MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Jacob Brey shares how his farm, Brey Cycle Farm in Door County, is farming with conservation in mind. Brey and his wife, brother and sister-in-law milk about 700 cows, raise beef cattle and care for more than 1,000 acres of crops. He says utilizing cover crops, low disturbance manure injection, rotational grazing and alternative forages have improved the farm not only from an environmental aspect,...

Manure application is a part of the conservation conversation in Wisconsin. Jesse Dvorachek is a custom manure applicator out of Northeast Wisconsin. He explains how the sustainability conversation fits into his line of work. He says they need multiple pieces of equipment to fit the farmers' conservation visions. He also predicts they'll see more spring manure application this year due to higher c...

Projects are out there to showcase leading-edge conservation practices that improve water quality. Barry Bubolz is with the USDA's NRCS. He's a field coordinator with the Lower Fox Demonstration Farms Network. He works with individual farms to implement conservation on-farm to stop nutrient loss and build soil health. He says top of mind in 2022 is working with producers and getting them comfortab...

New bipartisan legislation opens up the use of clean, American-made renewable fuels that are available right now to replace banned Russian oil.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is calling for American biofuel to be unleashed with bipartisan legislation to replace Russian oil with clean, American-made renewable fuels that are available right now.  Farm assistant Aaron Zimmerman had a chance to...

Alumni and students continue to respond to the announcement made by College of Ag, Life Science officials on the UW-Madison campus.  They're making big adjustments to the Farm and Industry Short Course program.  Pam Jahnke visits with FISC director, Jennifer Blazek, about what it means for the future of the program. Ashley Huhn from the Steffes Auction Group joins Pam Jahnke to discuss s...

Wisconsin's proud of its cheesemaking history, but it took a page from Switzerland when it comes to their Master Cheesemaker Program.  Aaron Zimmerman speaks with Swiss cheesemaker and judge, Stefan Truttman during the World Cheese Championship. Deadlines are approaching for several USDA programs farmers need to be involved with. Pam Jahnke visits with Gene Schriefer, State Director of USDA's...

Laura Herschleb started her new role with World Dairy Expo just over a week ago. In this role, Herschleb, the first female WDE leader, will provide leadership, vision, and strategic oversight to the organization and lead its dedicated team to produce the world’s largest dairy event. She gives Mid-West Farm Report's Stephanie Hoff an update on the 2022 show schedule -- which is different from...

Feed is one of those day-to-day elements that many livestock owners may take for granted.  You place the order, it arrives - you feed it.  What you may not realize are all the elements to that feed that undergo scrutiny and examination. Mary Williams, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager at Alcivia, explains what happens behind the scenes in monitoring sources for feed ingredients,...

Wisconsin's Dairy Innovation Hub funding is reaping benefits in the way of new staff, and new technology.  Stephanie Hoff visits with Terra Montgomery, Platteville professor and coordinator for the Dairy Innovation Hub.  She explains how the funding commitment from the state of Wisconsin is invigorating the dairy industry's long term view. It's lambing time on the farm and Stephanie Hoff...

Encouraging young people to take an interest in food security.  That's part of the primary goal of the World Food Prize Wisconsin Youth Institute.  Aaron Zimmerman talks to Lauryn Christianson about the event and how students can still participate. Abi Quinlan has taken over the reins of the WI FFA Foundation as their executive director.  This former FFA member visits with Aaron Zim...

A favorite event for farmers is ready to return. Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) will host the 60th anniversary WPS Farm Show March 29-31 on the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) grounds in Oshkosh.  Matt Cullen, media relations representative for the WPS Farm Show joins farm assistant Aaron Zimmerman to discuss the upcoming event. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The application for the Wisconsin Agriculture Youth Council is now available. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) encourages students who will be high school seniors during the 2022 – 2023 school year to apply to be a member of this elite group. Farm assistant Aaron Zimmerman caught up with Wisconsin Secretary of Ag Randy Romanski to learn more abou...

It turns out that barn chores compliment veterinary school. Appleton native Lindsey Wichman is a first-year student at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison. While she pursues a veterinary career, she also volunteers at the UW Sheep Unit in Arlington. During lambing season, this experience keeps her on her toes. She explains why this volunteer opportunity works for her. See omnystudio.co...

Wisconsin's current legislative session has been active, specifically in implementing new programs and focusing their efforts towards agriculture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With in-person contact limited last year, some students took that as an opportunity to reach even more people with their agriculture education efforts. The Association of Women in Agriculture at UW-Madison, who hosted virtual events all of last year, plans to bring one of their largest fundraisers back to campus later this spring.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sun stays out longer and the weather is warming up. Those are signs of spring. Looking for another? It's lambing season at the UW Sheep Unit in Arlington! It's labor-intensive work. Sheep Unit Director Todd Taylor has spent sleepless nights in the barns making sure the ewes and their new lambs are starting off on the right foot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now that weather's improving, many people are ready to start planning their garden.  It's an outlet that's become more popular during the pandemic across multiple demographics.  Stephanie Hoff talks with Nathan Zondag from Jung Seeds about supply demand issues and their audience. Switzerland captured the World Champion Cheese title Thursday in Madison for the second time.  Aaron Zim...

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-efficiency equipment. Today Pam Jahnke visits with Joel Roltgen, a Focus on Energy Advisor who's reminding producers about some great energy incentives they might want to consider now.  ...

If you enjoy a cheese that’s been wine, beer or spirit washed, you’re not alone. In response to consumer trends, the World Championship Cheese Contest added a new class for cheesemakers to compete. It’s the wine and sprit-washed rind cheeses. While it’s a new class, it’s not a new technique. This is best explained by Pat Mugan who leads research and development at Sar...

According to the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, there’s been a rise in interest in Latin American-style fresh cheeses. This was accelerated by the pandemic as people sought out higher-end cheeses for taco night, for example. I caught up with Alan Hamann who represents V&V Supremo while volunteering at the World Championship Cheese Contest. V&V Supremo took home medals in the La...

Marianne Smukowski and Kerry Kaylegian are the creams of the crop when it comes to distinguishing a champion butter from the rest. Marianne, formerly with the Center for Dairy Research, and Kerry, a Penn State professor, were charged with judging butter from across the globe at the 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest. They share what it takes to be a winner in the salted and unsalted butter cla...

March is coming in like a lamb! It's lambing season at the UW Sheep Facility in Arlington, which relies on Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine student volunteers to help ewes and their new lambs stay healthy and happy after birth. Student Emily Massie says this experience allows her to get a producer perspective, which is important because that’s who they’ll be serving upon graduat...

The World Championship Cheese Contest is not only a chance for judges to sample some of the best cheeses the world has to offer, but to also learn from other dairy enthusiasts from across the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Championship Cheese contest is definitely an international event!  One of the countries that takes just as much pride in their cheese as Wisconsin does is Switzerland.  Switzerland is also the only place in the world outside of Wisconsin that has a master cheese maker program.  Their program has been around for over 100 years, while Wisconsin's started in 1994 and based mu...

Judges from across the world met at the World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, WI this week, eager to select winners across 141 classes. A total of 2,978 entries were submitted by cheesemakers from 29 countries worldwide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.