Farmers in a Lafayette County-based watershed protection group last year cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,000 tons of CO2 equivalent — equal to taking more than 2,100 cars off the road.
That’s according to the latest report from the Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance, which has grown to 35 members since launching about seven years ago.
In 2023, they collectively planted nearly 12,000 acres of cover crops, used no-till and strip-till practices on 29,000 acres and measured nutrient management impact on nearly 33,000 acres, among other efforts.
Along with the reduced greenhouse gas emissions, alliance members reported preventing nearly 88,000 tons of sediment loss from farm fields, which is equal to nearly 8,800 dump trucks full of soil.
And farmers reduced phosphorus runoff by more than 140,000 pounds, which potentially prevented as much as 72.1 million pounds of harmful algae growth in nearby waters, according to the report.
Still, the group also reported its first year-over-year decline in the number of acres covered by conservation practices advanced by its members. After growing from about 76,000 acres in 2018 to nearly 220,000 in 2022, that number fell to just over 205,000 acres in 2023.
One participant, Sandy Larson of family dairy farm Larson Acres in Rock County, joined the alliance in 2019 and continues to employ sustainable practices such as cover crops and no-till farming to reduce soil erosion and improve soil health. The farm has 2,800 cows and covers more than 5,000 acres.
“Engaging with fellow farmers and having access to these great tools the group provides has been extremely beneficial for our farm’s growth and progress in our sustainability journey,” Larson said in a statement. “Working together as a group is the key here; there’s a lot of value in that. We have greater access to new ideas and new strategies.”
See the release.
