Project Overview
YENC24-222
Project Type: Youth Educator
Funds awarded in 2024: $6,000.00
Projected End Date: 02/15/2026
Grant Recipient:
Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Department
Region: North Central
State: Wisconsin
Project Manager:
Tara Wachowski
Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Department
Project Co-Managers:
David Wetenkamp
Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Department
Commodities
Not commodity specific
Practices
- Crop Production: cover crops, no-till, nutrient management
- Education and Training: youth education
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, drift/runoff buffers, grass waterways, habitat enhancement, riparian buffers, riverbank protection, soil stabilization, wetlands
- Soil Management: organic matter, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: quality of life
Proposal abstract:
A mobile learning lab, equipped with hands-on activities, games,
soil analysis supplies, rain simulators, and watershed models,
will engage rural youth in understanding the importance of
sustainable farming methods and their relation to improved
environmental and economic outcomes. Manitowoc County Soil and
Water Conservation Department (SWCD) will visit rural middle and
high schools with the interactive lab. By targeting rural
schools, we can reach youth who are likely to live or work on
farms in the future, empowering the next generation with
sustainable farming knowledge, and creating a ripple effect that
positively impacts the community's approach to farm management.
Project objectives from proposal:
Goals:
- Establish a mobile learning lab to introduce youth to
sustainable ag practices. - Provide hands-on, engaging learning experiences to promote
land stewardship and encourage conservation practice
implementation on the farm and at home.
Objectives:
- Purchase and equip the lab.
- Develop at least 4 lesson plans with feedback from local
teachers. - Provide a minimum of 100 middle & high school participants
with learning experiences that demonstrate the connection between
conservation BMP’s and improved soil health, water quality, and
farm productivity during 4 classroom & 1 on-farm workshops. - Collect data and feedback to evaluate the learning lab.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.