Sustainable Communities
Capacity Center

Agriculture and Natural Resources

What is Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources?  It is the production and management of agriculture and natural resources in a manner that is socially just, economically viable, and environmentally sound.

Agriculture - general

• Wisconsin Land Use Megatrends: Agriculture
  This publication is intended for local government officials and others interested in investigating the connections between agriculture and land use. Statewide trends for various agricultural sectors are explored together with economic impacts, environmental and human health impacts, and state and local policies to manage agriculture. PowerPoint available from Center for Land Use Education.
   

• Sustainable Agriculture defined
  UW-Extension's three definitions of sustainable agriculture
   

• Sustainable Agriculture information
  UW-Extension's website with key links for sustainable agriculture information
   

• Wisconsin Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE)
  Provides information and support to educators seeking to expand their knowledge about and outreach in sustainable agriculture.
   

• Toward a Sustainable Agriculture
  A curriculum for high school students developed by the WI Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.  Also contains a lot of information that can be used with adult audiences.
   

• Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's “Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin” Grant Program
   

• National Network for Sustainable Living Education
  Natural resource and Cooperative Extension professionals created NNSLE in 2004 to investigate, educate, and model sustainable living practices to individuals, families, institutions, businesses, camps, and schools.
   

• A Vision for Relevance white paper
  A white paper exploring the relavance that the time is NOW for Extension to engage individuals & communities for environmental stewardship, through Sustainable Living Education.
   

• Sustainability Tools for Extension (database)
  A collection of sustainability teaching tools available online on the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals.

Agriculture - food

• Farm Fresh Atlases
  These directories developed for five regions of Wisconsin provide information on where to find locally and sustainably grown food, from retail outlets and restaurants that feature local foods, to farmers' markets and CSAs, to on-farm sales.
   

• Bits and Bytes Community Food Security Resources (Canadian database)
  The Building Community Food Security with Bits & Bytes Project, in collaboration with Food Secure Canada, has created an online food security resource database.  Fashioned after Wikipedia, the database is intended to grow through the submissions and comments of the food security community who use it.  Content covers a range of topics, from community kitchen recipes  to the use of comfrey in compost tea, from food miles to nutrition, from food charters to farmers markets, from food sovereignty to hunger.
   

• Wisconsin Local Food Network's wiki
  A directory of local food initiatives and projects in Wisconsin, helpful local food links, publications and a number of other useful local food related resources for Wisconsin.
   

• Counties and Local Food Systems: Ensuring Healthy Foods, Nurturing Healthy Children
  Report by National Association of Counties (NACo) Center for Sustainable Communities (July 2007)
   

• Organic food production and processing in Wisconsin: Strong sales driven by health concerns
  This publication explores the connection between pesticides in food production and health risks; maps pesticide contamination of groundwater in Wisconsin; and then describes the prevalence of organic farming, food processing and educational opportunities in the state. 8 pages.
   

• Food Systems Issue of Land Use Tracker, Winter 2007
  Articles include:
      Planning for Community Food Systems
      Can Eating Local “Save the Environment?”
      Farming Subdivisions: Problematic or Promising?
      Community Gardens: For Now or Forever?
   

• Planning an Event? Consider Using Local Food
  A publication on serving local foods at conferences and workshops has been developed and is now available on the UW-Extension The Learning Store Publications web site.

Agriculture - feed

Agriculture - fiber

Agriculture - other goods

• UW-Extension Bio-Energy and Bio-Economy Team
  The purpose of the Bio-Energy and Bio-Economy Team is to build the capacity of Extension Agents and Educators to work with communities, residents and farmers to assess opportunities for developing a sustainable bioeconomy.  The Bio-Energy and Bio-Economy Team provides training, resources, public education, and networking opportunities for Extension Specialists on the technical, environmental, social, and economic aspects of the emerging bioeconomy.

Natural resources – general

• Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE)
  Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange is a joint project of Island Press and EcoAdapt.   It is aimed at building a shared knowledge base for managing natural systems in the face of rapid climate change. It consists principally of 4 interlinked components – a virtual library, case studies, a directory, and tools – as well as community forums for the discussion of current issues in conservation in a changing climate.

Natural resources – groundwater

• Protecting Wisconsin’s Groundwater Through Comprehensive Planning
  The drinking water in over 95% of Wisconsin’s communities is groundwater. Public health and strong local economies depend on wise local decisions regarding groundwater. This web site will help you learn about groundwater, find groundwater data and policies, and plan to protect groundwater in your community.
   

• Drinking water pollution leads to water conservation
  This case study describes the strengths and weaknesses of water conservation policies in Waupaca, Wisconsin. 2 pages.
   

• Cropping agreements to reduce nitrate in drinking water
  This case study describes an innovative program by the City of Waupaca to pay farmers to reduce their nitrate use on farm fields near the City’s municipal wells.2 pages.
   

• Groundwater study leads to quality town plan
  This case study describes how the findings of a groundwater quantity study for the Town of Richfield in Washington County were incorporated in the Town’s comprehensive plan and led to a groundwater protection ordinance that applies to new development. 2 pages.

Natural resources – lakes and rivers

• Protecting Your Waterfront Investment :  10 Simple Shoreland Stewardship Practices
  Healthy watersheds make healthy lakes and higher property values -- this booklet show how property owners can take simple steps to curb pollutants, cut runoff, and capture and cleanse pollutant-carrying runoff before it reaches a waterway. 20 pages.
   

• Shoreland Development Density and Impervious Surfaces How do they affect water resources? How much is too much for our lakes and streams?
  19 pages.
   

• 3  Simple Steps to Create a Lawn That's Healthy for Kids, Pets, Wildlife and Water Quality
  How we manage our lawns affects the health of our children, pets, wildlife and water quality. Here are three simple steps for creating a lawn that’s healthy for all. 2 pages.

Natural resources – forests

•  Wisconsin Land Use Megatrends: Forests
  The goal of this brochure is to illustrate statewide land use trends related to Wisconsin’s forested lands. By increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of forests, we hope to engage local communities, government officials, planning professionals, and individual landowners in a dialogue about the importance of Wisconsin’s forests. We encourage Wisconsin communities to develop local land use strategies that will enhance conservation and management of the state’s forest resources. 12 pages.

Natural resources - wildlife

Natural resources – recreation

• Wisconsin Land Use Megatrends: Recreation
  This publication illustrates state-wide land use trends related to recreation. The first two sections of the report discuss many of the historic, demographic, and geographic forces that have shaped Wisconsin’s recreational landscape. Trends related to three types of recreational resources are highlighted in subsequent sections: nature-based land recreation, water-based recreation, and developed land recreation. This publication is intended to help local communities, government officials, planning professionals and individual landowners think about ways to plan for and better manage local and regional recreational resources. 8 pages.