News from The Institute

The Senate Agriculture Committee is in the midst of Farm Bill negotiations, and key conservation funding is poised to be on the chopping block. Call your senators TODAY and ask them to support these two key amendments to the Senate Farm Bill: Fully Fund Conservation: The Senate Farm Bill, as currently written, would cut around $2.4 billion from USDA conservation programs that Wisconsin farmers rely on, including approximately $500 million from the Conservation Stewardship Pro

The Wisconsin August 11 partisan primary race is right around the corner, and Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is bringing focus to agricultural issues through our 2026 Candidate Education Summer Farm Tour. Since June, MFAI has been reaching out to the candidates and inviting them for in-field conversations with some of the regenerative farmers we work with on research, education, and policy projects. So far this summer, we’ve toured with four Wisconsin gubernatorial ca

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute staff are delighted to invite the public to our Annual Alternative Crops Field Day on Wednesday, August 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The free event will be at MFAI’s NEW research farm at N8832 Pickeral Lake Road, East Troy. This is a RAIN or SHINE event. Because it looks like rain in the forecast, we've rented a large tent to put up next to our equipment shed - so there will be plenty of shelter. Dress for the weather and consider wate

Women are shaping the future of conservation in Wisconsin. While managing farms, stewarding forests, restoring native habitats, running community gardens, advocating for policy change, and educating the next generation - women are a growing force for good on the landscape. This year, Governor Tony Evers is recognizing those contributions by proclaiming July 5–11 as Wisconsin Women in Conservation Week. This is the fifth year of the annual proclamation. The proclamation highli

Managed grazing and other diversified conservation practices get little support from this new Farm Bill proposal. After a year of intense market volatility, severe weather disasters, and a drastically reduced federal workforce (including nearly 40% of NRCS staff in Wisconsin), farmers and the American food system at large have been hit hard. We urgently need to pass a comprehensive farm bill that offers a new way forward. The House of Representatives is preparing to vote tomo

In Wisconsin and Illinois, where most Michael Fields Agricultural Institute staff live, it's been a GORGEOUS Earth Day - sunny, in the high 70s, and alive with the sounds of migrating birds. Of course, our Wisco staff are very proud that Earth Day in fact originated in the state. In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson mobilized 20 million people in a bi-partisan environmental protest. His original intention was to have a "National Teach-In On the Crisis of the Environmental" to con

First Look at the Farm Bill Draft: What's in it for Regenerative Ag?

Here at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, we celebrate soil lovers of all kinds every day! Today we're encouraging you to celebrate yourself by buying some soil-building Fields Best Small Batch Grains products - either on-line, at the Oak Creek Winter Farmers Market, or at our upcoming 9th Annual Seed Swap Social. When you purchase Fields Best products, you support our MFAI research trials and other local farmers who are helping us test and develop regenerative grains

MFAI Policy Analysis of the Ag Leaders Crisis Letter

As we close in on the final hours of our 2025 Annual Appeal, it's a privilege to share testimonies and impact stories from our supporters. Do you have a story about how the work of Michael Fields Agricultural Institute has impacted you or your community? DONATE HERE to fund 2026 programs and leave us a note about why you give. We are grateful to have the support of ground-breaking grazier and no-till crop farmer Ron Schoepp, of Schoepp Farms in Lodi, WI. Ron is one of the c

A prize for You and You and You and You! UPDATE: In addition to the prizes pictured above and listed below, we're adding TWO more prizes to the Year-End Donor Appreciation Drawing. Nature's Niche Farm has given a package of six pastured Chicken Legs, and April Prusia of Dorothy's Range has given two "Praise the Lard" Soaps, made from her pastured heritage hogs, and a pair of Leaf Earrings made from hog leather. Many thanks to our farmer friends who have generously offered the

By MFAI Policy Fellow Dr. Success Okafor This week, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced a January 15 national batching deadline for its major conservation programs. While the compressed timeline presents challenges, it also opens important funding opportunities for farmers prepared to invest in conservation and regenerative practices. Whether you’re exploring conservation programs for the first time or expanding existing practices, now is a great ti

By Policy Fellow Dr. Success Okafor and Executive Director Ryan Martin The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is rolling out $12 billion in bridge payments for farmers facing trade disruptions and financial pressures. Bridge payments are temporary emergency funds intended to help producers cover losses during sudden market challenges. T hat's welcome news for producers who've been struggling, but how this money actually gets distributed will make all the differenc

Dr. Success Okafor has begun work as a Michael Fields Agricultural Institute Policy Fellow focused on regenerative systems. Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is thrilled to announce that Dr. Success Okafor has joined the staff team as a Policy Fellow, working alongside Policy Director Chuck Anderas. Success received his PhD from North Carolina A&T State University, where his research examined how underserved farmers engage with innovative agricultural systems. His work le

Thank you to all who have already sent donations to Michael Fields Agricultural Institute this Giving Tuesday. It's so fun to spend a day celebrating the stories of non-profit impact, of generous giving, and of community solidarity. I truly look forward to this day every year - as a donor and supporter, and as an activist and organizer who's been blessed by many non-profit partners and collaborators across the ag and environmental sectors. But this year, I'm behind the steeri

Click HERE to donate to our 2025 Annual Appeal! Are you tired of today's incessant ads for things you don't need? Let’s flip the script on the buying frenzy of Black Friday! What if we started a practice of “Fund the Future You Want Friday” instead? Let's take all the cozy feelings of this long weekend, enhanced by the turkey/dessert dopamine flush, and curl up on the couch to watch games or movies while we scroll for non-profits doing the work we care about. Then let's fu

A new video series was recently released by The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) to help farmers establish Kernza in their farm portfolios. The first video in the series features Michael Fields Agricultural Institute's Research Director Dr. Nicole Tautges, and includes a cameo of our Research Technician Nolan Burkard. This video describes in detail how to set up your seed drill for planting Kernza and the best techniques for getting good germination in the Upper Midwest. Check

When Michelle Cannon first started farming in 2008, she had no background in agriculture, just the sense that her community needed more...

When Michelle Cannon first started farming in 2008, she had no background in agriculture, just the sense that her community needed more...

How Food Grade Grains Can Fit into Midwest Farm and Food Systems Free Webinar | Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT If...