acres. If you’re going to say you’re going to put buffer strips in. You’re going to widen out the waterways. You’re going to insist that the operator not plant up and down any hills. Which means that headlands are probably going to have to be in in forage. I mean, there is a way to save soil and grow row crops.
Coon Valley Farmer Jim Munsch
“I’m not an lecturing,” said Munsch. “I know you know this. If you farm you know this, or should because eventually the soil is going to peter out. It happened. You know? We know this. It’s history. If you’re only going to save soil I would tend to agree with you but you’re going to lose some income acres. If you’re going to say you’re going to put in buffer strips in. You’re going to widen out the waterways. You’re going to insist that the operator not plant up and down any hills. Which means that headlands are probably going to have to be in in forage. I mean, there is a way to save soil and grow row crops.”
“I’m just thinking what’s the easiest thing we can do and yet maintain the land,” said Bringe
“That was not what I was directed to do,” said Wojahn. “The easiest is not what we had talked about. I had talked of an example of manage grazing, an example of prairie strips, an example of tree planting, an example with Contour strips and this committee said yes, do some of all of that. That’s absolutely what the direction was.”
“I just I don’t think it’s worth our time to do this,” said Bringe.
Supervisor Dave Eggen said he has a 200 acre farm and about half of it that is highly erodible is rented pasture. Eggen said there is a little more startup costs but he also makes about $500 per acre for three cuttings of alfalfa.
“I just think it would be an exciting change for that land out there,” said Eggen.
The committee eventually decided to shift the focus back to row cropping but with some basic conservation requirements including contour strips, re-establishing and maintaining grass waterways, requiring that 30 percent of the strips be some kind of forage and that a nutrient management/soil testing be required.
At one point toward the end of the meeting Supervisor Ole Yttri was about to leave the meeting for a family obligation but some some committee members asked him to stay to vote the committee was close to an agreement. Supervisor Eggen asked if the committee could vote. Taylor pointed out that Supervisor Meehab-Strub still had questions. Eggen said he was concerned that the Yttri would not be able to vote if he leaves.
“Well if that’s what happens,” said Meehan-Strub.
“Then we will have a tie,” said Taylor. “Potentially.
“Are we trying to influence votes here?” asked Meehan-Strub.
“No,” said Taylor.
There was more discussion on how many renters would be lost if there were the additional practices were required in a lease. Some on the committee said the requirements may result in lower rents.
“Yeah I hear that,” said Taylor. “But this committee has said over and over again most of the time that we want both, we want to have both, strong practice and conservation and make some money. So, I think that what you’re illustrating is what the potential impact is of a decision to feature both.”
“We will limit to only the renters who want to follow conservation practices,” said Wojahn.
“That was the whole point of all this,” said Taylor. “This priority this list was just a brain was like a brain dump of everything that we had kind of talked about, but we have not as a committee actually said this is every single priority that we’re going to adopt or not. Is that a fair statement?”
If you want a landscape with absolutely no hay then this whole conversation has been a waste of time. Requiring hay at least throughout portions of this farm is absolutely necessary to get anywhere near the conservation goals we’re discussing. If we want to do end-to-end crop farming then we shouldn’t have been having this conversation for the last four months.
County Conservationist Ben Wojahn
“If you want a landscape with absolutely no hay then this whole conversation has been a waste of time,” said Wojahn. “Requiring hay at least throughout portions of this farm is absolutely necessary to get anywhere near the conservation goals we’re discussing. If we want to do end-to-end crop farming then we shouldn’t have been having this conversation for the last four months.”
“So another question,” said Meehan-Strub. “Okay, and that is by limiting other farmers, and you’ve talked about wanting this to be a showplace as such.”
“I want it to just be different,” said Eggen.
“You’re not, it’s not different it’s taking it back,” said Meehan-Strub.
“Nope,” said Eggen.
Why do you say no?” asked Meehan-Strub.
“We’re not going backwards,” said Eggen.
“Going back to contour strips is,” said Meehan-Strub.
“It’s pretty backwards,” said Bringe.
“We’re doing what we should be doing,” said Eggen. “We are moving forward.”
“According to you,” said Meehan-Strub.
Wojahn questioned why the acreage would not be split between 50 percent row crops and 50 percent forage instead of 30 percent forage.
“I mean the university says stripping isn’t your best option,” said Bringe “
“I have not ever seen that from the University,” said Wojahn.
“Well I have,” Said Bringe. “Everything you read they say no till is your best option.”
In the end the committee voted to adopt option two from their list of alternatives that calls for a five year lease for both the East and West farms and requires contour strips including about 30 percent forage and necessary waterways.
The committee approved that motion by a vote of 4-1 with Eggen, Bringe, Yttri, and Taylor voting yes, and Meehan-Strub voting no.
Bringe said she still had reservations even though she voted yes.
“I will honestly tell you I don’t like it,” said Bringe.
“I think it’s a compromise,” said Henry. “And it’s far away from what we first started from, yeah, but it’s a compromise, and I’m all about compromises.”
The committee agreed to have County Corporation Counsel Swayne modify the leases with the agreed changes and bring them back to the future General Government Committee meetings. The next General Government Committee meeting with be October 4.
Good reporting.