Join Michael Fields Agricultural Institute staff and conservation partners for a first-ever field day at their New Farm, set in the heart of the Southern Kettle Moraine. These production fields and research plots are managed in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy's Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve near East Troy, WI.  Fens are among the rarest types of wetlands in North America. They are dependent upon natural springs, and so management of the surrounding Mukwanago watershed's sensitive agricultural acres is imperative.  Pickerel Lake Fen is one of the most biologically diverse fens in southeast Wisconsin and is one of the few fens in conservation protection. Several rare or endangered species are also protected at the preserve. Pickerel Lake Fen is dedicated as a State Natural Area.

The New Farm is upland of the fen, but includes several kettle depressions, through which contaminants can infiltrate groundwater.  MFAI utilizes careful conservation practices - prairie strips, agroforestry, alternative crops, low tillage, and covers - to protect this landscape and create demonstration opportunities.