Field Notes

On the sixth and final episode of the BMPs of NMPs, Landon Baumgartner and Dan Smith discuss the trends that they have seen in their home area of southwestern Wisconsin's driftless area. They highlight the importance of farmer innovation, particularly in the area's steep slopes, in forwarding the goals of nutrient management, including no-till planting, cover crops, and variable rate applications....

This fifth episode of the BMPs of NMPS offers a deep dive into the nuances of Nutrient Management Planning (NMP) and soil health, led by Chris Bandera and Jamie Patton. Emphasizing that while soil fertility is a core component of a high-functioning soil system, it is not synonymous with the broader concept of soil health. We’ll explore the critical role of context such as soil texture and climate...

In this fourth episode of the BMPs of NMPs, Hava Blair and Andrea Topper join host Landon Baumgartner to unpack how Wisconsin’s diverse soils and sensitive land features shape farming practices. They explore the unique challenges of regions like the Driftless Area, Central Sands, and Silurian bedrock zones, and explain common restrictions such as setbacks near water bodies, wells, and wetlands. Th...

In episode three of the BMPs of NMPs, Landon Baumgartner discusses soil conservation and nutrient management with Hava Blair and Andrea Topper. They explain the use of the SNAP Plus software, which incorporates the RUSLE2 equation to calculate soil loss, considering critical and predominant soil types. The Phosphorus Index (PI) is also discussed, which estimates phosphorus loss in runoff, influenc...

In the second episode of the BMPs of NMPs, Daniel Smith of UW-Madison Extension's Nutrient and Pest Management program and Sara Walling of Clean Wisconsin talk about the current and future status of of Wisconsin's 590 Nutrient Management Standard, adoption of these practices throughout the state, and our history of using the best available science to ensure farm profitability and sustainability. L...

This is a special series from Field Notes produced with the help of the Nutrient and Pest Management (NPM) team at UW-Madison Extension and guest-hosted by Landon Baumgartner (Southwest Regional Outreach Specialist for NPM). Across six episodes, we dive into the fundamentals and best management practices (BMPs) of Nutrient Management Planning (NMP) in Wisconsin, so we couldn't help by calling the...

In years of low commodity prices, most farmers think about where they might be able to cut costs. Some might begin to think about alternative crops can fit into row crop production. Enter the sunflower. From birdseed, to oilseed, and just looking dang pretty, sunflower production in the state remains miniscule compared to corn, soy, and wheat, but new crops like it can help farmers diversify incom...

Before dairy, wheat was king in Wisconsin. Between 1840 and 1880, the state was largest wheat producer in United States, providing a full sixth of the nation's supply. Today, wheat is 5% of total grain crop (corn, soy, wheat) acres in the state. While there are benefits to having wheat in the rotation and a healthy local market for straw, a higher potential for dockages due to quality standards th...

Treated seed is the default for planted soybean (60-80%) and especially corn (close to 100%) acres across the US. While there are certainly advantages to some seed treatments, especially fungicidal treatments for early planted soybeans, others like insecticidal seed treatments can have a negative effect on the beneficial insects--aka good bugs--that prey on major pests in agricultural fields. Some...

Transitioning a farm with the bumps and successes along the way. Darren Eichelkraut farms on a 50 cow organic dairy with his family, including his dad, Junior Eichelkraut, right next to Paoli, Wisconsin. Darren and Junior tell us the story about how Junior transitioned the farm to organic, allowing Darren to come back to and eventually take over the farm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

We talk quite a bit about on farm research results on Field Notes, so we thought it was high time to do an episode detailing the ins and outs of doing research on farms in Wisconsin. We dive into the details of asking the right question, trial design and logistics, and analysis with Ben Turzinski, a third-generation grain and vegetable farmer in Almond, WI in the Central Sand, and Monica Schauer,...

Excess water, drought, and water quality are frequent topics in Wisconsin’s agricultural community. We sit down with Mallika Nocco, assistant professor and extension specialist in agrohydrology from UW-Madison to discuss water conservation: What is it, why does it matter for Wisconsin farmers, and what are practical ways we can implement it on the landscape? Listen in now to hear all about it. Pho...

Much time has been spent on the environmental benefits of conservation agriculture. But, do practices like reduced tillage and cover crops pencil out for farmers, and how do we figure that out? In the second episode of this two-fer on the economics of conservation, we talk with Jake Kaderly, who works as a crop consultant under the name Kaderly Ag and farms 330 acres in Green County, for the farme...

Much time has been spent on the environmental benefits of conservation agriculture. But, do practices like reduced tillage and cover crops pencil out for farmers, and how do we figure that out? In the first episode of this two-fer on the economics of conservation, we talk with Jeff Hadachek, Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor of Ag Economics at UW-Madison, to get the economist's take on...

From severe drought to flooded fields, Wisconsin’s forage producers are turning to forage species that can provide adaptability and flexibility in the midst of abnormal conditions. We jump in with Yoana Newman, UW-River Falls professor and Extension forage specialist, and Matt Oehmican, from Short Lane Ag Supply, to talk the details of warm season annual forages, from the decision-making process f...

Like gas and groceries, the cost of trucking and raising dairy heifers out West has gone up. Does this present Wisconsin farmers with an opportunity to lure these animals back to the state with low-input approaches and similar performance standards with well-managed grazing? We sit down with Jason Cavadini, UW-Madison Extension Grazing Outreach Specialist, and Mike Redetzke, a farmer custom-raisin...

Heard about the Haney test and want to learn more about how it might be used in Wisconsin? Listen in while we chat with leading UW researchers and outreach specialists Chris Bandura, John Jones, and Andrew Stammer on this topic. We dive in deep discussing how the Haney test can be used practically on-farm, how it calculates fertility recommendations differently than other soil tests, and what that...

Wisconsin infrastructure for grain markets and the ability to drop off grains at the nearest elevator incentivizes corn and soybean (and wheat to a lesser extent) rotations. Breaking outside that box and finding alternative grain markets can yield dividends in price premiums and extended crop rotations enhancing farm resilience to drops in commodity prices and other external shocks. We talk with W...

Whereas most grain farmers with a livestock grow crops to feed their cattle, Jeff Gaska a farmer between Beaver Dam and Columbus in Dodge County is trying to grow his cattle to feed his crops. One of the ways he is moving towards this goal is by grazing cover crops interseeded into 60" row corn. We talk with Jeff about this system, the results that he has had over the last couple of years, especia...

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Field Notes brings you an episode all about cranberries. Wisconsin's state fruit for a reason; we produce the majority of the world's supply, and who better to dig into the details, or the peat, than UW-Madison Extension Cranberry Outreach Specialist Allison Jonjak? We strap on our waders and hop into the bogs to talk about Wisconsin's production of this native, pere...

Surrounded by the peak autumn colors of Wisconsin, we thought we'd take a turn to talking about trees, specifically about integrating trees and crops in a system called agroforestry. We call up Jacob Grace of the Savanna Institute, a Wisconsin non-profit focused on promoting, educating, and breeding trees for agroforestry and Eric Wolske of Canopy Farm Management, which specializing in agroforestr...

Field Notes reporting from the field, well, the bar. We sit down with Mark Keller of Kellercrest Holsteins of Mt. Horeb and Chelsea Zegler, Outreach Specialist with Extension's Ag Water Quality Program, at the Mt. Vernon Tap to talk phosphorus and how farmers can work to draw down excessive levels and save money in the meantime. Mark recounts the Pleasant Valley Watershed Project that worked with...

There is a lot of solar being sited in Wisconsin with some projects reaching a pretty massive scale. The traditional narrative has been hello solar, goodbye agriculture, however a new crop of farmers, researchers, and solar companies are thinking differently: how can we continue to farm this land between, under, and around solar panels? Steffen Mirsky from Extension's Cutting Edge Podcast joins us...

Drought affects pasture as well as crops. During these dry times, what are the considerations that graziers need to keep in mind to optimize forage, and what are the advantages that a rotationally grazed system gives us when we're short on water? We talk with Mary C Anderson, Wisconsin DNR Grazing Specialist, retired dairy farmer, and current grass-fed/finished beef farmer and Kevin Mahalko from t...

No digg-it-y. No doubt? On this episode of Field Notes we dig into the question: to till, or not to till, or somewhere in between? Strip tillage is not as common in Wisconsin as full width tillage or no till, but it presents an opportunity to reduce soil disturbance and improve soil aggregation, while also gaining some of the benefits of full width tillage like early season soil warming and fertil...