Peninsula Pride Farms held its annual meeting on Feb. 3 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. More than 85 farmers, ag professionals and community members came to listen to an impressive lineup of speakers and to discuss the advancements made by the farmer-led watershed group over the past year. This year’s meeting was especially meaningful as the group marked its 10th anniversary.
PPF President Duane Ducat of Deer Run Dairy welcomed attendees and provided updates on the organization and its 2026 goals.
“It requires significant cooperation and coordination to keep Peninsula Pride Farms going for a strong 10 years,” Ducat said. “I want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions to our group, and I am excited about what the next 10 years will bring.”
Dr. Larry Roth, vice president of nutrition for Agrarian Solutions, presented different strategies to prevent mycotoxins and what farmers can do to help protect their livestock from them. Mycotoxins are toxins produced by molds due to changes in temperature or moisture and can negatively impact feed quality.
“Anything farmers can do to improve soil helps us prevent mycotoxins and helps create crops with greater hygiene,” Dr. Roth said.
Regenerative farming expert Barry Fisher, recently retired from the Soil Health Division of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, explained how to be more intentional in making soil health management decisions on the farm.
He shared that understanding the root cause of issues, such as aggregate instability, poor infiltration or depletion of organic matter, is the first step in addressing them. To tackle these concerns, it’s important to adopt a more strategic approach. This could involve cover crop mixes, crop rotation diversification, precision planting or other techniques.
“I challenge you to create opportunities to make substantial gains in your crop rotation because once you see the benefits of diversity, you won’t go back,” Fisher said.
Farmers for Sustainable Food Strategic Account Manager Marti Viste shared results from PPF’s 2025 Member Conservation Practice Survey.
The survey involved 62 farms and showed an increase in conservation practices compared to 2024 and 2023.
Jimmy Emmons, assistant chief of the NRCS, shared updates on current priorities and future goals. He discussed the agency’s new Regenerative Pilot Program, a whole-systems approach to outcome-based conservation launched in December.
Emmons, Fisher and Roth participated in a panel discussion alongside local farmer Nick Guilette and Bill Powel-Smith, the owner of LandCares. The discussion, moderated by Barry Buboltz, focused on the conservation outlook for the next 10 years.
Special guests in attendance shared their appreciation for PPF and the impact the group has had on others across the state.
“I want to thank all of you for being a model for others across the state and showing that this can work,” Wisconsin State Senator André Jacque (R-New Franken) said.
“You catalyzed change across the state, so hats off to you,” said Jeff Volts, DNR director of agriculture and water quality.
During the business portion of the meeting, Jacob Brey, vice president, Brey Cycle Farm; Lee Kinnard, Kinnard Farms; Jeremy Heim, Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy; Nick Guilette, Guilette Farms; and Jeff Kohnle, Tisch Mills Farm Center, were re-elected to the PPF board of directors.
Other board members are Duane Ducat, president, Deer Run Dairy; Chris Schneider, treasurer, Nicolet National Bank; Nathen Nysse, secretary, Tilth Agronomy Group; Eric Olson, Olson Family Farm; Mike Vandenhouten; Ben Kinnard, East Maplewood Dairy; Paul Cornette, Cornette Dairy; Adam Barta, Rio Creek Feed Mill and Barry Buboltz, Demo Farms.
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