MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

As colleges see the return of many programs and opportunities that disappeared during the pandemic, they are finding that the return of hands-on learning is popular with students.  Brian Sloss is the Dean of the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point. He shares more about the hands-on experiences they have to offer students, but he starts by previewing enrollment for this fall. The lates...

The Wisconsin Infant Study Cohort (WISC) project examines how farm environments, especially those with livestock, stimulate children’s immune systems and make them less likely to develop allergic diseases. The study began in 2013 comparing immune responses in cord blood from healthy babies born into farming environments and those born into non-farming environments.  Katherine Barnes, program manag...

The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association Spud Mobile is the most elaborate classroom on wheels you’ll probably ever see. Doug Foemmel is the spud mobile education and outreach administrator – he gets to drive the Spud Mobile around Wisconsin. He's glad to be back at schools and events after having to be 'closed' during the height of the pandemic. Today, though, it's the cost of fuel...

As the closing in on the end of wheat harvest nears, the quality and quantity are both looking good. Farmers are taking great care of their crops and going the extra mile to make sure they are getting the yields they want. Josh Grunnet, the Director of Bulk Procurement Commodities and Commodity Risk at ALCIVIA shares more about how this year’s wheat crop is looking and what factors have played a r...

Amy Reis is a part of Envision Greater Fond du Lac's Ag Business Council, an agricultural chamber of commerce that focuses on ag education and promotion. She wants more chambers of commerce statewide to consider growing their ag business membership. After all, Fond du Lac County is not the only ag powerhouse in the state. She says the council is hard at work year-round with their ag ambassador pro...

Dairy farmers have long been frustrated by the outdated milk pricing guidelines they've been forced to live with.  The pandemic only amplified how outdated the Federal Milk Order system is, and how very necessary updating is. Mitch Davis is a dairy producer from Minnesota that sits on the Edge Dairy Cooperative board of directors.  He is also the managing director of Davis Family Dairies in Le Sue...

Wisconsin's got a primary coming up August 9th and older voters voices matter! Pam Jahnke talks with Lisa Lamkin, Advocacy Director for AARP Wisconsin on why there's so much emphasis on older voters in the midterm election? What issues matter to older Wisconsinites? Social Security is on the list, but why does it continue to be such a key issue? Find out what AARP is doing to keep people engaged i...

The drier conditions we've had in Wisconsin this year are great for wine grapes. The fruit is starting the color right now. This process is called veraison or the onset of the ripening of grapes. Peter Botham of Botham Vineyards in Mount Horeb says he's still scouting for pests and disease up until the day they harvest in mid-September. The challenge is that if they miss a problem, they have fewer...

It is no doubt that raising and showing livestock at the county fair teaches students responsibility and hard work. But those skills that are formed with an animal expand into all aspects of ones life.  Kinsley Wetzel is a Senior in the Turtle 4-H Club. She raises and shows cattle and sheep at the Rock County 4-H Fair and beyond. Kinsley shares more about the work that goes into caring for those a...

Fair season in Wisconsin means meat animal auctions are underway to support those kiddos showing at the fair. Just make sure you have a processor lined up for bidding on those animals. DATCP Livestock and Meat Specialist Jeff Swenson shares how capacity is looking for meat processors this time of year. Meanwhile, the drought to our south and west is pushing more cattle to market, but since demand...

Rock County 4-H Fair is known as the oldest 4-H fair in the United States. While there is a rich history behind the fair, there are also some challenges that have popped up along the way. These include low fair enrollment, landlocked fairgrounds, and funding. Karen Phalin is a volunteer for the Rock County 4-H Fair as a judge and with their museum. She shares more about the history of the fair and...

How much of our farm and forestry land is owned by foreign investors? That’s a question that a new bipartisan bill aims to seek out. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development. This week she and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, introduced the Farmland Security Act. This bill aims to help USDA better scrutinize foreign inves...

County fairs present an opportunity to highlight leaders and role models. Rock County 4-H Fair has recognized this theme and is dedicating Thursday, July 28th to the veterans.  Abby Gasser is the Treasurer for Rock County 4-H Fair. She shares more about the events taking place on Thursday that will help honor the veterans. This includes free admission for veterans, a 50/50 raffle for the Edgerton...

Irrigation providers are finding that more and more farmers are looking to technology to tell them when to water and how much – a trick to save both water and money. Dave Baird with Roberts Irrigation works primarily with cranberry, potato and berry growers in central and northwestern Wisconsin. He sits down with Mid-West Farm Report at a strawberry patch in Poynette and says automated irrigation...

The WI Dept of Agriculture along with the WI Technical College System are launching a new "Meat Talent" educational campaign to recruit students into the meat processing industry.  Pam Jahnke visits with Kaitlyn Spierings from Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, about the certificate they're planning to offer and what coursework looks like. The winter wheat crop in Wisconsin is looking good....

The sweet taste of summer is growing nicely for a farmer in the Augusta area.  Jill Wilke visits with Chad Frase, a blueberry grower who says the crop this year looks marvelous. County fair activities continue around the state, and well there's plenty to see - there's also plenty to talk about if you slow down for the conversation.  That's exactly what Stephanie Hoff did when she visited with nine...

Rotating chairs at the WI Farmers Union.  President, Rick Adamski is now going to be WFU's Government Affairs Director.  Darren Von Ruden will return as the organization's president.  Bob Bosold talks to both about the adjustments. Ashley Huhn from the Steffes Group catches up with Pam Jahnke and discusses a special manure handling auction scheduled for the end of August. Stephanie Hoff talks to S...

Alex Beaver is the crop specialist for Insight FS, with a footprint circling Jefferson from Lake Mills to East Troy. He says the wheat harvest is more than halfway through and the crop is looking great with test weights and protein levels that are pretty desirable. The only thing that has held wheat back from setting records is the dry conditions this year. However, the western part of the U.S. is...

The rural Owen-Withee School District in Clark County is going on five years as a maple syrup producer. Travis Engel is the ag tech instructor at Owen-Withee High School. He’s also a third-generation maple syrup grower -- knowledge he brought with him into the 'classroom'. Owen-Withee’s school forest has a very modern sap collection operation, giving students industry experience. See omnystudio.co...

Now that strawberry season is wrapped up, growers should be thinking about how they're going to manage pests for next year, says Extension fruit crop entomologist Christelle Guédot. She talks about a major berry pest - thrips. While you're managing pests, though, think also about managing your pollinators. This ranges from planting flowers to analyzing pesticide ingredients and application times. ...

As wheat comes off the ground this summer, the quality - and quantity - of are both looking fantastic. That's the latest word from Connie Klettke, Location Manager for United Cooperative in Ripon. She says that test weights are the highest they've been in years, and the quality of the wheat is right up there.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a new law on the docket that aims to support farmers with water quality efforts. This was a bill introduced in early 2020 by the bipartisan Water Task Force. But it wasn’t passed until April of this year. This week DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski and the bill’s author Representative Katrina Shankland are starting to push the word out to farmers who may be interested in taking advantage of t...

While cow's milk is the most popular in the U.S., goat’s milk is the most popular milk worldwide. LaClare Family Creamery and Cheese Shop raises a variety of dairy goat breeds and uses the milk for items in their shop. What’s unique is that they have 700 goats on site so people can see what a goat looks like, learn more about how that cheese is made, and hopefully bring it home or try it on one of...

Wisconsin's apple crop is still looking fantastic this year! After a large bloom following last year's smaller crop, this year is being called an "on" year for the apples. The large bloom was expected for this year, as apple trees typically have a productive year following a poor crop, and the apples are still keeping up. Rami Aburomia is the Owner of Atoms to Apples Orchard in Mt. Horeb, and he h...

Now is the time to fill your fuel tanks and get your diesel needs secured for fall. This is the word from Jason Schwantz, the senior vice president of refined fuels at CHS. He says prices will hike back up come fall and fuel inventory is still not back up to pre-pandemic levels. He explains why have been experiencing whiplash in fuel prices from record lows during COVID to record highs a few month...