"The Conservation Reserve Program has made it possible for us to convert our farm consisting of marginal and fragile farm land into a place of beauty and a natural sanctuary which will be enjoyed by many in the years to come," said William and Patricia Henke of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. ...
St. Croix County is one of the fastest growing counties in Wisconsin, resulting in a shift from family farms to recreational landowners. Individuals are moving from the city and purchasing small parcels of land for the specific purpose of conservation or recreation. Many of these individuals have a genuine care for the environment and enthusiasm towards wildlife and/or hunting. Although...
To former and retired agricultural producers like Vern and Becky Nagel of St. Croix County, CRP and Wisconsin CREP have a lot of appeal. Both programs enable landowners to maintain ownership of their property while reducing erosion and improving wildlife populations and water quality. In addition, the income from annual rental payments helps pay property taxes and other costs....
For active agricultural operations like Henderson & Erickson Hog Farms, the goal is to devise the most profitable plan for their acreage. In the past, this usually meant tilling all acreage with the idea that idle land is not generating an income. With modern farm technology, however, large producers are learning that not all areas of the farm are productive and may, in fact, be costing...
Prairie - the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, and the third year it leaps! This saying has held true for the nearly 95 acres of prairie established through CRP by Paula Westerlund and Margaret Steiner on their farm in Pepin County, Wisconsin....
"I rank CRP as the single most successful government program ever created," declared Leland Christenson, owner of an 800-acre Wisconsin farm. Leland and his wife Kristen knew their land was too hilly and highly erodible to support cattle and intensive agriculture. So they enrolled more than 200 acres in CRP and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program contracts that have transformed...
