UW-FARM (Field nutrient Application and Recommendation Manager) is designed to identify acceptable strategies for managing on-farm and purchased nutrients in both a profitable and environmentally responsible manner. The program relies on soil test results consistent with Wisconsin Soil Test Recommendations for Field, Vegetable and Fruit Crops (UWEX A2809) to maximize optimum use of nutrients and restricts nutrient/manure applications in environmentally sensitive areas consistent with best man-agement practices and NRCS-590 (USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Services-Wisconsin, 1993).

UW-FARM can be used for asking “what if” for many aspects of manure manage-ment and crop production. For example, most dairy farms in Wisconsin continue to produce their own feed and recycle manure for crop use. However, remaining econom-ically viable means increasing herd size or modernizing their operations (Jackson-Smith and Powell, 2000). It has become more common that environmental aspects of farming be considered prior to implementing expansion or other “modernization” practices because of the increase in local and federal regulatory oversight of farming practices. UW-FARM can be used in a “what if”’ mode when producers are considering imple-menting expansion or other modernization practices. Assessing the impact on meeting current best management practices and NRCS- 590 prior to actual expansion will allow producers to meet environmental constraints in a proactive manner.