A Farm In Wisconsin is Working with Nature and Producing Results
There is another way — and it has been practiced in various forms for thousands of years. It’s being resurrected by some small farmers that practice agroforestry to work with nature rather than against it. Instead of clearing land of trees, these farmers plant them. Instead of growing a single crop across hundreds of acres, they are cultivating diverse systems where fruit trees, nut trees, grazing animals, pollinators, and vegetable crops share the same land — each supporting the others. The results are striking, as we glean progress from a small town in Wisconsin.
Agroforestry systems sequester carbon in both soil and wood. They filter water, prevent erosion, and create habitat for birds, insects, and mammals. They produce genuinely nutritious food. And because the system is self-reinforcing — trees recharge groundwater, animals fertilize the soil, diversity controls pests — they require far fewer inputs than industrial farms. Less land, used more wisely.
In Green Lake, Wisconsin, Good Trouble Grove is making this case in practice. Named after the rallying call of civil rights icon John Lewis — who urged people to “get in trouble, good trouble” — the farm is run by Jörg, Shelly, and their daughter Ramona. With hundreds of fruit and nut trees, pollinator patches, and grazing livestock working together, they are practicing agroforestry in the heart of conventional farming country. Their farm is also home to Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project, a nonprofit rebuilding the connections between small farms, local food, and resilient communities across eastern Wisconsin. Through FoxRap, small farmers, and aspiring regenerative agriculturalists, come and see how Good Trouble Farm is working. They can also see how organic food can be produced and sold affordably.
Good Trouble Grove is not a hobby farm fantasy. It is a working example of agriculture when land is seen as a system to be encouraged, not a resource to be extracted. The question now is whether policy, investment, and public support can meet the moment.
For more information visit: https://goodtroublegrove.com/
