Duane Ducat, co-owner of Deer Run Dairy LLC in rural Kewaunee, hosted a farm tour for EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and EPA Region 5 Administrator Kurt Theide on Aug. 11.
The federal officials had started the day with non-agriculture tours in the Marinette-area.
“Conservation is important to us because we want to be able to pass the farm and the land onto our grandkids and show them the need for continual care and improvement,” Ducat said. “Tours like this are an opportunity to show partnership with regulators because we need to learn from them and they need to learn from us.”
Ducat showcased the farm’s methane digester, which has helped reduce odor from manure, and talked about using cover crops and no-till on the crop land.
“President Trump has been clear about his administration’s support for agriculture and rural America, and my priority as administrator has been to restore trust between agriculture and the agency,” Wheeler said. “Wisconsin has my commitment that EPA will work with farmers throughout the state in a cooperative manner and ensure that American agriculture remains the best in the world.”
Duane; his son, Derek; and Dale Bogart are the three owners of Deer Run Dairy LLC. The farm is home to 1,900 cows and the owners grow crops on 2,500 acres. Deer Run Dairy LLC is part of the Door-Kewaunee Demonstration Farm Network and Peninsula Pride Farms, a farmer-led watershed group.
