WISCONSIN (August 19, 2026) — At a perilous time for America’s grasslands and the birds that depend on them, the National Audubon Society is proud to recognize seven Wisconsin farms and ranches newly certified as Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land. Earned through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program, the newly certified operations are Bouressa Family Farm near New London; Prairie Pastured Beef near Rudolph; the Kerstiens Family Farm near Stitzer; the Kieckhoefer Family Farm near New Richmond; Willow Creek Ranch near Coon Valley; Riemer Family Farm near Brodhead; and Sedge Wood Farms in Cornell.
Audubon Conservation Ranching is a science-based certification program that works with farmers and ranchers to address the steep decline of North America’s grassland birds while supporting healthy, productive agricultural operations. Through Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land, producers develop and implement a Habitat Management Plan tailored to their land and operation and complete an independent third-party audit. Management centers on rotational grazing—using livestock to create a mosaic of habitat that provides habitat for different bird species—along with practices such as bird-friendly haying, woody vegetation management, prescribed fire, wetland and oak savanna restoration, and protection of streams and other sensitive areas.
Since 1970, grassland birds have experienced the steepest population decline of any terrestrial bird group in North America, driven largely by habitat loss and degradation. Today, 157 Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly farms and ranches are managing 4.5 million acres across the United States to provide high-quality habitat for grassland birds and other wildlife while sustaining productive working lands.
Certification also carries the conservation story beyond the farm gate. Each operation can now use the Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land certification seal on qualifying beef products and to promote its business, giving consumers a visible connection between the food they purchase and the grasslands where it was raised. At a time when research shows many Americans have a limited understanding of and connection to grasslands, the seal can serve as connective tissue between consumers and conservation—helping people recognize that choices in the marketplace can support farmers and ranchers who are managing habitat for birds and biodiversity.
The milestone marks the culmination of work that began with Audubon’s 2024 formal launch of the program in Wisconsin. “Certification recognizes what these farmers and ranchers are accomplishing on the ground, but it’s also the beginning of a long-term partnership,” said Ashly Steinke, Audubon Grassland Ecologist in Wisconsin. “Every one of these farms is different, and that’s the strength of working directly with producers to find ways that good grazing management can create the variety of habitat grassland birds need. I see those same connections on my own Sedge Wood Farms in Cornell, which my family manages as Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land and I use as a demonstration site for the program. Healthy grasslands can support birds, cattle, and the people who make their living from the land.”
Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land certification is earned following an independent third-party audit and requires farms and ranches to meet standards for habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal health and welfare. Through Audubon Conservation Ranching, producers work with Audubon ecologists to develop and continually adapt management strategies informed by bird and habitat monitoring.
The newly certified Wisconsin operations demonstrate how those principles can be applied across the state’s diverse working landscapes:
Bouressa Family Farm — New London
Rachel Bouressa returned to her family’s former dairy farm and transitioned the operation into a grass-based cattle ranch. Today, the 365-acre farm supports a cow-calf and grass-finishing operation while providing habitat for species including Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Dickcissel. In addition to rotational grazing, Bouressa is working to reconnect grasslands fragmented by tree rows and restore previously drained wetlands, adding habitat diversity across the farm.
Kerstiens Family Farm — Stitzer
Casey Kerstiens manages his family farm in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, where a permanent stream winds through the pastures and an oak savanna remains on the property. His grazing approach is particularly well suited to grassland birds: cattle use the home pasture for spring calving before being moved to other pastures, allowing the grass to recover for the remainder of the growing season and creating a mix of shorter and taller vegetation for species including Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, and Grasshopper Sparrow. The farm is also working to manage eastern red cedar and multiflora rose, protect its riparian areas, and use prescribed fire to improve habitat and forage.
Prairie Pastured Beef — Rudolph
Carl Flaig manages approximately 500 acres within Wisconsin’s Central Wisconsin Grassland Conservation Area, one of the state’s most important landscapes for grassland birds. The property historically supported Greater Prairie-Chicken leks, and an active lek remains directly across a county road from the farm’s pastures. Flaig also uses cattle to manage adjacent Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grasslands for Greater Prairie-Chicken habitat. His management emphasizes maintaining a varied grassland structure, controlling woody encroachment, and using grazing to support species including Greater Prairie-Chicken, Short-eared Owl, Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, and Grasshopper Sparrow.
Kieckhoefer Family Farm — New Richmond
Fourth-generation rancher David Kieckhoefer manages 385 acres in Wisconsin’s Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area, where his grasslands complement a broader network of publicly managed wetland and grassland habitat. Audubon bird surveys have already documented high numbers of several priority grassland species on the ranch. Kieckhoefer is building on that foundation through rotational grazing, bird-friendly haying, woody vegetation management, and opportunities to restore oak savanna and establish native warm-season grasses.
Willow Creek Ranch — Coon Valley
Rod Ofte manages the 168-acre Willow Creek Ranch in the Driftless Area’s historic Coon Creek Watershed. A cold-water stream supporting brook and brown trout winds through the property, while its landscape transitions from open grassland to remnant oak savanna and hardwood forest. Ofte uses rotational grazing to create varied vegetation structure for birds such as Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow, while mechanical removal and prescribed fire are being used to restore oak savanna habitat for Red-headed Woodpecker.
Riemer Family Farm — Brodhead
Bryce and Jen Riemer and their family manage 160 acres of pasture alongside approximately 300 acres of organic crops in southern Wisconsin. Their grass-finished cattle operation uses rotational grazing to create both shorter and taller vegetation needed by species such as Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, and Grasshopper Sparrow. The farm also participates in a nutrient-reduction program with the City of Brodhead, where practices including delayed hay and pasture cutting complement its bird-friendly management.
The Audubon Conservation Ranching program in Wisconsin is supported by partners including the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development, GrassWorks/Grassland 2.0, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, Sand County Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and others.
About Audubon Conservation Ranching
Audubon Conservation Ranching partners with ranchers to sustain healthy grasslands, abundant birdlife, and resilient rural communities. Through our bird-friendly land certification and science-based approach, we empower land stewards to enhance habitat, improve soil health and water quality, and strengthen the connection between conservation and ranching. By purchasing products from Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land, consumers become conservationists, helping protect America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and people that depend on them. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.
