As the 72nd Alice in Dairyland, Abigail Martin has had the chance to travel and network with hundreds of farmers and producers throughout Wisconsin, and she noted a topic top of mind is sustainability.

“Farms have been around for generations here in Wisconsin,” Martin said. “Those farmers are looking to make sure that their land is able to be passed down to a daughter or son or future generations They make sure there's good soil to grow fruits and vegetables and clean drinking water for livestock on their farms.”

Martin said dairy farmers in the U.S. have reduced their carbon footprint by nearly 25 percent since 2007. Her family’s dairy farm is an example of efforts in action as they recycle water. The water used to cool milk flows through a stainless steel pipe and then can be used to clean out the milking equipment. 

“We are really looking at ways we can reuse resources on our farm,” Martin said.

Another example she gave included irrigation systems that run on computer systems rather than timers to sense when the soil needs moisture.

Martin said there is continuous work to advance sustainability methods.

“UW Discovery Farms is definitely a leader here in research when it comes to sustainability methods and how we're caring for our lands and water resources,” Martin said. “My favorite part is they're conducting research on real, working farms.”

Although the process to select the 73rd Alice in Dairyland has begun, Martin said she will continue sharing examples of sustainability methods farmers are using on her social media channels and blog throughout February.

As the 72nd Alice in Dairyland, Abigail Martin has had the chance to travel and network with hundreds of farmers and producers throughout Wisconsin, and she noted a topic top of mind is sustainability.
&ldquo;Farms have been around for generations here in Wisconsin,&rdquo; Martin said. &ldquo;Those farmers are looking to make sure that their land is able to be passed down to a daughter or son or future generations They make sure there's good soil to grow fruits and vegetables and clean drinking water for livestock on their farms.&rdquo;
Martin said dairy farmers in the U.S. have reduced their carbon footprint by nearly 25 percent since 2007. Her family&rsquo;s dairy farm is an example of efforts in action as they recycle water. The water used to cool milk flows through a stainless steel pipe and then can be used to clean out the milking equipment. &ldquo;We are really looking at ways we can reuse resources on our farm,&rdquo; Martin said.
Another example she gave included irrigation systems that run on computer systems rather than timers to sense when the soil needs moisture.
Martin said there is continuous work to advance sustainability methods.
&ldquo;UW Discovery Farms is definitely a leader here in research when it comes to sustainability methods and how we're caring for our lands and water resources,&rdquo; Martin said. &ldquo;My favorite part is they're conducting research on real, working farms.&rdquo; Although the process to select the 73rd Alice in Dairyland has begun, Martin said she will continue sharing examples of sustainability methods farmers are using on her social media channels and blog throughout February.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

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