MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Well it’s official, World Dairy Expo will remain in Madison, Wisconsin for the foreseeable future. World Dairy Expo and Dane County agreed on a 5-year contract that the show will remain at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi says he’s proud that it’s going to stay where it began more than five decades ago. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Dairy Business Innovation Act of 2023. The bipartisan legislation that will reauthorize and strengthen the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives to help more American dairy farmers and processors add value to their businesses, including creating new products, expanding their markets, and modernizing their productio...

Miss America is a national title that has been given to one lucky woman for over a hundred years. Current Miss America and former Miss Wisconsin Grace Stanke spoke with 4-H members at their inaugural 4-H Summer Academy held at UW-Madison. She shares with Nate Zimdars what it was like to run for Miss America, currently serve, and speak to 4-H members. Leslie Svacina is filling the farmer seat on th...

Wisconsin has always been known for its long history of cheesemaking, but now it may also be known for its incredible artisan cheese festival. Art of Cheese is an exclusive cheese festival created for the world’s biggest cheese lovers, and it’s happening across downtown Madison and the surrounding communities from Sept. 29 - Oct. 1.   ​Hosted by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, this first-time event pr...

Holsteins. Jerseys. Brown Swiss. These are pretty familiar dairy breeds. But one breed in Wisconsin that’s not as well known is the Kerry breed. The Kerry are believed to be one of the oldest dairy breeds and originate from Ireland. One of only two rare dairy herds of Celtic Kerry cows call Grace Acres Farms home. JT Price, owner of Grace Acres explains more about this unique breed. But first he s...

We’re honored to be sharing the stories of farms and homesteads that have been in the same family for more than 100 or 150 years. These families are getting together for breakfast on August 8th at the Wisconsin State Fair to celebrate. One of these farms belongs to Rosemary Simonson’s family. Rosie is the fifth generation on her family’s Sesquicentennial Farm called The Delbert Lynch Family Farm T...

Forage replacements, changing rations, stretching feed… this is what nutritionists are helping dairies with today during a difficult growing season. Drew Johnson is an independent dairy nutritionist with K & S Dairy Consulting, working out of Cashton and serving the surrounding counties. He says cotton seed is coming back into rations this summer, and so are conversations about thinning the he...

More than 45,000 people are expected to attend Farm Tech Days happening July 18-20 in Baraboo. To feed all those people, there will be more than 20 food and beverage trucks, stations, and pop-up tents from across Sauk County. Ralph Pierce with Badger Steam & Gas Engine Club is working with the food committee for this year’s show. He says this new approach to food is going to make for an overal...

June 26, 2022 was a devastating day for the Arlington Agricultural Research Station. That day they had a barn fire and had a total loss of about $2 million. Mike Peters, Agricultural Research Station Director credits the multiple fire crews that responded quickly for not letting that loss go any further. Now over a year later, things are on track to have the new building completed in the fall. Pet...

Farm Technology Days is a week away and will be taking place at a neutral site - the Badger Steam and Gas Club grounds in Baraboo. Anna Maener is the commercial exhibits coordinator for Farm Technology Days. She tells Pam Jahnke about a few of the exhibitors who will be coming and how this year's event will be different from years past.   The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will be directin...

Tractor Supply Company is celebrating it's 85th anniversary in a big way for beginning and transitioning farmers.  Pam Jahnke talks with Marti Skold-Jordan, Director of Tractor Supply's Foundation, about the philanthropy behind the farm/rural life supply store. As part of its year-long 85th anniversary celebration, Tractor Supply has made an $850,000 donation to support the AFT Brighter Future Fun...

Professional Dairy Producers are hosting their 2023 Water Tours on July 13. Tours will open dialogue while showcasing current technologies and innovations being used to preserve one of the state’s most critical resources. The three stops include the Madison Sewerage District, manure digesters in Middleton, and a dairy farm. Organizer Shelly O'Leary invites you to learn more at pdpw.org. You must r...

When the state budget was signed into law, Wisconsin agriculture groups called it “a good budget for farmers.” And while that was a big project in the state government and for the ag industry, the work continues on. Representative Travis Tranel chairs the Assembly Agriculture Committee. In our monthly conversation, he says what other projects are beginning to take shape at the Capitol; the progres...

The American Farm Bureau Federation has been active in the discussions regarding Federal Milk Marketing Order Reforms for what’s really the first time. And Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Kevin Krentz says it's an effort rightly led by the dairy state. Kevin wears a few hats while advocating for Wisconsin members in Washington D.C. He serves on the American Farm Bureau board. He’s been a member of...

There were several policies in the state budget just signed by Tony Evers that will provide money for dairy initiatives. Chad Zuleger is the Director of Government Affairs for the Dairy Business Association. He gets into detail on the dairy wins in the budget and what else the organization will continue to advocate for in the next session.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From analyzing crop health to guiding spray drones, drone technology has become an important tool for farmers. Jill Welke speaks with Shawn Creviston of Chippewa Valley Technical College about the various ways drones are being used in agriculture. There were several policies in the state budget just signed by Tony Evers that will provide money for dairy initiatives. Director of Government Affairs...

Leslie Svacina is filling the farmer seat on the Wisconsin Technical College System Board. Governor Tony Evers appointed Leslie to the position earlier this summer. She has extensive background in both farming and education which qualified her for the role. The board is the oversight body for Wisconsin's 16 public, two-year technical colleges. There are 13 members, including a farmer representativ...

We talk about it more often than ever before -- mental health in production agriculture. And the national conversation includes Wisconsin farmers. Jeff Ditzenberger is the founder of TUGS, a support system that he created from his personal experiences with mental health. His story has moved to a bigger stage, including an upcoming film titled "Greener Pastures." There are two screenings scheduled...

Wisconsin will be receiving 1 billion in funding to support expanding broadband infrastructure in Wisconsin. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is responsible for administering the money that the state is receiving. They have launched a Wisconsin Internet Self-Report Survey for residents to share their internet quality. Alyssa Kenney is the Wisconsin Broadband and Digital Equity Director f...

Arnie Jennerman is the General Manager for Farm Technology Days. He shares with Pam Jahnke some of the challenges the group experienced due to the pandemic and what will be different about this years event at a neutral site in Baraboo. UW Madison hosted a Small Grains Field Day at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station. Charitee Seebecker spoke with UW Extension Soybean Specialist Dr. Shawn C...

How is the current health of our crops in Wisconsin? Is there any disease pressure present despite the drought? What can we expect for estimated overall yields? These all are million dollar questions, but UW-Extension Soybean Specialist Dr. Shawn Conley has the answers. He says disease levels are low this year however we’re not completely out of the woods. He provides some insight into the questio...

Educating youth about agriculture is top of mind for people all around the state and Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is the perfect opportunity to do just that. Anna Maenner, Farm Technology Days Show Coordinator, says youth of all ages can look forward to an expansive, entertaining and educational program this year. The youth experience at the 2023 show will be spread out throughout the grounds an...

Early adopters, that’s one way to describe the Prange family when it comes to farm technology, crop management and livestock genetics. Louis Prange is the third generation on his family’s farm and will be accepting the Centennial Farm Award from the state of Wisconsin. His grandfather bought the farm in 1910. His father pioneered crop management techniques and forage breeding. And Louis dove into...

One hundred years ago, everything was done by hand -- picking rocks out of fields, digging wells, clearing 70 acres of forest in order to farm... this was among the to-do list for a Wisconsin family to begin their legacy in Seymour, Wisconsin. Third-generation Larry Lambie tells the story of his family's Centennial Farm in the Township of Oneida. He honors his Grampa for the resiliency required to...

Bison once roamed across Wisconsin in large herds. Now the bison that call Wisconsin home are on about 70 farms across the state. At nearly 6,000 bison, Wisconsin is ranked #7 for domestically produced Bison. Pat Ries, owner Ries's Tall Grass where he raises around 100 Bison who also serves on the board for the Wisconsin Bison Producers Association, provides insight on this niche market.  See omny...