MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Jefferson County is investing in their economic development with a new food and beverage innovation Campus. Kinkkoman foods  has already started construction  on their new factory with OnegoBio coming soon. Deb Reinbold is the President of ThriveED in Jefferson county.  She explains the evolving project to Ben Jarboe.  She says that all the advancements are part of an updated s...

With school out for the summer, many Wisconsin families face a growing challenge: feeding their children. According to Feeding Wisconsin, around 400,000 kids in the state lose access to regular school meals during summer break. “We always see a spike in food pantry demand during these months,” said Jackie Anderson, Executive Director of Feeding Wisconsin. That’s because parents m...

Bill Hemling served as the co-chair for this years Classic Green Reunion. He talks the event and organization itself, their partnership with FFA and his personal interest and collection of John Deere equipment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kwik Trip has recently been named the best gas station brand in the US and the best food from a gas station in the US. Ben Leibl with Public Relations for Kwik Trip says a lot of this is because of Wisconsin. He says they get all their products from within 100 miles of their headquarters in Lacrosse. Leibl shares that they sell 150K dozens of eggs every week and 100 pounds of butter daily. Kwik Tr...

The farm workforce in Wisconsin might be made up of family, foreign-born labor, or people across different generations. How can farm managers better retain those employees? Michael Hoffman is the president of Igniting Performance, working closely with agricultural organizations such as Professional Dairy Producers. He specializes in helping develop leaders in the family business. One of the presen...

County fair season begins this week in Wisconsin.  One theme you'll hear is "You Make The Difference".  Jayme Butke, executive secretary of the WI Fair Association joins Pam Jahnke to talk about a national directive that all fairs are being encouraged to adopt.  It's about finding the next generation of volunteers and evaluating where your fair is going and what value it brings to t...

Jefferson County is investing in their economic development with a new food and beverage innovation Campus. Kikkoman foods has already started construction on their new factory with OnegoBio coming soon. Deb Reinbold is the President of ThriveED in Jefferson County and she says that all the advancements are part of an updated strategic plan for the county. She also says there is about $563 million...

When most people think of 4-H, they picture the fairgrounds—livestock shows, ribbons, and maybe a few arts and crafts. But the organization is so much more, offering hands-on learning experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and meet youth where they are. That’s exactly the approach Alex Galston is taking as the Jackson County 4-H Educator. With a fresh perspective and a pas...

The Wisconsin FFA Convention was back this year at Alliant Energy Center in Madison WI, for the 96th year. Cheryl Zimmerman the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Association FFA tells us about the historic year they have been able to have. Including a brand new record of membership with over 27,000 members. And a brand new attendance record at the convention hall with over 4,500 attendees over t...

Amalia Draxler of the Glenwood City FFA Chapter will serve as the 2025-2026 Wisconsin State FFA President. Draxler, daughter of Mike and Rebecca, is a student at UW-Madison, working toward a degree in agricultural and applied economics. She’s involved in the Association of Women in Agriculture and hopes to use her experiences to continue to advocate for agriculture through a career in agricu...

The 96th Wisconsin State FFA Convention drew to a close on Thursday.  One of the special guests that was traveling down memory lane was Mary Schreiber, past Wisconsin State FFA Officer, currently serving as a National FFA Vice President.  Jill Welke visits with the Wisconsin native, happy to be home in familiar surroundings. More sun than rain for the weekend.  That's great news for...

With escalating prices everywhere, what decisions are consumers making with their dollars at the grocery store?  That's the question posed to Dr. Glynn Tonsor, Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University.  Tonsor works cooperatively with the beef checkoff and pork checkoff programs to survey consumers on a monthly basis for the Monthly Meat Demand Monitor. &nbsp...

Brusveen, of Randolph-Cambria-Friesland FFA, is a young entrepreneur that began Seed Clean when he saw a need in his community. He cleans grain to be used in cover crops. The operation began with a grain cleaner from his grandfather and continues to expand today. His business has expanded to include new equipment, such as a larger cleaner and conveyor lines. As his business evolves, he continues t...

Oleson, of Adams Friendship FFA, began her operation by completing everyday tasks familiar to many cattle producers. She spent time feeding, cleaning waterers and mucking pens. As she continued to grow in her skillset, her involvement in the operation expanded as well. Today, she makes breeding decisions, operates machinery and performs artificial insemination for the herd. See omnystudio.com/list...

When Berg, of Granton FFA, was in eighth grade, she simultaneously took agricultural and science classes. This experience kick started her interest in agriscience. After a recommendation from her advisor, she began to participate in the Wisconsin FFA Agriscience Fair. Her interests haven taken her to explore the fertilizers. Berg’s first experiment reflected the impacts of natural, inorganic...

Krueger’s family, of Campbellsport FFA, has a rich history in agriculture. Her family’s operation is rooted in the swine industry. She began her operation with a registered Hampshire gilt to produce county fair and feeder pigs for local buyers. Now, she has introduced a new species to her family’s operation: cattle. Her first purchase of a Simmental Heifer was the beginnings of h...

A consistent message from farm groups nationwide is that labor is a No. 1 issue in the agricultural economy. Jeremy Foltz is a professor of agricultural and applied economics at UW-Madison. He’s currently gathering data on what the farm workforce looks like on dairy farms across the state. It’s research done through the UW Dairy Innovation Hub. He paints the picture for us on what the...

The fifth annual Wisconsin Arts & Peony Festival will be here June 13-15 in Beaver Dam, and this year, it’s attracting an international audience. Today, we’re catching up with Michelle Ovans of Ovans Peony Farm in Beaver Dam - the state’s largest fresh-cut peony farm. Michelle cares for more than 1,600 peony plants representing about 100 varieties. Her farm is on display duri...

University Extension Specialist, Dr. Shawn Conley, is advising wheat growers across the state to be monitoring their fields for possible fungal diseases.  Conley says there's already been aerial applications going on wheat fields in southern Wisconsin to mitigate Fusarium head blight .  Conley says there's also been scattered reports of Stripe Rust. For more details on risks and rewards,...

A 15 year old from Trempealeau County is on her way to Portugal thanks to her dog.  Addison Connolly from Galesville and her 6 year old border collie, Cooper, have qualified as a part of Team USA for the Junior Open Agility World Championship.  She's worked her dog up from hand signals to just verbal commands.  Cooper responds to 7 different commands just to manage through the jump...

Looking for a sign that spring has finally settled in? For many, it’s the arrival of rhubarb — that bright red, tart stalk that finds its way into everything from pies to sauces. At farms across Wisconsin, rhubarb season is in full swing, and one farm in particular is seeing their best crop yet.  Ed Bures, owner of the farm, says this year’s rhubarb is some of the best he&rs...

Processing manure or combining it with other materials to create a more sustainable or valuable product is a fairly new concept. But researchers are on it to see if novel manure products can work to reduce environmental impact while improving a farm’s bottom line. Since 2021, UW-Platteville has been involved in a national project focused on regenerative agriculture. The six-state research in...

Support clean, healthy lakes with Clean Lakes Alliance’s 13th Annual Loop the Lake Bike Ride. Loop the Lake is an at-your-own-pace bike ride around Lake Monona on June 14 that raises funds to protect and preserve Greater Madison’s lakes. “If we all do our part, urban and rural, we can help our lakes,” says Founder and Executive Director James Tye. Find more information: htt...

Hinchley’s Dairy Farm is no stranger to opening its doors to guests far and wide. On June 14, the Hinchley family will welcome community members to their farm for the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm.  Featuring a menu of cheesy scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, milk, and coffee, the breakfast offers something for everyone. Visitors can expect a real, family...

Welcome back as we introduce you to specialty crops around Wisconsin and the growers who make it happen. Today, we’re taking you to the strawberry fields before the berries ripen up for the season. For Roger Basse of Basse's Taste of Country in Colgate, this season is about more than the tasty red fruit. It’s about bringing the community out to the farm to make memories. He tells us al...