MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

According to the experts, military veterans are a perfect fit for bees. U.S. Army Veteran Adam Ingrao says beekeeping is a way to continue serving the country, because bees are essential in pollinating our nation’s food supply. He also says it’s rewarding work emotionally, physically and financially. These are a few of several reasons Ingrao started Heroes to Hives, a program that gives accredited...

Mushrooms in Wisconsin?!  Yes - Carrie Mess visits with Jennifer Brown, the General Manager at River Valley Ranch, to find out what it takes to succeed in this area of agriculture. Wisconsin agriculture is responding with support for the budget items announced by Gov. Tony Evers in his address Wednesday evening. The Wisconsin Ag Coalition is one supporting faction. Love in the parts department? CJ...

There were a lot of active listeners at this year's Grasswork's Grazing Conference.  Jason Cavadini, UW-Extension Grazing Specialist, was one of the keynote presenters.  Charitee Seebecker talks with Cavadini about the direction that grazing is taking in the state and why. Inflation, interest rates and a possible recession is not having an impact on auction business.  Pam Jahnke visits with Ashley...

We’re checking in with Dairy Girl Network, which is approaching its 10-year anniversary. The organization has been able to secure more than 5,000 members from Coast to Coast, but it has its sights set on more growth to underserved populations, such as the Latina community. DGN has humble roots in Wisconsin. President and Founder Laura Daniels says the group started during World Dairy Expo almost 1...

Imagine you’re hungry, unable to afford food. This is the reality of many in Wisconsin. To help supply these people with the nutrition they need, food pantries are a must. Erin Waldhart is the executive director of the WAFER Food Pantry in La Crosse. She explains how they support their community and the benefit of their mobile food pantry. The WAFER Mobile Food Pantry is a food pantry on wheels th...

Representing Wisconsin's farmers on a national level isn't for everyone. But for one woman, it was her dream. Olivia Roth is a Wisconsin youth who is serving on the National Farmers Union Youth Advisory Council (NYAC). She helps to promote policy and better the future of Wisconsin farmers. She explains how her family's values are what led her to this opportunity. “My family were some of the foundi...

Exciting and beet breeding don’t usually go in the same sentence. But one recent UW Madison grad has managed to share his excitement about his masters program work in a way that has people eager to learn more about plant genetics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More and more people are coming back to the Sinsinawa Mound Center post-pandemic. And the center encourages more folks to come out to enjoy the history, nature trails and vegetable farm. Laurana Snyder is the horticulturist and farm coordinator at Sinsinawa. She manages the oak savannah, prairie and collaborative farm, which is land set aside for beginning farmers. You can find all the upcoming ev...

Since 2020, the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance has released five different rounds of grant money to dairy businesses across several states, including Wisconsin. The money totals more than $6 million dollars. One of the dairy businesses here in Wisconsin to get awarded a few of these grants is Alpinage Artisan Cheese in Oak Creek, just 10 minutes south of Milwaukee. Founder Orphee Paillotin has...

When you're working out or playing sports, what do you drink to refuel yourself? Is it water or maybe gatorade? Well it could be GoodSport. GoodSport is a dairy-based sports drink that professional athletes and elite competitors are taking by storm and is now launching in over 1,000 WalMart locations in the Midwest. Michelle McBride is the Founder and CEO of GoodSport and says this idea stemmed fr...

Have you ever looked at a potato and wondered how did people know to eat this? And then how did it make its way into food around the world? This has been the interest of Laurana Snyder's for the last decade. Snyder is the horticulturist and farm coordinator at Sinsinawa Mounds. She’ll be leading a discussion on the history of common vegetables on March 9. Snyder gives Mid-West Farm Report a previe...

Insurance. It’s something you may not think about until you have to use it. Insurance for county fairs is a bit different than the insurance you have for your home or life. Robert Holmes of Spectrum Weather Insurance and Andrew Vandepopulier of Haas & Wilkerson Insurance specialize in helping people understand just what their insurance policy really means. Since the pandemic there have been ma...

Conservation, carbon credits, environmental sustainability. It’s been a topic at almost every winter conference this year covering every commodity from dairy to cash crops and from livestock to specialty crops. It’s also a key priority at the national level as USDA continues its ‘Climate Smart’ agenda. But there are plenty of farmers that have already been making strides in conservation. One examp...

Pork producers, and all of animal agriculture, continue to wait for a verdict from the U.S. Supreme Court on Prop 12.  This ballot initiative from California threatens the pork industry and market access.  Michael Fromica is with the National Pork Producers Council and monitors the movement on Prop 12.  He explains what's at risk if this directive is adopted. Wolf management is one of the two big...

Wisconsin Ag Secretary, Randy Romanski, was recently recognized by the WI Pork Association for his work on behalf of pork producers and processors during the pandemic.  Now Romanski is taking one more step in helping to enhance the meat processing industry with a new course on humane handling of livestock.  Jill Welke discusses the coursework with him. Wisconsin agriculture is watching policy deve...

It's almost time for Wisconsin to shine as the host for the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.  John Umhoeffer, executive director of the hosting WI Cheesemakers Association visits with Pam Jahnke about the history of the event and what it means to host it. Mental health resources are scarce in many areas of Wisconsin, but those counselors that are available are trying to help connect people as bes...

This weekend beef producers and breeders from across the state will get together to look at marketing trends and legislation that's being developed.  It's the Wisconsin Cattleman's Association winter conference.  Stephanie Hoff gives us a preview. There's another preview of an upcoming event focused on farmers from across the country.  Wisconsin will play host to the National Outstanding Young Far...

Agenda's are continuing to come together for policy work at the state capitol.  Wisconsin agriculture's watching.  Bob Bosold talks with Jordan Lamb, policy consultant representing a lot of Wisconsin farm organizations.  She explains some priorities they're working on. Jared Hitchins is one of the staff in Wisconsin working with the Steffes Group.   Pam Jahnke catches up with him at the WI Corn/So...

This is the time of year when farms are making new equipment acquisitions and making upgrades on equipment they've been using.  The technology involved in today's farming equipment though has led to a real shortage of available technicians that can service that equipment.  Carrie Mess visits with Josh Gruett about recruitment for these key roles. For the first time in more than 20 years, Wisconsin...

It's that time of year! Maple syrup producers are getting ready for that perfect sugaring temperature. Steve Anderson is the third generation operating Anderson Maple Syrup in Cumberland. They package about 4,000-5,000 gallons a week of maple syrup for several area producers. And then they ship it all over the U.S. Steve is also the president of the WMSPA. He’s got a great perspective on harvest y...

Providing the right kind of entertainment for different types of events to make sure that everyone attending has a great experience can be a hard task. Managing and recruiting so many different acts can also be challenging, especially during a pandemic. Tim Stevens of G.L. Berg Entertainment provides entertainment for all types of business parties, cruises, and conferences, but his favorite to wor...

County Highway officials are monitoring roads to know when to post and lift road restrictions. Fond du Lac County Highway Commissioner Tom Janke says that you may not see damage right away for hauling over the load limit as it is a progressive damage that deteriorates the infrastructure or pavement over time. He reminds farmers to pay attention to the weight of their loads and that there are permi...

This fall, USDA announced historic investments to support farmer-led projects to fight climate change. Organic Valley was one of 16 projects in Wisconsin to get money. The cooperative got $25 million for its carbon insetting program. The money will help farmers establish new practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Wade Miller is the vice president of farm resources and sustainability with Or...

Pheasants forever is dedicated to benefiting wildlife by preserving native habitats and educating landowners on how to do it. Heather Doherty is a Farm Bill Biologist for Pheasants Forever. She sees first hand the benefit of planting native species and encouraging the habitats to grow and explains more about what they do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association says growers are positioned well to start 2023. However, 2022's crop was less than desirable, and economic challenges are persisting. Meanwhile, the Cranberry Research Station and the industry is working on better varieties, pest resistance and frost protection. And the Wisconsin Cranberry Board is monitoring expo...