Trading Manure for Fertilizer May Improve Water Quality

       The water in Dunn County is green. We know nutrient runoff is a major contributor to the algal blooms that can be found in Lakes Menomin and Tainter, but how can we most effectively reduce the amount of these nutrients getting into our lakes and rivers?  

Water Quality's Impact on the Red Cedar Watershed Economy

Environmental sustainability has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years, and with it, has come even more controversy. Many will claim that protecting the environment hurts businesses and cuts jobs by making it more complicated to grow due to more regulations. However, my research (accompanied by Madison Biggs and Chris Ferguson) has proved otherwise. 

Solutions in the Sediment

What if the solution to remediating the lake lies in viewing the problem as a potential solution? This summer I was so fortunate to be a part of a research team that looked at the Phosphorus loading situation with fresh eyes.

Harmful blooms of cyanobacteria occur annually in the anthropogenically eutrophic lakes across the Red Cedar Watershed. Toxic conditions produced by cyanobacteria threaten the health of both terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna. Many efforts have been made to remediate the lake system however removing the phosphorus which causes the blooms proves to be a challenge. Not all bad though, Phosphorus is an essential plant macronutrient as it aides in the production of energy. This study proposed using phosphorus laden sediment which has been carried off of farm fields as a soil amendment.

What Does Soil and Water Quality Mean for the Economy?

                “Investments in environmental issues are job-killers!”

                “It’s going to hurt the economy!”

                These are common misconceptions about the effects of tackling water and soil quality issues. However, after researching this concept at University of Wisconsin – Stout for 8 weeks, Chris Ferguson Ph.D., Ryleigh Prochnow, and I discovered that improving the health of the environment can have a positive impact on the local economy.

Riparian Buffer Impact on Stream Health in the Wilson Annis Watershed, Dunn County, WI

As part of the geography team this summer with the LAKES REU program we wanted to find out what measures of stream health riparian buffers impacted most. A riparian buffer is a zone or strip of dense vegetation along a body of water, such as a stream or lake. This zone aids in preventing erosion and pollutants, via stream runoff, from entering the water. The area we chose to examine was the Wilson Annis Watershed in Dunn County, WI. We chose this watershed because it was accessible and because of the implementation of the Wilson Annis Watershed Partnership, a program dedicated to help the watershed. Within the Watershed we chose fourteen sites along Wilson and North Wilson Creek to analyze, where we had to ask landowners for their permission to enter the stream through their property where we were, several times, warned about a bull potentially coming over to the stream.

How dairy you say that

The livestock farming industry has gone through a significant transformation in the previous few decades. Production has progressed from smaller, family owned farms to large scale farms that regularly have corporate contracts. A majority of meat and dairy products now are being produced on large farms with single species buildings or open air enclosures. When reviewing our existing data on agricultural operations I noticed that there was minimal information about the current discussions pertaining to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) or the current policies being implemented in regards to them. However, few have addressed the ways in which the industry has been challenged towards improvement or the cumulative effect of multiple unregulated small livestock operations. If we hope to improve water quality, we must take into consideration all the various factors as well as the limits to our current resources and the ways in which we should go about expanding them.

Neighbor Influence: Social Connectivity and the Adoption of Conservation Agriculture

           Whether it be to appease the ever-growing demand for organics or to become more environmentally friendly, conservation agriculture is on the rise. As defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization, this agricultural approach is described as having a focus on improved and sustained productivity, increased profits, and food security while preserving and enhancing the environment. There are many different practices that can fall under the title of conservation agriculture, however most definitions include these general ideas. To some, it seems like the obvious solution for everyone practicing conventional agriculture, which generally uses a lot of inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides) and intensive tillage, to begin transitioning to conservation agriculture in order to sustain our planet. So why don’t they?

The Loaded Question: “So is it too late to fix our lakes?”

In a practical sense, as this summer’s research draws to a close, it is hard to come to the realization that the majority of what I have been doing for the past eight weeks, surveying and analyzing farmers' responses about conservation agriculture, is coming to an end.  But, by the same token, I know that my true contemplation on all that I have learned is only just beginning.  From my past experiences, I strongly believe that these situations of endings that feel more like beginnings are often some of the most rewarding, challenging, and memorable ones yet.
This summer’s research seems to have fit this scenario exactly as described.  Our mission began with a deep dive into relevant literature about conservation agriculture and social network theory and eventually brought us to personal interviews held with farmers in the local cafes and fields of Menomonie, Wisconsin.  We wanted to gather as much knowledge as possible about the influence of farmers' social networks on their adoption of conservation agriculture practices in the area.  After qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing about 180 survey responses from a list of active farmers in the Red Cedar Watershed, my sociology team of three has been absorbing all kinds of information about these farmers’ practices, values, and experiences interacting with different agencies and organizations.  We also explored ways to represent farmers’ social networks by asking farmers to list individuals that they trusted for farming advice.  All of the data that we collected was designed to shed light on the problem of phosphorus overload in two main bodies of water in the Red Cedar Watershed, Lake Menomin and Tainter Lake.  In the final weeks of this research project, our team has spent many hours poring over regression models of several different kinds and reviewing our notes from interviews with key actors within the conservation agriculture movement here in Dunn County, as well as notes from the farmers that we have been surveying throughout the past few months.  As challenging as it has been to narrow down our findings at times, one element rises prominently in my research conclusions— the importance of educational opportunities for farmers.
Our survey was designed to assess how farmers felt about participating in several types of educational opportunities ranging from livestock management to economic projections to soil health.  Among all of these options, group conferences on Best Management Practices (BMPs) were shown to be an especially powerful form of education for farmers because attending these group conferences increased farmers' likelihoods of adopting conservation agriculture techniques.  (Best Management Practices are those which improve the long-term physical stability and biological integrity of the farming landscape and examples include: no-till, cover crops, manure management, grass waterways, nutrient management plans, conservation easements, livestock fencing, managed grazing, and riparian buffers.)  After this initial finding, my research narrowed in on one specific question: Why might farmers with the lowest levels of BMP usage attend more group conservation agriculture conferences?  In other words, I wanted to know what sorts of factors should be considered in order to get these farmers with low BMPs embracing group conferences on conservation agriculture as a compelling form of education.
As with many scientific questions, it was certainly a formidable goal to assert one definite answer to this question.  Instead, we were able to extract some very explicit factors that correlated with farmers who had low levels of BMPs that were also interested in attending group conferences on BMPs.  The variables that showed a statistically significant correlation with this particular group of farmers turned out to be: 1) Neighbors’ BMP usage 2) Farmers’ social connections (i.e. with agencies and farmer-led organizations) and 3) Soil test frequency.  In other words, the group of low-BMP farmers that were interested in attending group conferences seemed to be connected to one another by three distinct variables: the amount of neighbors using BMPs around them, the number of social connections they had with local agencies and organizations, and the frequency of their soil testing.  These variables were then tied into the larger conclusion from my research that education for farmers—especially in the form of group conferences on BMPs—matters for growing conservation agriculture practices in the Red Cedar Watershed.  By considering the effectiveness of farmers’ participation in group BMP conferences, our research supported a recommendation for promoting group conferences as a direction to steer farmers toward moving forward.
As mentioned before, this ending “conclusion” has only begun to feel like a starting point for further research.  To me, much of our qualitative data has been indicative of a larger and perhaps even more overwhelming theme at work.  As it stands today, a problem worth mentioning is the aging generation of farmers, who lack sufficient replacements in their line of work, in the Red Cedar Watershed.  With the increasing economic pressures that these farmers are facing today and the lowering returns on their efforts to act as sustainably as they may have generations ago, the farmers I have spoken to this summer seem placed in nothing less than an uniquely difficult position now.  It is evident that there is a clear and wide gap between how highly farmers value and recognize the natural resources on their land and their limited ability to continue preserving its biological integrity, especially in terms of water quality, as single actors in a complex system.  This is not a concern that affects farmers exclusively.  Only a few days ago, I was describing the conclusions of my research to a local shop owner in downtown Menomonie.  She raised the question that I believe many residents of the Red Cedar Watershed have on their minds: So is it too late to fix our lakes?
As this question hung in the air for both of us, I thought hard about my answer.  In a technical sense and from what I have gathered from the biology team, even if agricultural inputs of phosphorus were to cease completely this instant today, it still would not be enough action to remediate the situation to a healthy, ecologically-restored equilibrium tomorrow.  Unfortunately, this scientific reality is not a rare one among many environmental pollution problems across the globe, but naturally, it is not the answer that most people want to hear either.  As I contemplated ways to diplomatically, yet truthfully, answer this shopkeeper’s daunting question, I found myself following a personal tendency to look for the silver linings in environmental problems instead.
The answer I shared with her focused on my belief that the power of new generations is often underestimated.  I shared with her how our survey has shown steady improvements in education programs over time by comparing the numbers of past participants with the new numbers of current participants.  I shared with her how younger farmers are creating more of a demand for conservation agriculture equipment, such as no-till drills, and how the economy is actively responding to that need.  I shared with her stories of conventionally-operating farmers who are noticing the way their neighbors are changing their land management techniques to be more sustainable and economically rewarding at the same time... and how they are now following the paths of their neighbors.  Finally, I shared with her some words of wisdom from one of my interviews with an older farmer this summer: “People used to think of farming as a natural resource… I believe that when you buy a piece of land, you are signing up to be a trustee."  I believe there is a choice to make.  One option is to look at agricultural issues as if it is an irreversible shame that we have departed from this particular school of thinking.  The other is to look at these same issues as if there is a new beginning to be found in returning to the kinds of roots that this farmer described to me.  Personally, I find that this summer’s research experience has left me rather partial to embracing new beginnings, rather than endings.

What ever could I be???

It feels like some people come out of the womb with a purpose.  Not I.  I don't remember ever having an answer for that old chestnut "what do you want to be when you grow up".  Two problems really, first either I have never grown up (or it happened sometime around the age of 13), or I have never known what I wanted to be.

I like acting, but the chances of a making career out of that are slim.  So it's a hobby I love doing it but it is very unlikely it would ever go beyond that.  I also really like making funny voices, and have a passable villains laugh, but I don't think that really qualifies me for voice acting as I also have a slight lisp that I can't seem to break.  

So what else?

Inspiration or Would I Actually Do Anything Else?

This year the students gave us a few topics to choose from. Since two of them are very much related for me, I’m going to combine them.

What would I be doing if I wasn’t professor?

AND

What was my most inspirational experience and what did I learn from it?

I always liked school, reading, learning, and discovering new things, so I went to the University of Houston planning to become an archaeologist. I quickly discovered that I preferred talking to living humans, so I switched my focus to Cultural Anthropology. I was also lucky enough to take a class from Pauline Kolenda. She was an amazing teacher, and I learned a tremendous amount from her and from reading some of the literature on gender in anthropology. Eventually I took several of her classes and was able to travel with her to India (my first fieldwork experience). This inspired me to continue on the path to working on a PhD and becoming a professor.

A little bit of everything

For my guest blog, I am going to respond to all of the suggested prompts (except that one about animals...). But as a warning, I would not choose a career that involved blogging, my bucket list does not include starting a blog, and my most important experience in life will certainly not be writing this blog (although "never say never" I suppose). As someone who doesn't participate in any sort of social media (and as a Wisconsin kid with four brothers ready to tease you for anything), I have never felt too much like portraying my thoughts for all to see! That being said, I am glad to jump on board the LAKES REU blogspot this week to give all of the hard-working students some much needed time away.

Alternative lives: Science, Design, and Geography

As a small child, my plan was to become a marine biologist. I loved animals and the ocean. As I grew, my interests expanded but I continued to be interested in the environment and ecology. My major in college was environmental science. I thought that if people just had clear facts, we could convince everyone to do the right thing, and protect the environment. Over time realized that despite clear scientific evidence, humans often choose to prioritize other things.

After college, I began working in environmental education, thinking that education was the solution. If I could just get people to care about the natural world the way I did, to see the wonderful diversity of life the way I did, they would want to help protect it. I worked for almost a decade in science and environmental education. I enjoyed being outside, making science accessible to people, and sharing what I loved.

I ended up going to graduate school and becoming a geographer because of what I noticed visiting schools all over northern California. What I saw was the incredible disparities between schools and neighborhoods in terms of how much science education children got and even how much opportunity they had to play outside. Some neighborhoods were paved over and devoid of opportunities to learn about living things.

When I started graduate school, I wanted to become landscape architect and design enriching landscapes for children and youth. If I wasn’t a geography professor, I would likely be a landscape architect today. If it wasn’t for the financial crisis in 2008, which decimated jobs in landscape architecture, I might have continued and gotten a job in a design firm or with a planning office. Last summer I was sitting, sipping gin and tonics, with two of my close friends, who are also geography professors, and we discovered that we had all wanted to be landscape architects. So there you go, I'm secretly a frustrated landscape architect. 

The Bucket.

I get "bucket lists".  I do.  It's a reminder to drink all the marrow from life.  But usually it's reinforcing an idea that life would be so disappointing if you didn't see that band live or visit those three countries or buy that car.  Our students posed a few questions to the mentors this week about bucket lists, roads not taken, and inspirational moments.  I'd like to take a stab at all three by way of re-imagining the bucket list idea a bit.