Agriculture & Water: Tour of Wisconsin's Central Sands Region

This two-day agriculture tour of the Central Sands region of Wisconsin allows participants a variety of opportunities to examine the innovative water use and conservation in agriculture.  We will visit with University of Wisconsin Extension educators and UW faculty, talk with farmers who farm sandy irrigated ground, tour vegetable, field crop, and cranberry farms, stop at a University of Wisconsin research station, meet with irrigation industry professionals, and discuss Wisconsin water regulations and how they affect agriculture and communities in the Central Sands.  Attention will be given to crop management amidst extreme weather, various impacts of water-related regulations, and managing light soils to achieve crop yield goals while conserving soil moisture and protecting water quality. 

Both days of the trip will include numerous stops, getting off the bus for facility tours, presentations, and discussions. On the tour we will stop at UW's Hancock Research Station (which trials field corn, potatoes, snap beans, soybeans, and other vegetables), visit farms near Hancock and Wisconsin Rapids, see a cranberry farm, talk with Wisconsin officials and agribusiness representatives about water use challenges and innovative solutions, and enjoy many conversations along the way about water management and crop production along the way.

A tour bus will leave from the MSU Extension office in Centreville at 6:00 a.m.  The address is 612 E. Main St., Centreville, MI 49032.  Parking is secure.  We will return late (10:00 p.m.) on Tuesday evening, March 12th.  Note: if you would like to be picked-up from the park-and-ride at S.R. 13 and I-80/90 on Monday the 11th and dropped off there on the 12th, please let me know.  Plan on 6:10 a.m. pick up.  The bus has a DVD player for showing films, is equipped with a restroom, and snacks will be provided. Total bus capacity: 38 passengers. 

On the trip we will stop for meals along the way (and are planning for great food), which is covered by the registration fee you pay upfront.  This trip entails one overnight.  A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Stevens Point, WI for March 11th.  Tour registration will be made based on a single-occupancy or double-occupancy hotel room.  Your room preference, as well as when you register will determine your overall registration fee. 

Hurry up and reserve a spot on this tour, as prices may go up after March 1st.  We look forward to having you join the trip!