Alayna Merchlewitz, Katie Goode Donaldson and Stephen Pryon implementing conservation practices on farms.

Gratitude for Former WFA Staff Members

Wild Farm Alliance is forging a difficult path as we navigate the current political climate. Due to recent federal funding cuts, WFA has lost three vital staff members this month who were providing essential services to farmers.

Alayna Merchlewitz and Katie Goode Donaldson joined us last year as Working Lands Conservation Corps Fellows. Alayna and Katie have been instrumental in helping farmers implement conservation practices that enhance both their land and the environment. They have led critical outreach efforts, educating farmers about conservation opportunities and guiding them in adopting sustainable practices. Through hands-on collaboration, they helped develop tailored conservation plans, install native plant hedgerows, and place nest boxes to support beneficial insects and birds—efforts that have improved individual farms while strengthening entire ecosystems.

We also said goodbye to Stephen Pryor, our Technical Advisor in Entomology. Stephen educated farmers about beneficial arthropods at field days and performed scientific literature reviews for resource development. Stephen’s expertise strengthened our events and our recent publications, including Managing Pests with Predator & Parasitoid Habitat.

Thank you, Alayna, Katie and Stephen, for helping shape a more resilient, sustainable future for agriculture and the environment. We will miss you and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Building Bird Boxes for Minnesota Farms

In late February, WFA’s Courtney Tchida worked with Matt Barthelemy of Renewing the Countryside and Meira Smit of Farm Buds to organize a nest box building event at the Minnesota Tool Library. A group of 18 people gathered to build songbird nest boxes for Urban Ventures, a support non-profit with two farm sites producing food at a pay-what-you-can market.

The group exceeded their goal and constructed 18 nest boxes. Twelve boxes will soon be put up at the Urban Ventures farm sites to utilize avian pest control for the fruits and vegetables crops grown there. The remaining six nest boxes went home with participants to be installed in their neighborhoods, including one at the Macalester Campus student garden. This project was made possible in part with the support of Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America.

Sperry Field Day Recap

In February, we gathered at Sperry Farms in Waterford, CA along with our partners, East Stanislaus RCD and National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) for a bilingual field day, just as the trees were beginning to blossom. Farmer Wes Sperry began the day describing their organic and regenerative practices used on one of their almond ranches, and how practices such as cover crops enhance water infiltration. In addition, cover crops help control dust, sequester carbon, and contribute to a more climate-resilient orchard system. Wes also shared how he enjoyed working in his organic orchard that is much more alive with pollinators and beneficial insects, which are crucial for almond pollination and pest control.

Keewaydin Farms Field Day

Supporting Beneficial Birds on the Farm
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 8:00 am - 12:30 pm
Keewaydin Farms: 15270 Haucke Ln, Viola, WI 54664

Discover the birds that call our farms home and explore how they can support pest control and biodiversity. Join innovative farmers, avian researchers, and other experts to learn practical strategies for attracting beneficial birds to your farm. Engage in hands-on activities, including a guided bird walk, nest box installation, and monitoring demonstrations. Walk away with valuable knowledge and skills to integrate bird-friendly practices into your farming operation.

WFA Featured on the No-Till Market Garden Podcast

In February, WFA’s Jo Ann Baumgartner joined the No-Till Market Garden Postcast to discuss our work to promote healthy viable agriculture that protects and restores wild nature. The episode covers a range of topics, including Jo Ann’s farming history, avian pest control, food safety, our Farmland Flyways Trail and more.

Free Online Course: Continuous Living Cover 101

Continuous Living Cover 101 is a self-paced, online course for agriculture, conservation, and technical assistance professionals – as well as anyone else who is curious to learn more about CLC! Continuous Living Cover 101 introduces the concept, describes five basic strategies (annuals + cover crops, agroforestry, perennial grains, perennial forage and grazing, and perennial biomass) to achieve CLC, and goes over economic and environmental benefits with on-farm examples. It also covers how to talk to farmers and support them in choosing and implementing CLC strategies. There is no cost, and the course is available on three different platforms

RISE Climate & Wine Symposium

Charles Krug Winery in St Helena, CA

Growers and vintners and playing an increasingly active role in building social equity, conserving natural resources, reducing and drawing down greenhouse gas emissions and creating more resilient vineyards, businesses and communities.

This changemaking convening enables the wine industry to leverage its powerful platform and set a standard for sustainability and climate action that galvanizes the global wine community. WFA will be tabling at the event on May 1st, so come say hello!

The report finds grassland birds such as Western Meadowlarks have suffered the steepest declines of any habitat group, losing 43 percent of their populations since 1970. Photo: Mary Perry/Audubon Photography Awards

New Report Shows U.S. Birds Declining Sharply Across a Range of Habitats

The newly released State of the Birds report reveals continued declines in North American bird populations. The report identifies 112 “tipping point” species that have lost half their populations in the past 50 years, 42 of which now have perilously low numbers. But it’s not too late to take action. Installing habitat on farms is a crucial component to turning around these declines and WFA remains dedicated to our 2050 Vision of planting enough hedgerows on farms to reach the length of the moon and back!

Support the WFA Legacy Fund

For 25 years, Wild Farm Alliance has championed a vision where farms and nature thrive together. As we celebrate this milestone, we are looking ahead—to the next 25 years and beyond. To secure this future, we are launching the 25th Anniversary Legacy Fund and we invite you to be a part of it.

This special Fund provides the financial security needed to carry our work forward through changing times, reducing economic uncertainty and ensuring that wild farming remains a powerful force for biodiversity, climate resilience, and thriving agricultural landscapes for generations to come.

When you give to the Legacy Fund, you are making a lasting commitment to:
🌱 Expanding farmer education on biodiversity-friendly practices
🌎 Restoring and protecting native habitats that build climate resilience
🚜 Supporting on-farm conservation projects that sustain wildlife and working lands
🦋 Ensuring a future where farms and nature flourish together

By contributing, you are planting the seeds for perpetual impact-helping farms remain havens for biodiversity, soil health, and climate solutions.

Join us in shaping the next 25 years of wild farming. Your legacy starts here.

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