MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

It’s been a pretty mild winter aside from some of the outlying winter storms. And that means that propane delivery has been overall smooth. Cheryl Lytle is the executive director of the Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, which represents propane suppliers across the state. She says propane's demand season went well, and prices are looking good for consumers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Bugs aren’t showing their face yet, but it won't be long. We’ll be able to see how the efforts to manage these pests went come Spring. PJ Liesch the director of the UW-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab and state entomologist, also known as the Wisconsin Bug guy says this winter didn’t impact insects too much. He shares how the winter affected emerald ash borer and ticks and what pests we should be awa...

It’s a sad sign of change, to look across the countryside and see a once beautiful old barn sagging with age. While some have been invested in others simply cannot continue to stand. That’s where Ken Goodwin comes in. He is the owner of Wisconsin Barn Board and Beam, a company that specializes in taking down barns and salvaging the wood for its next life.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

A favorite event for farmers is ready to return. Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) will host the 61st anniversary WPS Farm Show March 28-30 on the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) grounds in Oshkosh.  Matt Cullen, media relations representative for the WPS Farm Show says the show has a longstanding tradition of helping farmers of all sizes operate as efficiently as possible. The 2023 WPS Farm...

The Farm and Industry Short Course at UW-River Falls will start October 30 and run through March 15, 2024 . The inaugural class will be limited to a cohort of 24 students. A special tuition and housing rate will be offered to the 24 students that make up this inaugural class and interested students should plan to apply before June 1.   Students will live in the UWRF residence halls and earn academ...

Even amidst economic challenges, Wisconsin does it again! The Badger State has set another record for food, forestry and agricultural product exports in 2022. A 7 percent increase from the previous record in 2021. Mark Rhoda-Reis is the director of the International Agribusiness Center at DATCP. He says exports were shipped to 142 countries totaling nearly $4.22 billion. See omnystudio.com/listene...

It's been a clear message from dairy end users, they care about how dairy farmers tend their livestock and take care of the environment.  They want details on what and how practices are impacting the environment.  Through a partnership with the Wisconsin Discovery Farms Program , in field research is turning into valuable assets in sharing that story with processors and consumers vital to the futu...

The Public Service Commission (PSC) received 74 applications to expand broadband access. This has been ongoing with grants being provided each year. PSC Chairperson, Rebecca Valcq, explains how the effort to provide broadband services in rural areas is going and why it is so important. “We have been doing this now since 2019 and have awarded nearly $340 million in funding for projects to bring exp...

There's a think tank in Minnesota that's focused on helping the public understand the investment and costs behind some of the new energy platforms they're seeing like wind turbines and solar energy panels. Isaac Orr is part of the Center of the American Experiment Conservative Think Tank, and talks to Jill Welke about it. Farmer led watershed groups are popping up all over Wisconsin, but what are...

The Midwest Horse Fair is just around the corner with a new executive director at the reins!  Teri Giannetti says everything's falling in place for another memorable event.  She updates us with Pam Jahnke. Things like wind turbines and solar energy fields have gotten the attention of a lot of rural communities in Wisconsin.  While they may be controversial, they're also generating a new job field....

Scheduled for March 15-16, 2023, at the Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., the conference will feature nearly 60 keynote, break-out, hands-on and other sessions. Additionally, the Nexus® stage will feature the newest dairy innovations and the Preview Stage will highlight ongoing dairy-related university research. The world’s political and economic landscape is evolving more quickly than ev...

Do you get anxious about starting your spring yardwork or starting your garden seeds every time the temps get above 40? Mid-West Farm Report's Stephanie Hoff feels the same way. Dane County Extension Horticulture Educator Lisa Johnson says you've got to be patient. But if you are thinking about starting your seeds indoors, she's got a list of best practices to make sure your garden thrives this ye...

The folks you rely on to tell you if there’s going to be a snow day at school in the winter or flooding in your area in the summer… actually get a lot of key information from you. The National Weather Service relies on volunteer weather observers to provide real time weather data. That data helps meteorologists make more accurate predictions about potential risks. Tim Halbach is the warning coordi...

Teri Gianneti is smiling from ear to ear at the opportunity to lead the team behind the Midwest Horse Fair!   That grand event that draws thousands from across the Midwest is ready to go April 14-16 at the Alliant Energy Center grounds in Madison. Pam Jahnke sits down with Gianneti to find out a little bit more about her background, and what she's excited about for the upcoming show!   See omnystu...

With agricultural energy expenditures climbing, farmers need to decrease expenses without sacrificing production. FOCUS ON ENERGY® can help with financial incentives to offset the installation of energy- efficient equipment. Today we are going to talk about the following: Irrigation Pump Assessment Offering and VSD Adding Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) on Ventilation Grain   Irrigation Systems I...

The fervor over growing and processing hemp in Wisconsin has waned a bit in the past few years.  Stephanie Hoff visits with Phil Alberti and discusses why enthusiasm for the crop has slipped. Although the search for our next Alice in Dairyland is underway, current "Alice" Taylor Schaefer is busy beating the drum for March Madness sports and celebrating teams and gatherings with cheese - Wisconsin...

Consumer preference can change any farms business model pretty quickly.  Introducing the beet.  A new health trend that's got Adam D'angel, a UW grad who used his master's work to guide plant development for beets.  Carrie Mess investigates what's happening. Wisconsin's dairy industry is closely monitoring guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration over the use of "milk" on labels of plant b...

Alfalfa is on the minds of many when it comes to implementing it into a crop rotation. But it is also a key focus of researchers to determine its true value. Deborah Samac, Supervisory Research Geneticist  and Research Leader for the Plant Science Research Unit at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Minnesota says there are diseases affecting being able to get alfalfa started. “There’s a num...

The month of March is time for basketball brackets, high school sports games, and also more time spent with family and friends. 75th Alice in Dairyland, Taylor Schaefer, explains more about how to make these celebrations complete with Wisconsin Dairy products. “In Wisconsin we have more than 1,200 licensed cheesemakers that create over 600 varieties, types, and styles of cheese,” says Schaefer. “W...

Cedar Crest Ice Cream and the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation have announced the winner and finalists of the 2022 Cedar Crest Ice Cream Flavor Creation Contest. The finalists will get a Cedar Crest Ice Cream party, and the Grand Prize winner will have an ice cream party and will be awarded $500. Your Grand Prize winner is the Pilsen Skylighters of Kewaunee County for their flavor, Cow Lick. Cedar Crest M...

Caregiving, expanding broadband, small business retirement plans, and increasing livable communities.  Those are some of the goals that AARP of Wisconsin's focused on at the state capitol Pam Jahnke visits with Martha Crannley, State Director AARP, about early meetings their having with senators and assembly representatives to explain the value in funding these areas. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Young people are engaging in early leadership opportunities including those available through the National Farmers Union.  Charitee Seebecker visits with Wisconsinite Olivia Roth about her eight years of involvement in different elements of leadership training. Ashley Huhn from the Steffes Group joins Pam Jahnke for their weekly update.  Consignment sales are hot right now offering people with jus...

The White House released a plan for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Conducting research to help aid this decarbonization plan are University of Wisconsin researchers. Tim Donahue, director of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center says their work started in 2007 and it will take years of additional research to reach a point of producing enough advanced biofuels but he...

Accurate weather forecasts are critical to local government. Whether it’s deciding when to start salting and plowing operations, staging barricades for an expected flood-related road closure or planning maintenance operations, decisions made based on the forecast impact both operations and the budget. The key to improving weather forecasts and improving accuracy is knowing what actually happened o...

The Wisconsin Beef Council is all about research, promotion and education for the states beef producers, but that also includes a lot of dairy animals in Wisconsin. Tammy Vassen, executive director of the WI Beef Council , explains how the dairy population in the state are benefiting from some of the research the WI Beef Council's invested in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.