Healthy Grown Certified Potato Farms Develop Ecological Restoration Standard

Deana Knuteson, NPM Program, UW-Madison

The Healthy Grown eco-label program has added a natural community standard to restore non-agricultural lands and privately owned farmlands. In 2007, the new ecosystem conservation section to the standards called the Natural Community Standard was unveiled. To obtain certification, each farm develops a grower plan for managing selected natural areas and documenting activities.   During the 2008 growing season, over 400 acres were restored due to this standard. This growing season should see expansion to the acres in the program, and to ensure credibility, growers are asked to maintain records to promote proper execution of thier their individual farm plans.  

The standard consists of targets identified in the Central Wisconsin regional plan that protect specific habitats (oak savanna, river bottom forest, prairie, oak/pine barrens, sedge meadows, and Karner blue butterfly areas). Growers must perform restoration activities on prioritized lands on their farms. These activities (such as cutting, burning, planting of native species, and/or controlling invasive species) will ensure the protection of the ecosystem targets, enhancing the biodiversity within the growers landscapes and ultimately for the entire region. The protections of these areas are audited by verifying specific activities done by growers on their individual farms.

For more information about the program, contact Deana Knuteson at dknuteson@wisc.edu or 608-265-9798. For specific ecological and conservation questions, contact Alison Duff (ecosystem coordinator at the International Crane Foundation) at alison@savingcranes.org or 608-356-9462 ext. 157.