Working Together for Our Land
Our Beginning
Our group began in the fall of 2021, when more than 15 neighbors gathered at Kevin and Carolyn Parr’s farm following their State Conservation Award event. That first meeting helped gauge interest in forming a local watershed group, and the response was strong.
Just two weeks later, we held our first official meeting and approved an application for the DATCP Producer Led Watershed Protection Grant.
Growing Together
Since then, we have continued to meet regularly, typically hosting around nine meetings each year. During the busiest farming months, meetings are paused to allow members to focus on fieldwork.
Over time, our group has grown steadily in both membership and the number of conservation practices implemented across our farms. As a group, we also recognize that weather events are becoming more extreme, creating real challenges for soil health and farm productivity.
Our Focus
Through ongoing discussions, we identified a shared need to improve water infiltration across our landscape, not only on cropland but in woodlands as well.
We are actively working to demonstrate and implement practices that slow water down, keep it where it falls, and reduce runoff. Our group continues to pursue grant opportunities that expand awareness and help fund conservation efforts throughout the Bad Axe Watershed.
