Clean Farm Families
Clean Farm Families
Farmers Working Together to Improve Soil Health and Water Quality throughout Ozaukee County
The Ozaukee County Clean Farm Families, working as part of the Milwaukee River Watershed Conservation Partnership, is providing a platform for producers and landowners to share ideas, concerns, priorities, and lessons learned about agricultural conservation efforts within Ozaukee County.
Clean Farm Families promotes best soil and water conservation practices by working directly with area producers, Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program, and the Ozaukee County Land and Water Management Department.
Educating landowners and producers about cover crops, conservation tillage, low-disturbance manure injection, and other conservation practices allows for a better understanding of soil and water quality benefits, and ways in which these practices may improve a farmer’s bottom-line. Engaging the community to promote local agriculture, educate the public about farming in Southeast Wisconsin, and the highlight the effort farmers are taking to collaborate with partners to protect our waters.
The Clean Farm Families Board of Directors
CFF Board: (Front Row From Left To Right) Dave Brunnquell of Century Acres, Chairman Mike Paulus of Paulus Dairy, Neal Maciejewski, Brian Vorpagel of Country Visions Coop and Bob Roden of Roden Echo Valley.
(Back Row From Left To Right) Joe Roden, Adam Melichar of Melichar Broad Acres, Marvin Kolbach of Kolbach Farms, Ken Falk of Farmers’ Implement and Vice Chairman Matt Winker of Redline Dairy Farm.
"The leadership and involvement of each Clean Farm Family member has been huge for the benefit of soil health in Southeast Wisconsin. Farmers are the best demonstrators of soil health practices and have the experience and proof to back them up."
-Andy Holschbach
Member Spotlight
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows in town of Fredonia. They began no-tilling and using a winter rye forage since 2019 and can already see the soil health benefits. Mike also promotes community involvement with the Bare Ground Initiative in projects that keep tough and bare ground covered.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Mike Paulus
Brian is an agronomist at Country Visions Cooperative and works with many Ozaukee County farms in preparing their crop plans each year. He is also a grain farmer practicing no-till and cover crops.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Brian Vorpagel
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Ken comes from his family dairy farm, Riverback Farms, and currently works at Farmers Implement. Ken helped the Clean Farm Families in the purchase of the 60 foot pull-type airseeder available to rent and is instrumental in helping farmers calibrate their equipment for accurate cover crop mix seedings.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Ken Falk
Matt & Sarah Winker and family are transitioning their 125 cow dairy to a rotational grazing sheep operation. They have been no-tilling since 2014 and have reduced their inputs with wise use of manure and cover crop recycling.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Matt Winker
Neal and family raise beef cattle and cash crop in Grafton. He is also an experienced grain marketer and is active in Farm Bureau. Neal strives to learn the impacts that no-till and cover crops can have on soil health and his bottom line.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Neal Maciejewski
Joe and his family house 125 cows and raise crops in Saukville. He is president of the Livestock Association and is very active at his church. He comes to the Clean Farm Families with ideas to be sustainable for future generation farmers.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Joe Roden
Adam and his family operate a 1,600 cow dairy farm in Port Washington. This farm experiments with cover crops and no-till and focuses on finding the right timing when it comes to manure applications and fall planting cover crops. Adam wants to learn and teach the community about profitable and sustainable farming.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Adam Melichar
Marvin is a retired farmer, although he still cash crops, a lot of his time is spent on the ATV trail. When farming with his son, they plant corn, soybean and wheat plots each year that give amazing data back to those seed vendors that we can all learn from.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Marvin Kolbach
Dave Brunnquell of Century Acres INC. is a grain farmer located in Saukville. He brings an economic viewpoint to the Clean Farm Families when it comes to inputs at the Soil Health Demo plot. He also does custom applications and has a business in layer chickens.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Dave Brunnquell
Bob and family operate a 700 cow dairy and raise corn, wheat soybeans and alfalfa in West Bend They practice no-till and cover crops and host many tours to demonstrate their effectiveness. Roden Barnyard Adventures also holds Farm Camps each summer for youth to come and experience a day on the farm.
Mike and family milk 1,700 cows
Bob Roden
