Climate-smart agriculture is an approach to farming that uses sustainable practices like conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and agroforestry. These methods restore soil health, pull greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, and produce high-quality agricultural products that feed our communities and strengthen our economy.

Wisconsin Agriculture: At a Glance

Agriculture is a defining feature of our culture, economics, and landscapes

30% of Wisconsin’s land is used for agriculture
Wisconsin has 64,000 farms covering 14.3 million acres
Agriculture contributes $104.8 billion annually to the state economy
Wisconsin’s largest source of agricultural revenue comes from dairy products

Impacts of Climate Change on Wisconsin Farms

Wisconsin is on track to experience warmer winters, wetter springs, and increased extreme rainfall events by 2030
Waterlogged soils delay planting & harvest
Increased nutrient runoff and soil erosion harms water quality
Extreme heat decreases milk production, increases water usage
Plant Hardiness Zones are already changing, shifting what we can grow and where we are able to grow it

Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) projects changes in the frequency of hot days and heavy rain events, under a medium emissions scenario. The darker the color, the more intense the impact. If emissions exceed “medium” scenario, the projected impacts will be more severe than what is depicted here.

A plant wilting with frost on its leaves, surrounded by snow

New Plant Hardiness Zone Maps mean big news for farmers and gardeners

New Plant Hardiness Zone Maps have caused a stir among Wisconsin farmers and gardeners. They confirm something many avid gardeners have already observed: our climate is changing. Why does this matter? Besides the millions of avid gardeners and farmers who rely on these maps for planting plans and financial decisions, many others, including the USDA and researchers, use this hardiness zone information too.

Benefits of Climate-Smart Agriculture

Holds carbon in the soil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Minimizes soil erosion and nutrient runoff
Improves soil health and fertility

Improves the quality of surrounding bodies of water
Helps buffer farms from severe weather events
Revitalizes rural economies and rural prosperity

Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices

Wisconsin’s farmers can make a significant difference when it comes to climate change while ensuring their farms are more protected from extreme weather events. Practices that build long-term soil health, like continuous soil cover, perennializing agricultural fields, rotational grazing, agroforestry systems, and improved fertilizer and manure management have the greatest impact on reducing GHG emissions in Wisconsin. In turn, these practices create more resilient, productive farms that will leave a healthier environmental legacy for future generations.

Planting perennial crops

Reducing fertilizer use & improving manure management

Integrating trees & forage plants into livestock pastures

Clean Wisconsin’s Vision for Climate-Smart Agriculture in Wisconsin:

Rapidly increase the use of regenerative practices that improve soil health, reduce water pollution, and keep GHG’s in the ground like reduced tillage, continuous living cover crops, and fertilizer efficiency

Transition to integrated livestock systems that reduce liquid manure, get animals out on pasture, and reduce methane emissions through nutritional management

Conserve marginal and vulnerable farmland and install grass buffers, wetlands, and prairie strips that help protect the landscape and keep nutrients out of our water

Grow new climate-resilient perennial crops, like hazelnuts and Kernza, that require reduced fertilizer inputs and soil disturbance and have few environmental impacts while offering farmers economic security and opportunity

Be Part of the Solution

Buy local! Support your local farmers who are farming using regenerative, agroecological practices!

Think global! Increase demand in market for climate-smart perennial crops crops like kernza, hazelnuts and aronia!

Join Clean Wisconsin’s Action Network to get updates on climate, air, and water issues in Wisconsin and opportunities to get involved: https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/forms/action-network/

Clean Wisconsin’s Science-Based Policy Recommendations

Wisconsin needs bold, science-based policy and cohesive collaboration across all sectors to support the transformation of our current, unsustainable agricultural systems into climate-smart food systems, if we are to leave a healthier legacy for our children and future generations. The time for bold action is NOW!

Farmers need technical assistance to understand and install conservation and regenerative practices, and financial resources to make these investments

Farmers and land managers that improve water quality, safeguard our climate, and protect our natural resources should be compensated for protecting our environment

We must protect valuable natural resources like wetlands, prairies, and forests that are critical to cleaning up our water resources and confronting climate change

natural climate solutions

Learn More

Cows in the Woods: What it Takes to Create a Silvopasture

How do you transform land overgrown with invasive shrubs and weeds into a shade-dappled pasture perfect for managed grazing? Find out how Butler Grassfed Beef in Spring Green, Wis., created a silvopasture for its cows in a move that benefits farmers, water quality, our climate and our animals.

From Hoops to Harvest: The Story of Beulah Family Homestead

Former Milwaukee Bucks and Wisconsin forward Marcus Landry, and his wife Efueko, who played at Marquette, take us on their journey to create Beulah Family Homestead in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Discover how the couple is working to build stronger families and communities by bridging the gap between land and the city.