Project Goal
Leach Farms is proposing a multi-dimensional land use conversion project that will not only improve the water quality of the environment, but also serve to provide a substantial stream of income resulting from such improvements. The project owner is seeking a buyer to complete the proposed restoration initiatives to comply with a conservation or corporate ESG/sustainability mission while at the same time potentially enjoying a substantial revenue stream from such improvements.
Project Location
This project is comprised of three individual farms located adjacent to the Willow and Pumpkinseed Creeks upstream from Lake Poygan in the Upper Wolf River Watershed in Wisconsin. All three farms are located below the level of the adjacent creeks and are converted wetlands surrounded by a dike. The fields are drained by an extensive subsurface drain tile system. In addition, the fields have been sloped to prevent the accumulation of excess rainwater. Tile discharges and runoff from the fields accumulate in ditches adjacent to the dikes. This accumulated runoff is discharged from a pumping system into the adjacent watershed allowing for accurate measurement of the discharges.
Project History
The project area includes a former industrial scale celery growing, processing and storage operation covering three farms totaling 1,364+ acres. At the time of the operation, the project represented one of the largest celery growing operations in North America. Although runoff from the operation was not subject to regulation, the farm discharges were tested on a voluntary basis in 2012. The discharges were found to be exceptionally high in phosphorus, total suspended solids and nitrogen. The high discharges are a result of the history of heavy fertilization required to produce high value celery crops. Since the discharge testing, the project owner has sold the processing and storage facilities to a third party. However, the owner continues to own and farm the fields with the exception of 120 acres under lease through 2030 to the buyer of the processing facilities.
Water Quality Trading Plan
The Water Quality Trading Plan is finalized and approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (“WDNR”). This step positions the credits to be sold through the Wisconsin Water Quality Trading Clearinghouse.
Wetland Conversion Project
230 acre wetland mitigation bank has received final approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”) and WDNR, enabling the sale of wetland mitigation credits. Project is currently the only source of its primary type of wetland mitigation credits (sedge meadow) in its watershed.
Streambank Restoration Project
In 2022 the project owner submitted a Prospectus and received Interagency Review Team approval for a streambank restoration project. Stantec estimates approximately 7,000 linear feet of streambank credits are available from sites at two of the farms.
Greenhouse Gas Offsets
At the request of the project owner, in 2022, Stantec prepared an estimate for the amount of carbon offsets which could be created once conversion projects described in this summary are completed. Once the conversions are completed, the credits can be certified and sold to interested parties desiring to offset GHG emissions resulting from the purchasers' activities. Carbon dioxide offset credits of 2,631-4,209 tons per year estimated.
Get in Touch
Questions or Comments? Interested in being a part of the project?
Call Us
(920) 785-1002
Office Location
W1102 Buttercup Ct
Berlin, WI 54923