Busch is the Research Manager at Pioneer Farm at UW–Platteville. He is responsible for managing research projects that relate to the dairy pasture forage, surface water runoff and the Fever River, and supervises student researchers.
To better understand how different farming practices affect soil and water quality, UW-Platteville’s Pioneer Farm is installing new monitoring equipment in two pasture areas. The equipment will collect detailed data on how water moves across and through the soil, tracking things like erosion, nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, and overall soil quality. This will allow researchers to directly compare different farming systems, such as traditional cropping versus managed grazing, and see which practices help protect the land and water. The new equipment at Pioneer Farm will not only support local research, but also contribute to national and global sustainability efforts through collaborations with the USDA, Tribal Colleges, and the Global Farm Platform.