Discovery Farms Minnesota is modeled after the Wisconsin Discovery Farms program started by the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Discovery Farms is an approach to systems based research originating in the Netherlands. On-farm, producer-led research provides much needed data, at a scale that complements both experimental plot research and computer modeling projects. On-farm, producer-led research is a great way to work directly with the agricultural community, support peer-to-peer learning and test solutions in the “real-world”.
Discovery Farms Minnesota is committed to:
- Farmer leadership
- Collecting water quality information on privately owned and operated farms
- Creating a science-based approach for establishing best practices and rules
- Providing an educational environment in which all participants will learn from each other
- Improving communication among farmers, consumers, researchers and policy-makers
- A proactive approach to environmental protection – providing opportunities for farmers to find solutions that work within their farming systems
Program Goals:
- Understand agriculture’s positive impacts on soil and water quality and work toward reducing negative impacts
- Better identify management practices that will improve farm profitability and environmental performance
- Provide science-based information on agricultural production and natural resource management
This program provides:
- Baseline data on the environmental performance of Minnesota Farms
- Information on how farmers can adopt best practices
- An educational environment where farmers learn from each other