Justin Peterson and his wife, Louisa, managers and part-owners of Creamery Creek Holsteins in Bangor, Wis., had been holding steady just under the CAFO cow-count threshold for about 10 years. In 2024, they decided to take a leap and expand their herd, adding about 1,000 cows in a robotic facility.
Expanding their herd was important to the Petersons, because they felt their growth would make them more competitive in the industry and allow their family to one day bring in the next generation.
Coincidentally, around the same time, Edge launched the Maestro permitting program, a program designed to assist farmers in navigating the complexities of obtaining and maintaining a WPDES permit.
“We were just starting to venture down the pathway for CAFO permitting when Maestro was first unveiled,” Justin said. “When the DNR requested we put in monitoring wells, that’s when we really started engaging with Tim (Baumgartner) and the program to help work through those conversations.”
Tim Baumgartner, director of regulatory and permitting services, leads this first-of-its-kind program, which provides farmers with the tools and resources needed to streamline the permitting process.
“Working with Tim has been fantastic for us,” he said. “Tim and his team have a great network of trusted individuals, and he helps provide guidance and direction for us.”
Transitioning smoothly with the support of the Maestro team has been beneficial for Justin and Louisa, especially given the many responsibilities they already have on the farm that keep them quite busy.
“We communicate with Tim every month through Maestro when he provides reminders and helpful checklists to make sure we’re meeting necessary deadlines for our permit,” Justin said. “He’s also great for bouncing ideas or questions off. He’ll either know the answer or know who to point me to talk to, and quite honestly, the price is kind of a bargain when you consider the hourly rate for other expert consultants.”
The program offers support to the farm to help maintain ongoing compliance and reporting.
“Working with Tim and Maestro demonstrates our proactive approach to state agencies, as we take the initiative to tackle challenges on our farm while progressing forward with ongoing collaboration,” Justin said.