Sustainability

Grounded in the recommendations in the Future of Farming report, CRI supports clean and bio-based energy, local foods, regional government collaboration, working lands preservation tools, conservation agriculture, climate change mitigation, fossil fuels and greenhouse gas reduction, green building, and the many interlinking forces between the economy, environment and society that are required to build truly sustainable communities.  In coming years, CRI hopes to have projects that support many of these individual goals.

Examples of CRI Sustainability Activities:

• Co-sponsorship of five regional Working Lands Initiative (WLI) Workshops developed and hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), American Farmland Trust and Wisconsin Towns Association in December /January of 2008.
• A collaborating partner in a statewide celebratory and fundraising event on September 26, 2009 to further implementation efforts for the WLI and to educate landowners and the public about the tools the legislation provides.  “Partnering for Progress:  Celebrating Our Rural Communities” drew more than 200 to celebrate the passage of important elements of the WLI in the State budget in June, the working coalitions that are collaborating to protect the future sustainability of working lands, and Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage.  WLI was a 5-year initiative of DATCP and other collaborators seeking tools to preserve agricultural and forestry lands as an economic resource and vital asset for healthy rural communities.  Sponsoring partners included CRI, Gathering Waters Conservancy, Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership, UW Extension and the Saxon Homestead Farm.

Check out the upcoming Partnering for Progress event.