Deana Knuteson, UW- Horticulture, NPM Program
The Wisconsin “Healthy Grown” program works to advance growers’ use of biointensive IPM, efficiently manage inputs, and enhance ecosystem conservation efforts by certifying under the “Healthy Grown” potato, onion and carrot standards. “Healthy Grown” high-bar standards promote agricultural sustainability and enhance environmental farming systems and puts Wisconsin growers in a position to capture the expanding consumer demand for sustainable options in the marketplace. The scope of the program fits markets looking for food grown under systems with key criteria for sustainability – including new terms such as resilient agriculture, food security, healthy and sound ecosystems, green production systems, stewardship and regenerative production systems. In 2018, 10 operations with over 11,000 acres of crops were certified as “Healthy Grown” produce. That number will increase in 2019, as we have enrolled 12 growers and are expanding acres during this current growing season.
For more information or if you are interested in the program, please contact Deana Knuteson, NPM Program, UW-Horticulture at (dknuteson@wisc.edu) or 608-347-8236.