Our Land > Wisconsin’s Agricultural Path to Net-Zero
Wisconsin’s Agricultural Path to Net-Zero
Wisconsin aims to cut emissions 50–55% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. The Natural Climate Solutions Roadmap helps get us there—making agriculture part of the solution with data, tools, and pilot projects.
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Overview
What Is the NCS Roadmap?
The Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) Roadmap is a two-year initiative advancing climate-smart farming in Wisconsin.
It centers on a greenhouse gas analysis that measures how land management practices—like cover cropping and managed grazing—can cut emissions and store carbon. The resulting report and tool will guide farmers and decision-makers toward net-zero practices.
Led by Clean Wisconsin with partners Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Savanna Institute, and UW–Grassland 2.0, the project is backed by The Daybreak Fund and the Platform for Agriculture & Climate Transformation (PACT), and grounded in three pilot projects across the state.
KEY INITIATIVES
NCS Pilot Projects
To ground this work in real-world outcomes, the NCS Roadmap includes three pilot projects that demonstrate how climate-smart strategies can reshape Wisconsin’s food system—economically and ecologically.
WI-grown Kernza® Supply Chain Hub
This project is building out the missing links in Wisconsin’s Kernza® supply chain—from growers to processors to buyers. By connecting local farms with millers, bakers, brewers, and livestock producers, we’re turning this deep-rooted perennial into a scalable climate solution and economic opportunity.
Future Crop Suitability Mapping
Wisconsin’s climate is changing—and so is what we can grow. This project is producing forward-looking models that show which crops will thrive under different climate scenarios. With this data, farmers can make informed decisions about how to diversify and adapt for long-term resilience.
NE Wisconsin Managed Grazing Learning Hub
In the Lake Michigan Basin—an area with both high-intensity animal agriculture and declining water quality—this hub will support dairy and beef farmers exploring managed grazing, a practice where livestock are systematically rotated through pastureland to improve soil health, reduce runoff, and promote more resilient, climate-smart farms. The goal: healthier soil, cleaner water, and more profitable operations.
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