The Nature Conservancy: New Agricultural Strategy Manager | The Nature Conservancy In Wisconsin

Press release from The Nature Conservancy:

August 19, 2021

Costa joins TNC after several years as Michigan State University Extension’s Field Crops Educator and Plant Pathology instructor, where he worked directly with farmers to develop and implement conservation practices. Costa holds a M.S. in Plant Sciences from the University of Missouri and a B.S. in Agronomy from Federal University of Mato Grosso in Brazil. He is a Certified Crop Advisor and 4R Nutrient Management Specialist.

TNC works with Farmers for Sustainable Food to support six farmer-led groups in Calumet, Dane, Door/Kewaunee, Lafayette, Sheboygan, and St. Croix counties whose members are putting conservation practices on their fields to improve sustainability on their farms and protect water quality. TNC provides farmers with incentive funds to adopt new practices, such as cover crops and reduced tillage.

Costa will work directly with these farmers to add new practices, help track their outcomes, and reach out to other farmers to share information and lessons learned. He will also help advance TNC’s Midwest agriculture strategy, which is focused on nature-based solutions that help to sustainably provide people with food and water.

“I am excited to have the chance to do this work for a global non-profit like TNC here in Wisconsin,” Costa says. “Nature-based solutions like cover crops, treatment wetlands, and reduced tillage are already being used by farmers who want to do the right thing for their communities while also benefitting the bottom line. Healthy agriculture is essential for people and nature.”

“We are happy to have Ricardo on board to expand our work with farmers, Farmers for Sustainable Food, and others in the agricultural community to strengthen on-farm conservation practices that help improve soil health and protect water quality in our lakes and rivers,” said Steve Richter, The Nature Conservancy’s agricultural strategies director in Wisconsin.

This press release was produced by The Nature Conservancy. The views expressed here are the author’s own.