MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

What began with a little family persuasion turned into a bountiful 4-H career for Allison Emmertson. She's a junior in high school from Amery, Wisconsin, a member of the Beaver Brook Badgers 4-H Club in Polk County. She tells Kiley Allan why she joined the organization. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC) Executive Director Julie Sweney explains how livestock identification and disease traceability help protect Wisconsin farms. Learn the way WLIC maintains basic information on livestock owners -- and works with animal health officials to quickly track animal movements if a disease outbreak occurs. Sweney also tells Teri Barr about the tools, like...

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin set out to find the Wisconsin dairy farmer who was the ultimate football fan. Then we thought, nah. It would be much more fun to find the football legend who might just be the ultimate dairy farmer fan. Enter Pro Football Hall of Famer and Green Bay legend LeRoy Butler. Long before he became famous for leaping into the stands, Butler had another game-day tradition: two C...

Hefter Homestead in Washington County has deep roots and a rich history that spans over 150 years. The family's history begins in Germany, but the farm itself is celebrating 150 years on Wisconsin soil. Brother and sister duo Melinda Wacker and Larry Hefter take us back in history to where it all began. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At Hallstrand Angus, family takes center stage in nearly every aspect of their operation. Kurt Hallstrand has been around cattle his entire life, so it only made sense that he and his wife would build a seedstock operation. Along with their three children, his brother who joined the operation in the early 2000s, they have grown their ranch in both number of acres and number of cattle. He proj...

Adequate manpower, fuel prices, and the weather are three topics that the maritime industry and the agricultural industry keep circling back to. Captain Jimmy "J-Rock" Cheatham joins Kiley Allan. He's a barge captain spending much of his time bringing agricultural commodities along the Western rivers. He's just now returning from his most recent shift on the river and explains what it's like right...

It's next to impossible to prepare the perfect amount of food when feeding a crowd, and that's exactly where Briana Boehmer comes in. She's the co-founder and COO of Goody Bag. She hates to see food go to waste. She explains the solutions brought by the program to the food service industry, as well as college campuses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin farmers are still waiting on a Farm Bill.  What's the hold up?  Will it get done before the end of the calendar year?  All good questions posed by Larry Lee to Congressman Glen "GT" Thompson.  Thompson sits as chair of the House Agriculture Committee at a key time.  While the delays are frustrating, Thompson says he still feels confident they'll get the work done...

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is preparing for a leadership change as Barb O’Brien retires after 25 years with the dairy checkoff. Corey Scott, who has led Midwest Dairy, will take over later in October. The Mid-West Farm Report's Teri Barr joined a DMI news conference to learn why Scott says she is excited to represent the nation’s dairy farmers and to build on DMI’s work in scien...

Things that we see at World Dairy Expo shouldn't be taken for granted.  For some of this year's attendees, it was all brand new.  Take for example Ziv Sar (s-are), from Kirisu Farm.  Kirisui means mountain of heaven and is the first modern dairy farm in Cambodia.  Sar says it began in 2020 and currently manages 1,700 cows with plans to expand.  Kiley Allan finds out about...

Milk replacer has come a long way from the products many farmers may remember using years ago. Jessica Esveld, vice president of Esmilco in Fall River tells Teri Barr how research and new ingredients are changing milk replacer formulas -- putting a focus on calf growth, health, and reducing antibiotic use. It's a message of innovation she's sharing at  World Dairy Expo. Esveld also explains h...

The Wisconsin Beef Council' s presence at World Dairy Expo provides an important opportunity to emphasize the role both dairy and beef producers play -- in producing high-quality beef. Beef Council Executive Director Tammy Vaassen tells Teri Barr , the Beef Council's educational outreach during the Expo, includes conversations with students about beef's nutritional benefits and the importance of p...

Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Brad Olson tells the Mid-West Farm report what prompted board members to take a position against building the high-voltage powerline that would stretch from Genoa, Wisconsin southward to Illinois.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the awards ceremony at World Dairy Expo, Corey Geiger sat down with Mid-West Farm Report's Larry Lee to talk about the things that shaped his life, including early mentors in raising and showing cattle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Older technology pumps can damage the liquid products they move, including butterfat and protein. Using McFinn's pumps, users can move liquids and liquids with solids without sheer damage, and have fewer problems with cavitation, pump seals, and maintenance.  John McGinn explains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World Dairy Expo is a place for people across the globe to get together, learn more about the dairy industry, and share ideas with one another. Among this year's attendees was Dr. Deddy Kurniawan. He's the Project Lead for the US-Indonesia Dairy Partnership. Not only does he have that impressive title, but he's also a veterinarian and dairy farmer himself in his home country of Indonesia. He's bee...

Setting your calves up for success from the very beginning is a crucial step, and the folks at Land O'Lakes Animal Milk Solutions are here to help. Dr. Tom Earleywine joins us. He's the Director of Nutritional Services for their team. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Deere's Mark Davey explains the features of the new 5 Series tractors during World Dairy Expo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When running a dairy, there's a host of decisions you have to make every single day. Your calf nutritional program should be one that you don't really have to think about. Vicky and Ross Greden join us. They're dairy producers from the state of Minnesota. Vicky starts by telling us about their calf program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most Wisconsin growers feel like they're running behind with the harvest of 2026 so far.  That makes it tempting to keep the combine moving and ignore a few large weeds along the edge of an otherwise clean field. Dr. Rodrigo Werle tells Pam Jahnke that could be a BIG mistake.  Werle's Wisconsin's UW-Madison Extension Weed Specialist.  He's reminding growers and operators how powerfu...

Testing has changed as technology has evolved.  Also, Dairyland Laboratories is involved in the Forage Analysis Super Bowl at World Dairy Expo.  Matt Fenske discusses these things with Mid-West Farm Report's Larry Lee.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DRMS stands for Dairy Records Management Systems. They're a company that does just that. They help producers pair valuable data with action in their herd. Greg Palas from their team joins Kiley Allan, he's the support manager, talking about one of their programs, specifically the Dart program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wyffels Regional Sales Manager Steve Quade discusses harvest, new varieties, online tools to help farmers with Mid-West Farm Report's Larry Lee.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the number one thing we should be doing when it comes to keeping our calves healthy? Dr. Jeremy Schefers has an answer. He's the Technical Services Veterinarian with Merck Animal Health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The differences between Brazil's and the United States' dairy industries go beyond the climate itself. Caio joins Kiley Allan. He's the Cooperative President for Industry and Management of Farmers, and Ton Kramer, a consultant, both from Brazil, find themselves at World Dairy Expo exploring the opportunities in technology, genetics, and quality forage products. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...