MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Even though we have been enjoying the nice warm summer and mild fall weather, the bitter cold Wisconsin winter weather will be here before you know it.  With that comes a greater need to heat our homes and farms.  Many people in rural areas rely on propane to accomplish that, but this year as with many other fuels around the globe, we may face a propane shortage.  Lee Parker, Vice P...

Dairy farmers often do not consider biomass energy investments because of the regulatory and business hurdles they can face, explains John Holevoet, director of government affairs at the Dairy Business Association. DBA has partnered with the Wisconsin Biomass Energy Coalition in efforts to make digesters and biomass energy investments more appealing in Wisconsin. WBEC is waiving the $500 annual me...

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicide Prevention Coalition of Iowa County founder and outreach coordinator Susan Springer references 820 suicides in 2020 as reported by the Department of Health Services. For every one of those 820 suicides, there were 25 attempts, she says. And farmers are not immune to mental health crises that result in depression and suicide. See omnystudio.c...

Hay making season is winding down here in the state of Wisconsin as fall is nearing.  That will also increase the need to now feed some of those forages harvested to our livestock through the fall and winter.  Richard Halopka, Crops & Soils Specialist with UW-Extension in Clark County shares a current hay market and supply update. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2019, international fast food chain A&W sold over 7 million pounds of Wisconsin cheese curds. Lined up end-to-end, the curds would equal two round trips from Milwaukee to Green Bay, according to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Building relationships between Wisconsin dairy and restaurants nationwide is the job of Rick Findlay, the vice president of food service at DFW, the marketing arm for the...

Hygiene products made with sheep's milk are also becoming increasingly popular, especially for people with sensitive skin.  Tammy and Brian Michielson, owners of Maple Hill Farm of Ladysmith, Wisconsin have expanded their business into creating a wide variety of these products.  Tammy sells homemade soaps, lotions, bath products and many other things, made exclusively from their milking...

Karen Nielsen, organization director for the Sheep Dairy Association of Wisconsin shares some of the unique qualities of sheep milk and details about the industry.  Even though the industry is small, producers of dairy sheep are wide spread across the state of Wisconsin.  Most of these sheep dairies ship their milk to be processed into cheese at multiple processors around the state. See...

Ginny Olson of Fevolden Farm Alpacas in Black River Falls can be found at most festivals featuring animal fibers or local businesses. Her family's farm raises alpacas for fiber and turns those fibers into products for crafts or fashion. Olson says alpaca fiber is a sought out alternative to sheep's wool because it is easier to clean and less irritating to the skin for some folks.   See o...

The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival was a success this year, and one of the elements that made it a success was the stock dog trials that were held.  What does it take to raise/train a successful stock dog?  Aaron Zimmerman talks with John Wentz, exhibitor at the show, about those elements. Use equipment prices continue to climb as we get closer to the harvest season.  Ashley Huhn...

World Beef Expo is on the horizon and Cody Quam, president of the World Beef Expo board explains what they've been doing to engage with exhibitors.  He also recaps the successful show they held in 2020 despite the pandemic. Tar spot is revealing its ugly head in Wisconsin corn fields again this year.  Dr. Damon Smith, UW-Extension Plant Pathologist, explains the geography being most impa...

The growing season may be brief in Alaska, but the 24 hours of sunshine helps many plants excel.  Bob Bosold visits with produce farmer, Candi Darinfeld, about the challenges and rewards of farming in Alaska. Another successful Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival concluded Sunday in Jefferson.  Interest in fiber arts remains high after the pandemic.  Aaron Zimmerman visits with Kevin...

Now's the critical time to be thinking smart about cover crops, and giving them all the advantages as they start growing.  Aaron visits with TJ Kartes from Saddle Butte Ag on small details that can make a big difference in establishing solid stands. Weather is comfortable now, but there's already concerns being voiced about potential propane supplies this winter.  Aaron visits with Lee P...

More people got involved in horseback riding during the pandemic due to the outdoor nature of the sport. This is according to Pam Prince of Trident Farm in Deerfield. Trident Farm boards, trains and breeds horses -- they've got about 60 horses on the farm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beatrice Rothschadl of Lake Mills teaches wool spinning at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival She says it's a learning experience, and it's more rewarding than going to the store. It's also labor intensive -- when purchasing raw wool, you have to pick out the bad wool, wash it, air dry it completely, and then dye the wool if desired.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Huber and his son, Josh, of Huber's Sheep Shearing in Wisconsin Dells demonstrated the art of shearing to guests both in and unfamiliar with the sheep and wool industry. Ahead of the demonstration, Joe talks with the Mid-West Farm Report about his family's shearing business and the wool industry.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rural counties that rely on dairy and animal agriculture saw higher unemployment rates due to COVID-19, according to a recent article published in Choices, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association's peer-reviewed journal. Andrew Stevens, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at UW-Madison, authored the piece with Emeritus Professor Dan Bromley....

The 2021 Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is this weekend. Farm Director Pam Jahnke talks with Bob Black, a longtime organizer and volunteer for the sheep industry, about the festival's comeback this year. The event features something for every member of the family, with an emphasis on fiber arts, but also national shows and stock dog trials. Farm assistant Stephanie Hoff talks to Matt Rehberg, a...

WEC Energy Group plans to purchase the Koshkonong Solar Center upon approval and completion. It would be the largest solar farm in Wisconsin, and it's under controversy from Cambridge residents for tarnishing the rural landscape, being unsafe for residents or even bringing land value down. WEC Energy Group's Brendan Conway responds to general solar farm concerns and explains the solar farm impleme...

Bob Bosold talks with Alaskan beef and hay producer Scott Mugridge about the state's ag industry. He says Alaska is behind the times in technology compared to the lower 48 states by about 50 years. Murgridge says to solve that, the state needs to invest in infrastructure. He says Alaska leads the nation in agriculture growth and has the highest percentage of women and veterans in agriculture. He a...

Larson Acres, a 2,800-cow dairy in Evansville, is tackling the statewide labor shortage by working together. The family and its 75 employees have had to take on tasks outside of the job description to keep the farm operating smoothly -- from milking cows to mowing lawn. Sandy Larson shares the importance of talking to state legislators about the challenges farmers face. She also talks about prepar...

Matt Rehberg, a first-generation grain farmer near Clinton and president of the Ag Business Council of Rock County shares what the local ag organization is working on this year, and how it continued to advocate for agriculture during the pandemic. The organization's golf outing is tomorrow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back to school means back to a home grown lunch at Holmen School District. Director of Nutrition Services Mike Gasper shares what crops and animals await the students this year, and what the kids -- and their instructors -- are learning from preparing the locally grown lunch. Former agricultural journalist and now farmer and community leader Jane Metcalf is one of this year's inductees to the Ag B...

Former agricultural journalist and now farmer and community leader Jane Metcalf is one of this year's inductees to the Ag Business Council of Rock County's Hall of Fame. While it's a local salute, it honors the impact her work in agriculture makes beyond the county's borders. Metcalf shares with the Mid-West Farm Report a snippet of her vast experience in farm journalism -- at first as the only wo...

Fifth generation on the family farm Erin Grawe (right), is the Ag Ambassador for the Rock County Agribusiness Council. She reaches elementary classrooms across the county teaching students about Wisconsin food, fiber and fuel. Both agriculture and non-ag organizations sponsor the program, recognizing that more generations are becoming more removed from the farm.  See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Just like many students here in Wisconsin, 4-H is a great opportunity to get involved with in Alaska.  4-H is alive and well within the state!  Bob Bosold was able to talk with Candi Dierenfield, Alaska State 4-H Program Director on his farm tour recently.  She gave some updates and shared that 4-H opportunities between the two states are very similar, however one major difference i...