Wisconsin Dairy Farmer Shares His Commitment to Conservation

For Chris Pollack, a fifth-generation dairy farmer in Wisconsin, conservation isn’t about mandates or pressure — it’s about ownership, curiosity and the desire to leave something lasting.

On his farm, Pollack milks about 140–150 Holsteins and manages roughly 850 acres of diverse crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and even lima beans. He also raises beef cattle on a separate operation. This level of diversification, he says, helps them thrive through economic shifts — but it also opens up unique opportunities for conservation.

When Pollack talks about his operation, it’s not just with pride, but with a sense of purpose. Pollack’s journey into conservation practices began over 20 years ago through a local land conservation partnership. Still, the real push came about eight to 10 years ago through conversations around Green Lake — Wisconsin’s deepest inland lake and home to a blend of agricultural producers and lakefront homeowners. “The goal was to bring both groups together to understand each other’s perspectives better,” Pollack explained. “That dialogue sparked a deeper commitment on my end.”

Since then, his farm has adopted no-till practices and strategic manure application, and he has even installed a harvestable buffer along a tributary leading into Green Lake. 

“I don’t grow corn in the bottom of Green Lake,” he said, “so I don’t want my topsoil and nutrients there.” It’s a powerful reflection of the stewardship mindset that drives his conservation efforts.

Pollack is also part of a demonstration farm network supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Green Lake Association. These programs don’t just provide funding — they foster collaboration.

“There are more than 40 farmer-led watershed protection groups here in Wisconsin,” Pollack noted. “We’re really leading the way nationally, and I think part of that comes from our dairy heritage. Dairy farmers are always plugged in, and many of us always look for ways to improve.”

But challenges remain. Vegetable crops like peas and sweet corn, which Wisconsin grows in abundance, come with strict requirements around purity, complicating the use of certain cover crops. Still, Pollack sees the opportunity. “After harvesting short-season vegetables, we have a window to plant cover crops. We just have to be strategic.”

He’s experimenting with planting into standing rye and grazing beef cattle on post-harvest cover crops, even using cost-share programs to fence acreage for rotational grazing. It’s all part of the broader goal to fine-tune conservation without compromising productivity.

More than anything, it’s about building a future. Pollack’s children — aged three to eight — are already dreaming about driving tractors and milking cows. “That legacy makes conservation even more important,” he says. “I think about what this farm looked like 25 years ago; I want this farm to be in even better shape 25 years from now than it is today.”

“Being a Century Farm is not something that happens all that much anymore. It’s hard. It’s a grind. Having something here that the next generation wants to farm is what’s important.”

Brought to you by America's soybean farmers.