RESEARCH

A Farmer-Led Model for Enhancing Regional Food Systems and Farmer Well-Being

Nan Enstad, Lindsey Day Farnsworth, Elena Bird, and Rachel Gurney

Wisconsin has the second-largest organic farming economy in the U.S., yet many small farmers face persistent financial and social challenges, even in the most agriculturally rich regions. At the same time, the fresh, healthy food they grow often remains inaccessible to food-insecure households in their own communities. This initiative partners with an established farmer network in Vernon and Crawford Counties to support farmer-led efforts to transform local food systems. Our goal is to empower small farmers to drive change by strengthening cooperative marketing, enhancing regional food access, and building lasting community partnerships. Specifically, this project: provides outreach and logistical support for coordinated marketing efforts; develops resource maps and conducts feasibility assessments to guide decision-making; facilitates new partnerships between farmers, local wholesale buyers, and food access programs; supports farmer leadership through compensation and focused engagement; and pilots aggregated marketing and selling strategies. In addition, this project involves documenting and assessing the financial and social impacts of these efforts on farmers’ economic sustainability, community connectedness, and overall well-being. This work will generate a scalable, farmer-driven model that demonstrates how supporting farmers as a network—rather than as isolated producers—can build on existing rural leadership and improve both farm viability and local food access.

This project is made possible through funds provided by the Reilly-Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment. This endowment fosters public engagement and the advancement of the Wisconsin Idea, the principle that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom.

Advancing Resilient Farm Workforce Systems Through Participatory Research

Michael Bell, Rachel Gurney, Marisa Lanker, Valerie Stull, and Sarah Janes Ugoretz

Long-term sustainability in agriculture requires attention to both environmental and human dimensions. Sustainable agriculture can strengthen farm viability by improving soil health, reducing input costs, and enhancing adaptability. To maximize these benefits, it is important to understand how such strategies can also support the well-being of farming communities, including employers and employees. Approaches that improve local food systems and strengthen relationships across the supply chain offer co-benefits for both land stewardship and rural livelihoods. However, there remains limited research on how to adapt working conditions on farms to a changing workforce. This project investigates how agricultural workforce practices can be guided by values and principles to support community needs and sustainable food systems. Using participatory research methods, this project co-develops, with farm employers and employees, practical metrics to guide sustainable workforce systems in vegetable and dairy production in Wisconsin.

Determinants of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Wisconsin

Michael Bell, Rachel Gurney, and Shaheer Burney

Understanding farmer perceptions is critical for developing efficacious support for sustainable agriculture. Yet, existing farmer survey data is limited in scope. Addressing this need, SHALL launched a statewide survey distributed to a random sample of 3,200 Wisconsin farmers engaging in a wide array of farming practices.

This project, funded by the University of Wisconsin Consortium for Extension and Research in Agriculture and Natural Resources (CERANR), analyzes SHALL’s statewide farmer survey dataset with the aim of (1) assessing the prevalence of sustainable farming practices throughout Wisconsin, (2) identifying related perceptions and demographics, and (3) potentially developing solutions to the barriers faced by farmers when transitioning to sustainable practices.

Soil Health Alliance for Research and Engagement (SHARE)

Michael Bell, Rachel Gurney, and Valerie Stull

Improving soil health is a key approach to enhancing farmer and rural well-being and economic vitality, while addressing challenges such as soil erosion, nutrient loss, water quality, and overall agricultural sustainability.

SHALL collaborates with the Soil Health Alliance for Research and Engagement (SHARE), a multidisciplinary USDA-funded research project. SHARE focuses on understanding how agricultural practices can address issues like soil degradation, water quality, and biodiversity, while supporting the long-term sustainability of farming systems. Through SHARE, partners such as the USDA ARS Dairy Forage Research Center (DFRC), Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI), and UW-Madison’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) work with farmers and stakeholders to explore practical strategies for improving soil health. The project combines research and outreach to support effective landscape transformations.

Building on the success of the Cover Crops Research and Outreach Project (CCROP), SHARE focuses on practices that improve soil health, such as incorporating small grains into rotations, using cover crops, and promoting grassland and perennial systems. The success of these practices depends on the involvement of farmers, their partners, and other stakeholders.

SHALL contributes to SHARE by exploring the social factors that influence the adoption of soil health practices. We focus on how practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, and minimal tillage intersect with the needs and experiences of farmers, farmworkers, and rural communities.

Learn more about SHARE by visiting soilhealthalliance.net.

Grassland 2.0

Michael Bell

Grassland 2.0 is a collaborative initiative involving scientists, educators, farmers, agencies, policymakers, processors, retailers, and consumers working together to enhance farmer profitability, yield stability, and nutrient and water management, while promoting soil health, water quality, and biodiversity through grassland-based agriculture.

Grassland 2.0 takes a comprehensive approach to developing practical technical and financial tools, expanding grass-fed markets, encouraging favorable policy changes, and supporting both producers and consumers.

The initiative hosts listening sessions, surveys, and local discussions to gather input from communities across the state and beyond, aiming to develop pathways for grassland-based agricultural systems that benefit both the environment and rural communities. Throughout the process, the project engages with farmers and consumers across Wisconsin to ensure the solutions are practical and relevant.

The Livelihood, Agroecology, Nutrition and Development (LAND) Project

Michael Bell and Valerie Stull

The Livelihood, Agroecology, Nutrition, and Development (LAND) Project focuses on improving health, addressing economic challenges, and managing natural resources through an integrated approach to agroecological development. This approach combines the latest scientific knowledge with practical, local expertise and contextual understanding.

In partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Community and Environmental Sociology, Kidlinks Small Farm Incubator, Kidlinks World, and Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute, the LAND Project works to improve livelihoods and health in communities across South Africa. This partnership blends research, participatory methods, and educational outreach to foster change. We engage students in service-learning trips, encourage dialogue between local residents and local agencies, and work to develop new methods for sustainable development. The LAND Project emphasizes ongoing learning and relationship-building to ensure lasting partnerships and effective, long-term change.

The project also pays particular attention to the needs and opportunities for youth, recognizing that they represent both present challenges and future potential.