The No. 1 factor for acute gastrointestinal illness in Kewaunee County’s private drinking water wells is cow manure, according to a federal study released today. The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of existing regulations aimed at protecting residents from tainted drinking water.
The study predicts that cow manure causes 230 cases of acute gastrointestinal illnesses in the county per year, out of 301 total cases of sickness with an additional 12 cases caused by human waste from septic systems. The contaminant is unknown for the other instances, the authors wrote.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal illness can include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, sometimes accompanied by fever. Children, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions can be more vulnerable to complications such as dehydration.
Kewaunee County water study looks backward, not forward
Don Niles
Another study about Kewaunee County has popped up dealing with ground water, cows and humans in our community. News stories about the study, which uses data collected in 2016-17, are causing some unfounded concerns about people getting sick, today, from farming practices.
The fact is no farmer wants to cause even one person to become ill, and we go to great lengths to keep that from happening. That commitment won’t change, with or without a study.
As to the most recent study, people deserve a more complete explanation of what it is and is not.
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Peninsula Pride Farms: Take a chance on cover crops
Dairy Business Association
BRUSSELS, Wis. – Mike Vandenhouten was blunt in telling farmers at a Peninsula Pride Farms field event it was time to make a change and improve the area’s soil health.
“There comes a time when you have to take a chance and quit doing things the way we have traditionally been doing it. I think there is a better way to do it and this is an excellent opportunity for me to give it a try. I have some reservations, but we will see what happens,” Vandenhouten said about planting oats as a cover crop last fall and no-till planting this spring.
Don Niles
As we all celebrate Earth Day, I am honored to be president of Peninsula Pride Farms, a farmer-led watershed conservation group in Kewaunee and southern Door counties that began in 2016. Our nonprofit group has grown to 43 livestock and crop farmers who represent 63,038 acres and 67,276 dairy animals and beef cattle.
As a group, we recognize the significant impact our farms can have on our local surface and groundwater. Being a farmer-led group means we are farmers leading farmers. Who better to challenge and encourage farmers to achieve higher environmental standards than other farmers?
We also owe much of our success to organizations and agencies that assist us in our mission, including the Department of Natural Resources and UW-Madison Discovery Farms at the state level and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on the federal level. Of particular importance is the opportunity to partner with The Nature Conservancy, a global organization, as well as other local bu