MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Consumer trends continue to change over time.  Younger generations tend to be "putting their money where their mouth is" and focusing on the values behind the food produced and the companies selling, rather than just the value of the product.  Charlie Arnot is part of the Center for Food Integrity and was a speaker at the recent Dairy Insight Summit with PDPW.  He shares what trends...

Wisconsin is a food processing powerhouse. And that critical infrastructure makes the Badger State vulnerable to cyberattacks, according to Jen Pino-Gallagher of M3 Insurance. Pino-Gallagher is the director of agriculture, food and business at M3. She says any operations with internet, email or software, then essentially those businesses are at risk. Hackers target food processors to steal data, c...

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will welcome Sally Ladsten on Jan. 31 as the new Agriculture Food and Natural Resources Education Consultant. In that role, Ladsten will also serve as the Wisconsin FFA Advisor. She steps into the shoes of the late Jeff Hicken, who passed in June of 2021. She praises Hicken as her mentor.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a shock to the livestock supply chain. When processing plants had to shut down due to outbreaks, animals had nowhere to go. The best practice to solve that is euthanization and proper disposal of the animal. Keri Retallick, executive vice president of the Wisconsin Pork Association, says dollars are going toward researching depopulation for future pandemics/animal disease...

The National Pork Board's sustainability goals focus on the welfare of the pigs, people and the planet. Stephanie Hoff and Dr. Brett Kaysen, vice president of sustainability for the National Pork Board, discuss the WE CARE principles that emphasize taking care of employees, which in turn improve animal welfare and make environmental sustainability possible.    See omnystudio.com/listener...

In Wisconsin, corn and soybeans is the primary rotation. But that's not the same in all 50 states. In Arkansas, soybeans can be rotated with rice. Brad Doyle is the vice president of the American Soybean Association -- he's one of those farmers rotating those grains. While the U.S. isn't a top five producer of rice, it's large in its scale, Doyle says. The U.S. is a leading exporter of rice becaus...

Pam Jahnke talks to ecologist Randy Jackson and economist Brad Barham with Grassland 2.0. Both are proponents of incorporating grassland in agriculture. The duo explains grasses in your crop rotation can stop land from getting tired, and it benefits pollinators, fish and birds. In 2022, Grassland 2.0 will send a census to the state's 6,000 dairy farmers asking about views on policy. U.S. Sen. Tamm...

As companies set goals to reduce their carbon footprints, they turn to agriculture to achieve those metrics. One of the largest dairy buyers in the world, Nestlé, plans to have a net zero carbon footprint by 2050. Dan Peerless leads sustainable sourcing at Nestlé. He says roughly 72 percent of their footprint is from sourcing food ingredients. More than a third of Nestlé's foo...

Exports are key part of the cheese business for Nasonville Dairy in Marshfield. Master Cheesemaker Ken Heiman exports cheese all over the U.S., China, Canada and Saudi Arabia, to name a few. He says exports look good right now. And he praises the state for investing $5 million in DATCP to increase dairy, meat and other ag products by 25 percent within five years. Half of that money is directed spe...

For reference, last year, the harvest wrapped up Oct. 15. This year, the harvest wasn't completed until Halloween at Alsum Farms & Produce. Beau Hartline, farm manager at Alsum, called it "brutal." He explains that when the temperature is 70 degrees or higher, the spuds can't handle cooling down to the desired 40 degrees in storage. The damage equates to a small percentage, but costs hundreds...

Environmental sustainability and conservation are top priorities for the American Soybean Association. ASA Vice President Brad Doyle says the organization is telling the story of soybean conservation success as climate change becomes the most prominent issue facing the globe. In addition, ASA execs work to build demand in new markets for American soybeans, such as in Africa. Infrastructure is also...

Aaron Zimmerman talks to Henry Vilas Zoo lead zookeeper Gary Hartlage about keeping animals, such as rhinos and giraffes, happy and healthy in the winter. It's more than keeping them fed and watered. Animals need engagement to prevent being bored if they have to stay inside.  Cranberry processor Ocean Spray sees obstacles and opportunities going into the new year. Tom Tritt, plant manage...

Wisconsin is number one in the nation in cranberry production!  Farm assistant Stephanie Hoff had the chance to talk with Nodji Van Wychen of Wetherby Cranberry Company.  She shared that the 2021 harvest showed a lower yield, but work doesn't stop to prepare for next year.  A challenge for cranberry growers however is finding labor to keep things going year round. Along with your ho...

A new agriculture themed book is out on the market called Ancestral. Pam Jahnke talks with author Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Cooperative Network, a former DATCP administrator and former Illinois dairy farmer. His poetry is about the life cycles in all agriculture. ALCIVIA President and CEO Jim Dell gives the Mid-West Farm Report insight on what the cooperative's goals are for 2022 after i...

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, Inc. is pleased to announce that the 2024 Farm Technology Days show will be held in Chippewa County.  The dates for the 2024 show and the host farm will be selected at a later date. The show, which is the largest outdoor farm show in Wisconsin, is proud to continue the 65 plus year tradition.  Chippewa County last hosted the event in 2004.   The show...

Julie Sweney, head of communications at FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, says that as winter district meetings wrap up and we head into the new year, now is the time for members to voice their industry related concerns to the cooperative. Some of which have revolved around the ongoing pandemic, new policies and dairy markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The entire energy complex from crude oil to propane has been bouncing all over the place.  That's keeping everyone on their toes on securing supplies and protecting prices.  Stewart Anhalt, Energy Sales for ALCIVIA, says every day is different and producers/consumers need to stay involved in the conversation. Still need to secure energy supplies.  Talk to an ALCIVIA team member. See...

During the holiday season many people pause to donate gifts or money to others.  The dairy industry is in the giving mood too.  Aaron Zimmerman talks to Rebecca Heagney with Dairy Farmers of America about their dairy donation program with food pantries. U.S. Ag Secretary, Tom Vilsack, spent Thursday afternoon at the Hinchley Dairy in Cambridge talking about revisions to the Dairy Margin...

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days 2021 is history, but a show of that size needs a little time to wrap up final details.  Bob Bosold talks with board chair, Mike Gintner, about the challenges of keeping a show organized during a pandemic. Farm parents are being recruited to participate in an awareness project launched by the National Farm Medicine Center in Marshfield.  Do stories of farm a...

He's well known across the Upper Midwest.  Charlie Beren's "Manitowoc Minute" connects a lot of people.  Pam Jahnke talks with him about his latest book "The Midwest Survival Guide", and how he finds material that rings so true to many. Confrontation in policy development is bound to happen, but the River Alliance of Wisconsin is planning to concentrate more on similarities than differen...

Tis the season for baking and holiday meal preparation.  One ramification of the pandemic though, has been a lack of available spices for everything from cheese ingredients to baking flavors.  Stephanie Hoff finds out that black pepper is one of those ingredients lacking.  Excalibur Spice salesman, John Brewer, says they pull products from around the world and that involves supply c...

The looming federal vaccine mandate has many agribusinesses and farms worried about keeping production on track in 2022.  Pam talks with Curt Larson, President/CEO of the Equity Livestock Association about what it could mean to livestock marketing in the state. Another record breaking auction with the Steffes Auction Group.  Ashley Huhn joins Pam in this paid segment discussing a John De...

Community members came together with farmers in Polk and Burnett Counties to fight ag misinformation by launching their own billboard campaign. Farmers and their neighbors initially raised over $10,000 dollars, with money continuing to come in from people around the state to fund the straightforward and impactful messages of this campaign. They read “So God Made a Farmer,” and “F...

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, says the $3 trillion Build Back Better proposal is focused on removing barriers to reenter the workforce and lowering costs for families, such as making child care and at-home senior care more affordable. She says that is key for rural communities in Wisconsin. Baldwin also tells the Mid-West Farm Report the price tag isn't an issue because it's already paid for...

During his visit to Hinchley Dairy in Cambridge, U.S. Ag Secretary, Tom Vilsack, gave praise to the success of the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance.  DBIA is a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) that develops and administers programs providing technical assistance as well as grants to dairy farms and businesses in Illin...