MADISON, Wis. - Efforts continue to close the conservation gap for women landowners in Wisconsin. This week, organizers say the movement is taking a giant leap by adopting a statewide approach to provide education.

On Thursday, a virtual event signifies the launch of an educator network, to include helpful voices from all over Wisconsin. So far this year, the coalition leading the outreach has hosted workshops with a more regional feel.

Kriss Marion, communications lead for the group Wisconsin Women in Conservation, said they're looking to build on those sessions with this week's event.

"We've been doing research after every one of those events," said Marion, "surveys and questions to learn what is working and what isn't working."

She said those findings will be presented, and there will still be opportunities for regional discussions.

The 2017 Census of Agriculture says women make up 35% of farmers in Wisconsin, which is higher than the national average. But conservation programs have skewed toward men.

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is the leading partner for this new outreach effort.

Marion said women have traditionally been underserved by state and federal conservation offices, but there are visible signs of progress.

"For instance, a lot more women are actually working in county land conservation departments," said Marion. "A lot more women are the NRCS agents that are on the ground."

She was referring to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which plays a key role in connecting farmers and landowners with cost-share incentives to adopt environmentally friendly practices that improve soil health and help their bottom line as well.

The coalition says it's time for women landowners to secure those financial benefits. This week's virtual kick off begins at 10 a.m, and organizers hope to schedule more of these meet-ups annually.

More information is on the Wisconsin Women in Conservation website.

GREENE, Iowa -- The proposed Build Back Better bill is getting attention for a host of funding possibilities, including one area flying under the radar: sustainable agriculture.

Programs to reimburse farmers for adopting environmentally friendly practices could see benefits. The Biden administration's proposed public spending package includes $13 billion for the Working Lands Program, which provide financial and technical assistance to help farmers reach their conservation goals.

Kalee Olson, policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, describes the programs as underfunded and oversubscribed. She pointed out it creates tough choices for producers waiting for reimbursement approval.

"For some farmers, it can be a gamble on whether they want to go ahead and, say, plant cover crops, and hope they'll be accepted into the program and be partially reimbursed," Olson explained.

Supporters of the programs say more waiting periods or lack of funds might scare off future applicants who don't want to take on the risk. Despite some gains over the past decade, only a small percentage of Iowa farmland is planted with cover crops.

The Biden plan has won House approval, but faces obstacles in the Senate, with some members saying it is too broad in scope and too expensive.

Mike Ruby, a farmer in Greene in the northern part of the state, has been planting cover crops for about 15 years. He said he has never had issues in applying for cost-sharing aid through the Conservation Stewardship Program, but feels a funding boost could attract other farmers who are not ready to take the leap.

"I think it would be definitely beneficial for the ones that haven't been trying to entice them to giving it a try," Ruby contended.

According to the annual Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey, farmers who are reluctant to plant cover crops cite reasons such as costs, as well as not having enough time. But longstanding program enrollees say these practices can help improve soil health, which eventually improves a farmer's bottom line over time.

RICHMOND, Va. -- In central Virginia, permanent access to land is one of the biggest barriers to farming. A new land-trust model aims to secure both rural farmlands for affordable housing and agricultural practice for new farmers, while also acquiring land in urban centers to foster economic growth.

With support from the nonprofit Agrarian Trust and the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust in Richmond, the Central Virginia Agrarian Commons will focus on redistributing access to land to communities of color who've been historically denied land-owning opportunities.

Duron Chavis, board member of the Central Virginia Agrarian Commons and an activist from Richmond, said the model can begin to address racial inequity in the state.

"Who has the decision-making power over land?" Chavis asked. "Black and brown people are usually on the wrong side of that disparity. For an organization to step in and say, 'Hey, we're going to raise money to ensure that communities that have been historically marginalized are able to activate strategies for self-determination on land' is very important."

Davis noted the Commons is in the process of acquiring about 100 acres being donated in Amelia County, which will serve as the rural farming operation of the Commons. The organization also launched a website this month and is working on fundraising for the rezoning process to turn the land into a working farm.

The Commons is also attempting to acquire land and commercial property in Richmond to distribute the agricultural products produced on the rural farmland.

Chavis pointed out people in Richmond aspire to farm but face challenges such as soil health from contaminants. He contended the Commons could change that.

"It has the potential to create inroads for marginalized communities," Chavis explained. "Where they can not only grow, but they also have access to commercial property, where they'll be able to move into a space where the scale of produce that can be developed in the rural area can be brought into the city."

Other Agrarian Commons farms have already been established throughout the country, including in West Virginia, Maine, and New Hampshire.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Succession is an inevitable process for Ohio farmers, and it can also be an opportunity to re-imagine the land.

Vicki Harder-Thorne is steward to 80 acres in Ottawa County, farmed for nearly a century. Her grandfather felt modern agricultural practices did not account for the wildlife that depended on land used for farming, and so her mother eventually returned the land to wildlife through the Conservation Reserve Program.

After her mother's recent passing, Harder-Thorne examined and researched the best stage for the untilled land and had a vision for regenerative practices, and managing the farm specifically for habitat and biodiversity.

"You can have that combination of conservation and agriculture," Harder-Thorne asserted. "There is a different way to farm. My biggest concern has always been what's the next best step for the evolution of the land? How can we best help with climate change? How can we help restore the environment?"

With the help of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association's succession planning, Harder-Thorne is opting for conservation over farming, and sharing the farm as ecological habitat on the Great Black Swamp. She added building climate-change considerations into the transition will provide an opportunity to mitigate hazardous algal blooms.

To make her vision a reality, she applied for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which helps protect environmentally sensitive lands by keeping them out of farm production.

"We're waiting for a contract right now for an enhanced program that will include more wetland area and an area of trees," Harder-Thorne explained. "Playing up what's really rich in that area: lots of red oaks, lots of different birds."

There are also plans to incorporate eco-education and ecotourism, so she is working with local university researchers, birding groups and partners to figure out the next best steps.

"You can dream and make it happen by reaching out to your community, reaching out to your local politicians, and your local agriculture, and conservation groups and see what you can put together," Harder-Thorne outlined. "And some of it will be for pay and some of it will be for love."

Harder-Thorne emphasized she is pleased with her decision to preserve the land for nature because it honors her mother's and grandfather's legacies.