MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Canada continues to suffer with wildfires and the lack of rain.  Pam Jahnke visits with one of the hosts during their Canadian Rockies Farm Tour, Bob Wilson.  Wilson started out as a beef producers but exited that industry when Mad Cow Disease closed many beef markets for Canadian producers.  Now he's raising 50 bison on his Morning Star Bison Ranch on Vancouver Island, BC.  He...

Here in Wisconsin the agricultural community takes pride in remembering the past which allowed for the advancements to help farmers today. This was one of the founding ideas behind the Badger Steam and Gas show in Baraboo. 2025 marks the 62nd year of the show and Steve Roudebush, the President of the Badger Steam and Gas engine club, shares some information to know before you go and an inside look...

Old iron at work.  That's what you can look forward to at the 62nd annual Badger Steam & Gas Engine show this weekend outside of Baraboo.  Ben Jarboe takes a closer look with Steve Rodebush, president of the club.  He says they're focused on the Ford and Ferguson brands this year.  He also explains that there will be many demonstrations giving people a chance to see how wor...

Gray Wolves are on their way to being delisted after a great boom in their population that has started to impact livelihoods. Following this delisting Wisconsin is looking for the best way to manage their population moving forward. This led to the Wolf advisory committee being created. Bob Mitchell the Senior Partner of Spring Creeks Cattle Company was appointed to this committee to give the Wisco...

Kendall and Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Bros rose to fame in 2012 with their viral parody video “I’m Farming and I Grow It,” a twist on LMFAO’s hit song. Since then, they’ve continued using social media to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers through music videos and educational content. Stephanie Hoff caught up with the brothers at Wisconsin Farm Techn...

Just like many school kids, state policy makers know that the bell is about to ring with more business at the state house. Senator Pat Testing - R-Stevens Point - stands ready to pick up where they left off after the state budget was signed into effect. Testin tells Pam Jahnke that they're continuing to monitor the effects on state programs because of federal changes.  Testin says the state a...

Alfalfa is a mainstay in the forage and cover crop world here in Wisconsin, but recent research is looking to provide more options for farmers. Currently there are studies being done to enable Rye and Vetch to be used more widespread in the industry. Dr. Lisa Kissing Kucek a Plant Breeder with the USDA shares what they are looking for out of these plants as a cover crop and for feed.  See omn...

The Wisconsin cranberry harvest may still be a few weeks away, but it's looking like a healthy crop.  Jim VanWychen, one of the owners and operators of Weatherby Cranberries in Warren talks to Bob Bosold about how things are coming along.  VanWychen says they'll start harvesting early varieties in September, with the bulk of the berries coming in October. Record breaking rainfall in sout...

The Shelton homestead lies in Clyde, Wisconsin, which was started by Pat's great, great, great-grandfather in 1856. Pat currently tends to 250 acres of property. His mother received the Centennial Award for the farm. Currently, the farm has 30-40 acres enrolled in the CRP program. An organic farmer is working another 30 acres. The rest is rented out. The family stopped actively farming in the late...

Kendall and Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Bros rose to fame in 2012 with their viral parody video “I’m Farming and I Grow It,” a twist on LMFAO’s hit song. Since then, they’ve continued using social media to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers through music videos and educational content. Stephanie Hoff caught up with the brothers at Wisconsin Farm Techn...

Drones are becoming a bigger and more important tool in production agriculture.  Kiley Allan finds out about the diverse applications they can assist with from Julia Guerra, Solutions Architect and a licensed drone pilot at FlyGuys. He says there's a multitude of ways farmers can use drones to provide supplemental information to their operations.  He also says this technology can he...

Today’s farms run on advanced technology, face high financial risk, and operate under ever-changing policy landscapes. Yet even with all that, farmers still find time to serve their communities—whether it’s mentoring youth or volunteering at the county fair. That’s exactly the kind of well-rounded excellence the Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer Program seeks to recognize....

Clinton Farms is a 1,000-cow dairy operation, with 850 cows actively milking and a total herd of 2,200 animals on-site. With roots dating back four generations, the family has adopted modern technology and sustainable practices to keep the business thriving while maintaining environmental responsibility. Clinton Farms shows how energy-efficient systems can power productivity. Pam Jahnke visits wit...

Tracing back to the original settlers from New Glarus, both Klassy farms have proudly been in the family for over 150 years. Over generations, they’ve raised dairy cows, hogs, and crops, building a legacy of hard work. Their Swiss heritage is celebrated in their family t-shirt, designed by their grandson for a recent celebration breakfast at Wisconsin State Fair Park. The journey hasn’...

Rural hospitals are applauding a move by the state that ensures they will get adequate reimbursement for Medicaid. It happened in two ways. First, the state budget raised access payments. This is essentially a reimbursement to hospitals to cover the care of Medicaid patients. The other item in the state budget was a tripling of hospital assessments, or a revenue tax. That money will help sustain t...

Alex Beaver is the crop specialist for Insight FS, with a footprint circling Jefferson from Lake Mills to East Troy. He says the wheat harvest is about finished in his region, and growers have been satisfied with test weights, low disease levels, and yields. Dry conditions last fall prevented some wheat stands from reaching full potential. The summer rain slowed some harvest. With a good yield and...

This Pierce County Centennial Farm has been in the family since 1917. Ken Peterson's grandfather purchased the 40-acre farm. He raised pigs, chickens, cows, and horses. Ken's father got the farm after World War II. His father had a stroke in 1998, leaving Ken to inherit the farm when he passed. Ken recalls a lot of struggles that the family went through, such as mortgage payments in the 1920s that...

Gary and his late wife, Gertrude, purchased the farm from her parents, which started in Gertrude's grandparents' possession. Gary and Gertrude raised their kids on the farm, which is now a beef cow-calf operation and row crop family business. Two of their sons are auctioneers and serve on the state auctioneering board. In addition to farming, the sons are each former state auctioneer champions and...

Doug and Kari's farm started as a dairy farm run by Doug's great-grandmother. The farm passed to Doug's grandfather and father before becoming his. He sold the dairy cows in 2000, raised some steers, and now grows solely cash crops. They milked 42 cows, had 500 laying hens, some pigs, and harvested crops while doing custom silo filling. His grandfather experienced some hardships during the Great D...

In the photo from 1946, you can see the government's first attempts to stop soil erosion by including terracing in the fields. David Brennan says this took place at his family's Sesquicentennial Farm in Sauk County. He recalls the story of big equipment coming in to put terraces in the side of the hill. This is a common practice today in row cropping. His grandfather was the one who purchased the...

Meet the new executive director of Wisconsin Farmers Union, Danielle Endvick! We caught up with her at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days. She gives us a sneak peek at what's on tap for their annual conference, including how they are growing relationships between farmers, rural businesses, and the community.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days wraps up at 4 p.m. today. Don't forget to swing by Wisconsin Farmers Union at Booth 607. President Darin Von Ruden is concerned about the latest dairy farm numbers released by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. That's why he's mobilizing members to call on legislators to advance farm priorities. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Ag Meteorologist Stu Muck gives insight into whether we can expect to see the smoke roll out anytime soon and if we will get some rain to help the crops. Farm Director Pam Jahnke is joined by the Wisconsin FFA Association Executive Director, Cheryl Zimmerman, to give some insight on the current ag teacher shortage. Kiley Allan talks with Richard Gumz from Gumz Farm, about one of the more unique sp...

A new bill is circulating Congress, and it’s called the Save Our Bacon Act. The Save Our Bacon Act aims to restore interstate commerce as the latest response to Proposition-12. Morgan Worek is the Program and Marketing Director at the Wisconsin Pork Association. She shares what the bill would mean for the pork industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Gumz of Gumz Farms shares what the start of mint harvest has produced. They are seeing a decrease in oil production this harvest season. While they are exploring other possibilities, they suspect the cloudy days in early July, as well as the smoke haze, greatly affected sunlight penetration. It will be a matter of time to determine if it changes throughout the remainder of the season.&nbsp...