MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

2021 was incredibly busy for all the stakeholders involved in Alcivia.  Entities from across the state were brought together to formally create Alcivia. All. Together. Cooperative. Jim Dell recaps some of the highlights from the partnership and also updates members on recent acquisitions that will continue to strengthen the cooperative in 2022. Find out more about everything Alcivia can offer...

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, pressed FDA nominee Dr. Robert Califf in the latest Senate hearing about whether the FDA will begin enforcing labeling standards. Enforcing labeling standards has been a priority for the dairy industry. Several dairy and animal ag groups have advocated for enforced labeling of dairy and meat products to avoid plant-based beverages and foods from riding the coatt...

Marketing can be an emotional experience.  You're excited when you capture the highs, and disappointed when you miss them.  What if you could make sure you hit your high without constantly staring at a screen? Beth Helding, Grain Sales Leader with ALCIVIA, says farmers should explore the tools available that would allow them to lock in the price they want to receive, and then wait for th...

Forages in the dairy diet can make up as much as 70% of that animals inputs.  Making sure you're managing quality and quantity is key. Terry Zimdars, Internal Nutrition Technical Manager for Alcivia, has a couple pointers on things that can be done during harvest and afterwards, to protect the quality and quantity of the forages you have available. Find an Alcivia feed advisor near you. See o...

WI Ag Secretary, Randy Romanski, was putting the emphasis on the "green" industry during a visit to Eleva.  Bob Bosold talked with him about the holidays and the demand for everything from trees to boughs. A Wisconsin crop consultant's been named the Certified Crop Advisor Conservationist of the Year by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Ashley Huhn from Steffes Auctions alerts Pam on...

Traders and dairy farmers are all paying attention to what's happening with world dairy production.  Aaron Zimmerman talks to Mary Ledman with Rabbobank Research on what she's observing around the world. The federal vaccine mandate is worrying many Wisconsin agribusinesses.  Pam Jahnke talks with Curt Larson, president/ceo of Equity Livestock Association about what he fears.  Reside...

John and Dorothy Priske of Fall River have received the 2021 Leopold Conservation award.  Pam sits down to talk with the pair about how they let the land guide them. Traci Anderegg with Alcivia joins Pam to talk about strategic plans on how to market grain without accepting the actual payment until the next calendar year.  It's part of the Alcivia Coop Talk. Matt Tranel of EverAg joins P...

The holiday season means a lot of people will give the gift of Wisconsin cheese.  Whether it's on a tray or shipped in a box, those gifts are keeping Wisconsin cheesemakers very busy.  Although it may seem like good news, labor shortages and supply chain disruptions are making it tough.  Stephanie Hoff talks to Sid Cook from Carr Valley Cheese about the challenges he's addressing. A...

Beginning Jan. 1, Wisconsin hemp growers must have their hemp sampled by USDA-certified hemp sampling agents. This is a fee-for-service opportunity that DATCP previously performed, DATCP Bureau Director Brian Kuhn explains. Beginning in 2022, the USDA will operate Wisconsin’s hemp program, and DATCP will no longer provide hemp sampling and testing services. The hemp sampling service will be...

We all live in a vulnerable space at one time or another -- and for one reason or another. COMET aims to change the trajectory of someone in that vulnerable space headed toward crisis back toward a place of wellness, explains Farm Well Wisconsin Program Director Chris Frakes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We see that land values continue to climb across the nation.  That presents both challenges and opportunities for farmers.  Bob Bosold had the chance to visit with Matt Gunderson of the Farmers National company, who is involved with real estate and land management across 40 states in the US, for some insight on the current situation. Even though it is December and we're into winter, does...

Beef markets are strong, hog markets are suffering, but will this remain.  Farm assistant, Aaron Zimmerman had the chance to catch up with Jeff Swenson to go in depth a bit more about what's happening in the livestock and meat world.  They chat about everything from market projections, to livestock supply, to the DATCP meat processor grants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

A new three-year, $470,387 USDA Acer Access and Development grant will allow UW-Madison Division of Extension and partners to expand maple sugaring outreach and education efforts in the state. Project manager Jeremy Solin says the effort is geared toward private woodland owners, farmers and tribal communities -- groups that have been overlooked by previous outreach efforts but are well positioned...

Wisconsin’s craft breweries are facing supply chain disruptions. Zak Koga, the Vice-President of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild, says containers like aluminum cans and glass are harder and harder to come by. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca says the agency has received almost 20,000 applications for the latest round of the Farm Support Program — direct aid payments to Wisconsin farmers who have experienced economic loss due to the pandemic. 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, it didn't just impact the amount of meat on the grocery store shelves. Animals had nowhere to go. That backlog can lead to overcrowding in the barns, which would lead to animal welfare issues. The best practice to solve that is euthanization and proper disposal of the animal....

COVID-19 and its variants are influencing public health and in turn, the market and our supply chain. The latest variant, Omicron, has made its way to the Midwest. Here to shed some light on how it will impact public health is Dr. Cameron Webb. He’s a senior policy advisor on the White House COVID-19 Response Team. He does work in rural, low-income communities -- places COVID-19 has hit hard...

Brody Staple is President of Edge Dairy Cooperative and a dairy farmer himself.  The increased emphasis on sustainability in agriculture resonates with Staple.  He talks to Bob Bosold about how policy development will go hand in hand with on farm practices. The deer hunting season continues in Wisconsin and all hunters are being reminded to monitor their harvest for CWD.  Stephanie...

Wisconsin's weather is changing and soon we'll all be relying on our tires more and more for safe travel.  Stephanie Hoff visits with Brad Harris from Firestone, about some of the tire tips farmers and non-farmers should know. If you're on the hunt for a Christmas tree, you should know there may be some challenges.  Aaron Zimmerman gets the latest update from Greg Hann, president of the...

The Equipment Dealers Association recently announced the launch of its newest workforce development resource, the Women in Industry Mentoring Program. Anne Salemo, the facilitator of the initiative, says that the program will help expand professional networks within the construction and agricultural equipment dealers industry, and leave a positive lasting impact on its members and the industry as...

The demand for beer is outpacing the supply of the aluminum cans. Tight supply has pushed Ball Corporation to enact new ordering restrictions for cans, upping the minimum order 5 times over, from 200,000 cans per brand to 1 million. This is impacting craft breweries. Zak Koga is the co-owner of Karben4 Brewery in Madison and the vice president of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild. He explains more. See...

Offering broadband in rural Wisconsin has always been a challenge, but the state has been actively trying to reach underserved or unserved areas during the pandemic.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So there's a pile of money in the middle of the table.  What do you spend now versus what you hang on to for future expenses.  Sorting that out is exactly what Traci Anderegg does with Alcivia. In our Alcivia Coop Talk, she discusses different grain marketing strategies that might help producers keep some of their money. Talk to Alcivia grain marketing specialists before the end of the y...

2022 is going to be an expensive year for farmers and planning ahead is key.  Wendy Meyers with Verity Financing is standing by ready to explore options to allow farmers to capitalize on end of the year purchases. Find your Alcivia Verity advisor today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re seeing the effects of supply chain disruption all over the place from the grocery store to the mall. But products we don’t normally think about are feeling it too, for example, cover crop seeds. Andy Lavigne, the president and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association, says the seed industry is seeing the effects of supply chain disruption, too.  See omnystudio.com/listener...