The Sheboygan River Progressive Farmers recently gathered with fellow farmers, supporters and community members for their annual meeting to share ideas, discuss current research and hear from guest speaker Rick Clark, a regenerative farmer from Indiana.
Clark is a fifth-generation farmer who uses regenerative farming practices, such as cover crops and no-till, and has over 5,000 acres of certified organic cropland. He shared his six principles of soil health and how he strives to balance his soils by thinking ahead and using strategic cover crop rotations for nutrient building.
“For our farm, yields don’t drive our system,” Clark said. “Soil health and human health are the drivers of our system.”
Joe Ailts of Ailts Agronomy explained the Haney Test, which is used to assess soil health. He encouraged farmers to begin using these tests on some of their acres, noting that while the test provides a great deal of information, focusing on nitrogen rates and optimizing them is a good place to start.
Greg Olson from The Sand County Foundation shared an update about the Johnsonville Project, which involves local farmers. The analysis of last year’s project results will conclude this winter.
“Farmers in the Johnsonville Project are continuing to reduce sediment loss and phosphorus run-off,” Olson said.
Farmers for Sustainable Food sustainability project specialist Marti Viste provided an update on SRPF’s 2024 Member Conservation Practice Survey. There were 39 members involved in the survey involving 22,909 acres of cropland, of which 9,552 acres had cover crops, 6,601 were no-till with cover crops and 4,132 were planted green.
The group’s president, Brody Stapel of Double Dutch Dairy in Cedar Grove, shared his excitement for the year ahead, highlighting the group’s potential for continued growth.
“2025 is looking like a page-turn year for our group, with a lot going on for us,” Stapel said. “These regenerative ag practices are certainly not going away for the farming community and will continue to expand.”
To close out the meeting, the group held board elections. Three board members were re-elected—Derek Sippel of Airy Point Dairy, secretary; Brian Huenink of Huenink’s Seed and Dairy, treasurer; and Mark Breunig of A-OK Farms.
Other board members in addition to those and Stapel are Mark Loehr of Loehr Dairy, vice president; Mike Mulder of Higher Ground Ranch; Ken Strack Jr. of Strack-View Farms; and Chuck Born of Born Farm.
Sheboygan River Progressive Farmers is a nonprofit farmer-led conservation group in the Sheboygan River watershed in Sheboygan and Fond du Lac dounties in Wisconsin whose members explore farming strategies that lead to improved soil health, greater farming efficiency, sustained profitability and reduced environmental impact. Members share information gained through field trials with fellow farmers and strive to foster an understanding of the role of agriculture in the community.
