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What are some good ways to create a sustainable, socially responsible farm in the US midwest.

• When give this scenario what would you do(this will be long) The Scenario Two households in the same family jointly own and run two farms (“East Farm” and “West Farm”) in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin. See the map showing the farm boundaries with three specific fields delineated. The East Farm (home farm) is a 320 acre dairy farm with 130 acres of cropland, 90 acres of pasture, 90acres in woodlands (10 acres of 40-year old sugar maples, 80 acres of mixed species, including 20 acres of scrub oaks), and 10 acres of land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The dairy farm herd is 100 milking Jerseys. The family currently sells its milk to a large commodity cheese plant, but is interested in alternative markets. The family wishes to sell meat that is produced on the farm and cheese made out of its milk to local and regional markets. There is currently no specialty cheese plant nearby. The West Farm (recently added) is 280 acres. The 140 acres of cropland was entirely in the CRP until five years ago when it was removed from the program and rented out for cash grain production. The soil erosion rates on these lands approached twice the tolerable level. The farm also has 100 acres of woodlands, consisting of mixed hickory, ironwood, elm, and scrub oaks which had previously been grazed heavily. The remaining 40 acres are wet soils along the stream that had been previously over-grazed, but are now enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). Currently, the corn and soybeans are sold to a commodity market. A nephew, who recently graduated from college, is interested in using 10 acres of the land to grow fresh market produce for local and regional markets. The most suitable field, #1, is a Dubuque silt loam on a B slope, although it may have clay content too high for certain root crops. The stream, which flows along the southern end of both farms, was a Class 2 trout stream, but is now listed as impaired, due to sedimentation and nutrient enrichment. Your Task Design a joint farming enterprise (two farms: the West Farm, without livestock; and the East Farm, a dairy) that achieves the USDA defined goals of sustainable farming and includes some local direct marketing of farm products. It is assumed that the first goal of sustainable farming, which is to satisfy human food and fiber needs, will be achieved through the farm’s crop and dairy production. How will the farm meet the remaining goals of sustainable agriculture: 1. Sustain farm economic viability? (profitability this year, plan for long-term profitability, resilience in the face of market fluctuations, and weather extremes) 2. Enhance environmental quality? (soil erosion controlled, nutrient and manure runoff minimized, wildlife habitat improved, streams and wetlands protected, and woodlands managed for long-term lumber/wood production) 3. Social responsibility? (enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole) 4. Use resources efficiently? (make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources, and where appropriate, integrate natural biological cycles and controls) Sustain farm economic viability Currently, all the farm products go to commodity markets. Additionally, there is no plan for production from the woodlands of either farm. How can the farm be profitable over the short and long term? If the farm wants to sell to local institutions and schools, what might that entail? What products from the farm would be suitable for local markets? What fresh market products should be grown on Field #1 on the West Farm? What production and management goals should be set for the woodlands? Enhance environmental quality The West Farm has two significant environmental challenges. First, the soil erosion rate on its most vulnerable field, #2, is eight tons per acre per year, or twice the tolerable soil erosion rate. The current crop rotation is corn and soybeans. Crop residue remaining after spring chisel tillage is less than 20%. Fields are not tilled on the contour. Soils are Dubuque silt loam, C and D slopes (Iowa County Soil Survey). What three soil conservation practices would you consider to lower the erosion rate? Explain how the practices work. Would the practices affect your profitability? Second, the stream on the south end of the farm has serious bank erosion and fish habitat is poor. What practices would you implement to reduce the erosion problem? What practices would improve trout habitat? The East Farm also has two significant environmental challenges. First, runoff from farm fields has been identified as a source of phosphorus to the downstream lake. An analysis of phosphorus runoff risk, utilizing the Phosphorus Index, indicates that field #3 exceeds state standards. The current crop rotation is three years of corn, followed by four years of alfalfa without grass in the seeding mixture. Field #3 receives about 20 tons of solid dairy manure, with about 50% applied in the winter, as there is no manure storage on the farm. About 30 pounds of commercial phosphorus fertilizer is also applied annually during the corn rotation. The soils in field #3 are Dubuque silt loam, C and D slopes, and test at 50 parts per million phosphorus. Tillage is the same as on the West Farm (field #2), with crop residue less than 20% at planting. What three practice changes would you implement to reduce phosphorus runoff? Explain how the practices would work. Would the practice changes affect farm profitability? Second, you intend to graze your cows along the stream, but want to maintain the integrity of the stream banks and fish habitat. What practices will you use to both allow cattle access and protect the stream? Social Responsibility How would you and your farm operation enhance the quality of life for those working on your farm? Beyond producing food and fiber, do you have responsibilities for the larger non-farm community? If so, what would you do specifically to discharge what you feel are your responsibilities to society as a farmer? Use resources efficiently Currently the farms (both West and East) use chisel tillage, commercial fertilizers, herbicides for weed control, and seed genetically modified for insect control on its croplands. What changes would you consider in the short term (the next two years), and long term, to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources on the farm? Here are the images showing the farm in two different ways Intermittent Streams- is the dotted blue lines Perennial Streams are the solid blue lines Waterbodies is the solid blue SWQMA 300 Feet left to right downward diagonal lines SWQMA 1,000 Feet right to left upward diagonal lines Fall N Restriction oragnish with dots No Winter App. Slope > 12% redish Winter Restriction if Slope > 9% pinkish Township-Range white areas City-Village grayed areas(all of these are for the above map) THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

• Answer:

  Well, you see, I wouldn't. If by chance this scenario interested me, personally, I would go find some college-kid majoring in bio-sciences and who has a good background in math and statistics, and I'd barter with him  (I'm a great cook, and one thing college kids miss is home-cooked faves) to come up with a solid plan. But that's just me.  My eyes crossed when I got to the "you want me to do your homework" part of the question details and you're not even offering me dinner.