Image courtesy of Wisconsin Farmers Union
WiWiC Conservation Coach Kirsten Jurcek leads a farm tour, pre-COVID, at her family’s Brattset Family farm in Jefferson, where they raise grass-fed beef. “I got into grazing as a way to protect soil, ground and surface water,” Kirsten Jurcek said. “The environmental benefits of grazing and my environmental background are truly what made me want to have an organic farm, a grazing farm, a sustainable farm.”
Women landowners and farm operators are a growing group in Wisconsin. According to the 2017 Census, there are over 38,000 female producers, making up 35 percent of all producers in the state. Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC), a new state-wide coalition of landowners and conservation agencies, is offering a virtual workshop, “Spring into Conservation!” on Wednesday, April 7 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The event aims to connect female farmers and landowners in Racine, Milwaukee, Walworth and surrounding counties who are interested in learning more about land stewardship or in sharing their own expertise. This event is part of a series and registration is open now at WiWiC.org.
“I got into grazing as a way to protect soil, ground and surface water,” says WiWiC Conservation Coach Kirsten Jurcek of Brattset Family Farm in Jefferson, where she grazes beef and pork. “The environmental benefits of grazing and my environmental background are truly what made me want to have an organic farm, a grazing farm, a sustainable farm.”
Virtual Event Wednesday, April 7
Wednesday’s event will feature Tally Hamilton and Savanna Grayless, wildlife biologists from Pheasants Forever Wisconsin, sharing their conservation journeys and how women can tap into the agency’s resources. Maggie Zoellner and Thelma Heidel-Baker, conservationists from USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will explain their organization’s programs and cost share opportunities.
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Image courtesy of Wisconsin Farmers Union
Jurcek’s mother Weenonah Brattsett surveys the hay fields at Brattset Family Farm in Jefferson. The farm is preserved for agricultural use & wildlife conservation, in perpetuity, for the benefit of future generations by a conservation easement held by the Drumlin Area Land Trust. The farm consists of 146 acres of organically managed crop/pasture land; restored prairies; woodland; wooded wetland; wildlife ponds and wildlife habitat; a herd of 100% grass fed and finished beef cattle; pastured hogs; and a Silvoculture nut and fruit tree planting.
Heidel-Baker is also an owner and farmer at Bossie Cow Farm in Random Lake and will be talking about how beneficial insects and conservation practices support their business. In 2016, Bossie Cow Farm added honeybees and began producing their own honey. In 2019 they planted hundreds of native trees and shrubs to increase farm diversity and used their pigs to help prep an area for future wildflower pollination.
The workshops will be hosted by Alejandra Hernandez, conservation policy associate at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Hernandez earned her master’s from Yale School of the Environment with a specialization in Ecosystems and Land Conservation and Management. She will also connect interested women with experienced Conservation Coaches who will provide mentorship and advice.
“I am excited about this project because I love supporting and amplifying the work of women,” says Hernandez. “I believe it is crucial to create a strong network of Wisconsin women landowners so they know of each other and rely on each other for support and knowledge sharing. One of the weetest things in life is women empowering women!”
WiWiC is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and conservation education with funding from USDA’s NRCS. Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is helping with partnerships from the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Renewing the Countryside, E Resources Group and the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. The WiWiC hopes to build networks of women that will help each other find technical assistance and possible funding from other agencies to put more conservation practices in place on their land.
The group also plans to do topical virtual workshops through the summer and an in-person farm field day in the fall. The unique three-year initiative will foster networks and education through a newsletter and other learning opportunities. Interested participants can sign up for workshops or the newsletter on the organization’s website.
