Meet Ben Becker – New Agricultural Projects Coordinator

Get to Know Ben Becker, WGF’s Agricultural Projects Coordinator

Ben Becker, FSR Project Coordinator

In June 2024, Ben Becker joined the Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) staff as our new full-time Agricultural Projects Coordinator! Ben is leading the coordination of our Farm Sustainability Rewards (FSR) Project, our two-year pilot program in partnership with Clean Wisconsin. The FSR Project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the NRCS. (Read more about the FSR Project here.)

Quick facts about Ben:

• Ben is currently located in Madison, WI. He grew up in Iowa.
• Highlights of Prior Experience:
  • 10+ Years with Williamson Street Grocery Cooperative
  • Certified Project Management Professional
  • Capstone in conservation planning with Grassland 2.0 at the UW–Madison Nelson Institute
• Education:
  • MS in Environmental Conservation (UW–Madison),
  • MBA in Sustainable Business (Marylhurst University),
  • BA in Philosophy (University of Iowa)
• Contact info:
  • Email: bbecker@wigreenfire.org
  • Phone: 715-203-0384 Ext. 5

Five Questions – Q & A with Ben Becker

Q: What are a few of your favorite places in Wisconsin?

A: There are almost too many to choose! To name a couple, Devil’s Lake has been an important place for me since childhood, going camping and fishing. It’s still a place I often go hiking. Another place I love is Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island, where I love swimming in Lake Superior, despite the cold and bugs. Growing up near the Mississippi River, spending time outside and seeking those outdoor adventures, especially around water, has been important to me my whole life.

Q: What do you like to do for fun?

A: I’ve been beekeeping for several years which is fun and challenging. I started after getting inspired by some beekeepers and friends at a nearby urban farm here in Madison. I was surprised to learn how much the honey changes depending on the pollen available in different areas or at different times of year. Beekeeping is a special way to explore the local flavor of the place where you (and the bees) live.

I also volunteer at the UW Arboretum. I love engaging with other community members during the “work parties” and experimenting with different restoration projects around the property. It’s a place that can feel pretty wild and undisturbed despite being so heavily influenced by human changes and disturbance over the last century. As a former philosophy major, I love challenging some of the romantic notions of ‘the wilderness’ and humans being separate from nature. Part of what attracted me to Wisconsin’s Green Fire was how our mission connects people and nature. I share that vision for healthy ecosystems that will continue to support people long into the future.

Q: Why were you interested in becoming the FSR Project Coordinator?

A: Coming from my background as a project manager, I felt really drawn to the function of this position. I enjoy the challenge and the complexity of it. Plus, it’s a great match for my career interests in sustainable food production and water conservation. I wanted to do this kind of work, building a shared vision with lots of different perspectives. I like how this position allows me to build relationships and dialogue, avoiding just focusing on the traditional authorities or ideologies.

Q: What have been a couple highlights from your first several weeks in this role?

A: I’m loving all the engagement so far with the Wisconsin agriculture community. I’ve been to several farm events and I’m seeing, hearing, and feeling the concerns about protecting soil and water first-hand. I’m excited by all the sharing of perspectives among our internal team, our group of project advisors, and the wider agriculture and conservation communities.

I’m learning a ton, meeting many inspiring people, and hearing a lot of excitement about the Farm Sustainability Rewards Project and it’s potential to help producers get rewards for their on-farm conservation practices, reduce nutrient runoff, and protect and improve water quality. As I keep learning and the whole FSR team keeps developing this project, I’m focused on keeping doors open and understanding the decisions and pressures (economic, social, environmental) that producers make to be good stewards of these lands and grow the food we all eat.

Q: Any conservation role models you turn to for inspiration?

A: Personally, Bill Cronon, historian at UW-Madison, has been an influential figure for me, especially on our relationships to place. Like so many people in this profession, I turn to writers and conservationists like John Muir and Aldo Leopold. I often return to Edward Abbey and Jack Kerouac too. Of course, so many of my advisors and professors at the Nelson Institute remain role models for me, especially on how to get things done in conservation.

Connect with Ben at bbecker@wigreenfire.org and learn more about the rest of the WGF Staff here.

Blog post by Carolyn Pralle, WGF Communications and Outreach Coordinator