MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

A group of beef, pork, goat and sheep producers in southwest Wisconsin are working to try and improve the meat processing system locally.  Heidi Oppor tells Pam Jahnke about Meatsmith Cooperative.  An idea that started in small conversations has now accelerated to acquiring a commercial space, and making plans for beginning of processing.  She explains where their business plan is e...

Weather hasn't been real cooperative for any farmer in the Upper Midwest. On this edition of Wyffels Wednesday, Ryan Gentle, Agronomy Specialist in north central Illinois, reminds growers that there's still time to plant a fantastic crop for 2022. Get connected with Ryan, or any of the Wyffels team at wyffels.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With colder, wet weather circling Wisconsin - people pondering their lawn have a little more time to plan their strategy.  From seed selection, to fertilizer and mowing - there's a few things you might want to consider to keep that lawn lush. Doug Soldat, UW-Madison Professor with expertise in turf management, says that there's still some seed shortages that budding lawn owners may face.&nbsp...

The kids at Haakhagen Goats Grazing in Poynette are awfully cute, but they have another superpower to win hearts -- combating invasive species. Co-owner Greg Haak is wrapping up kidding season at his farm. This summer, he's contracting two herds of 50 goats to the city of Madison to rotationally graze in seven parks. This is a tool to wipe out invasive species taking over natural areas. Haak tells...

With the delays provided by Mother Nature this year, almost all Wisconsin farmers are anxious to get going with fieldwork and planting.  The good news - if you're working with Alcivia Coop - your supplies are ready to go. That's the word from Greg Springer, Alcivia Agronomy Sales Technician.  Springer says Alcivia was very forward thinking and aggressive in 2021 to make sure tough to fin...

If you're not at the table - you're on the menu.  That's a phrase that production agriculture must keep in mind as more and more communities craft ordinances either limiting expansion or existence in general.  Pam Jahnke talks with Kim Bremmer from Venture Dairy Cooperative. Land values continue to rise as interest rates climb.  Ashley Huhn from Steffes Auction Group discusses recen...

Managing the business side of farm transitions is often easier than managing the people side, according to Monica Kramer McConkey. She's one of two rural mental health professionals contracted by the state of Minnesota. McConkey consults farm families on the relationship and social aspects they go through during a farm transition. She recalls her family's farm transition as fairly smooth, but not...

If you've been following Fabulous Farm Babe on Facebook, you might have noticed a "SCAM" alert posted on Friday afternoon.  It told the story of a southeast Wisconsin dairy operation that was targeted.  The post stated that the farm was relocating and wanted to "rehome" some cattle.  Since that post, life at Golden E has been anything but normal. Kim Saari took a moment to explain t...

It's estimated that 50% of the workforce helping our Wisconsin dairy industry move are made up of illegal, undocumented immigrants.  The Wisconsin Farmers Union wants to host an open dialog about what that means to Wisconsin agriculture, and what that means in policy development. Nick Levendofsky is the Government Relations Director with WFU.  He speaks with Pam Jahnke about an upcoming...

The Association of Women in Agriculture invite you to their 2022 Breakfast on the Farm. And it's finally in-person after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. AWA will welcome you on May 1 to the Stock Pavilion on the UW-Madison campus with a hearty, farm-style breakfast, celebrity appearances, live entertainment, baby animals, and activities for the kids. Junior McKenzie Trinko and sophomore Oli...

2022 is already proving to be a challenge for Wisconsin agriculture.  High input costs, temperamental weather, and more congestion on rural roadways than ever before.  Now, more than ever, farmers and their families need to keep the emphasis on operating safely. Chris Schlechta is the Safety & Loss Control Manager for Rural Mutual Insurance.  His goal is simple.  To make su...

The first half of the fiscal year (July-Dec 2021) brought 438 new inquiries to the Wisconsin Farm Center -- this equates to over 3 calls per day, according to Program Supervisor Dan Bauer. The third quarter of the fiscal year (Jan-March) brought 278 new inquiries or over 4 calls per day. This is a more than 25 percent increase in the third quarter than in the first two quarters combined. This is a...

Located in southeastern Sullivan, Wisconsin is Heritage Honeybee. It is the nation’s largest distributor of bees. Owner Tim Wilbanks moves bee colonies and queen bees from northern California and southeastern Georgia to a seven-state region around the Great Lakes. Tim is about halfway through his season even though the recent cool weather doesn't suggest that it’s time for spring. But...

How many times have you toyed with the idea of where you'd like to retire?  I'm guessing in the middle of winter those ideas get more serious, and the destinations perhaps a little farther south.  For many Wisconsinites, the goal is simply to stay where their at. Pam Jahnke visits with Darrin Wasniewski, Associate State Director- Community Outreach for AARP Wisconsin .  They've actu...

Fuel prices, freight charges and avian influenza are driving up prices for organic fertilizer, according to Steve Lundeen with Midwestern BioAg. Lundeen manages the Milledgeville, Illinois location. Supply is tight for chicken litter because of the depopulation of big flocks and it's hard for trucks to go in and out with biosecurity measures, he says. High commodity prices make for an ideal time t...

With avian influenza making headlines across the state, the importance of the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC) has been amplified.  Pam Jahnke visits with Jodi Legge, executive director of WLIC on the consortium's background and what role it's playing in protecting Wisconsin agriculture. Saturday the Grilled Cheese Championship returns to Dodgeville.  Pam talks with P...

Jelli's Market is a diversified, family farming operation smack dab between Madison and Milwaukee in Helenville. Year-round, the farm store offers a bounty of meat, eggs, preserves and baked goods. In the summer, the family welcomes thousands to pick and purchase produce. To get ready for their customers -- hailing from large urban centers, including Chicago -- the Knoebel family is in the greenho...

Based on last year's scouting, 2022 is predicted to be another tough year for corn rootworms in areas of the Midwest. Make sure you're staying vigilant! With the price of corn looking desirable, farmers may be replanting corn this spring. Back to back corn plantings increase rootworm risk. The best mitigation practice is crop rotation. Larvae feed on roots in late spring/early summer, causing stal...

As energy prices continue to rise, many people are looking at alternatives.  One man in rural Augusta in Eau Claire county has been looking for those alternatives for more than 10 years.  Jill Welke talks to Matt Gabler about the evolution of renewable energy at his farm, starting with a wind turbine erected over 10 years ago. Land values are really driving some of the auction action tha...

Monitoring a company's impact on the environment, as well as working with its patrons to protect the environment, is a big job.  Tom Overby is the Environmental and Regulatory Specialist for Alcivia. He covers all territories served by Alcivia. Regulations and guidelines are always changing, and it's Overby's job to keep all facets of Alcivia compliant. Want to find out more about how Alcivia...

With the cooler temperatures we’ve been having in Wisconsin, specialty crops are slow to get into the ground, but it’s nothing unusual. The Gumz Muck Farms in Endeavor specializes in specialty crops such as potatoes, onions and carrots. Fourth-generation farmer Richard Gumz shares more about this spring’s weather conditions and what it takes to produce these Something Special fro...

Even if you've grown up in a community all your life.  Even if your family and farm has been there generations, there's a growing number of "neighbors" that may be working quietly behind the scenes to undermine your farms ability to sustain your family. Pam Jahnke talks with Kim Bremmer from Venture Dairy Cooperative, about small groups in county's that are creating big changes in what kinds...

The Farm and Industry Short Course(FISC) story is apparently far from over as far as curriculum development and on campus residential experiences.  That's the opinion of Kevin Krenz, President of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation(WFBF). After an hour long listening session hosted by FISC, WFBF leadership as well as the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) scheduled an additiona...

Richard Gumz is the fourth generation of Gumz family farmers at Gumz Muck Farms in Endeavor where specialty crops are a plenty, from carrots and onions to peppermint and spearmint. Gumz has about 600 acres of mint this year -- the lowest ever. He says it's because the end-users of mint oil (such as toothpaste or gum manufacturers) are sourcing it cheaper from Asia. However, North American mint is...

Beth Schaefer is nearly a month into her new position as the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom coordinator. She came in during Ag in the Classroom's busiest time of year -- spring. It's these last few months of school that 4th graders will hop on the bus for what will likely be their first time interacting with a farmer and seeing where their food, fuel and fiber come from...