AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION, PLANNING, AND ZONING TO ENTER INTO A GRANT AGREEMENT WITH COMPEER FINANCIAL

Background: One goal outlined in the Sauk County Land and Water Resource Management Plan is to provide and coordinate educational programming by planning and implementing workshops and programs that promote innovative and sustainable farming practices. Similarly, another goal identified is to assist Sauk County in becoming a sustainable community by providing information and technical assistance for organic and/or sustainable farming techniques that minimize phosphorus and petrochemical fertilizers and herbicides. Sauk County Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Department will host a nationally renowned soil health expert on February 7, 2019. This presentation will empower producers to make changes on their farm that result in reduced input costs, improved nutrient cycling, better water infiltration and increased farm profitability. Similarly, this presentation will demonstrate that conservation and farm profitability go hand in hand and are better together than separate.

Compeer Financial is a member-owned, Farm Credit cooperative that serves and supports agriculture and rural communities and regularly collaborates with others who are also dedicated to agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is a grant program that funds projects that fulfill Compeer’s mission of enriching agriculture and rural America. The grant will help defray some of the costs associated with hosting the soil health expert and his associated travel costs.