MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

A team at UW-Madison has a plan to turn plant waste into plastic. Some of the goals are to cut greenhouse gas emissions and create economic opportunities in rural Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Energy Institute got $4 million from U.S. Department of Energy to turn a fibrous plant material called lignin into nylon — used to make textiles, carpets and molded plastic — for roughly the same cost as the petr...

A rich heritage of beekeeping, spanning three generations, has grown into a thriving enterprise for one dedicated individual in Southeast Wisconsin. Nick Thill, owner of Honey Grove Apiaries and the president of the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association (WHPA), was introduced to beekeeping when he was only 12 years old when his aunt gave him his first six hives. Little did he know that this would...

There’s a new tractor coming to market, and you won’t be taking a look under the hood. That’s because the hood doesn’t open. And if it did, there’s not much to see – just batteries and an electric motor. That’s just one of the differences between your traditional diesel utility tractor and the new all-electric tractor with autonomous features by New Holland. Lena Bioni is the product marketing man...

Do you struggle to find the right mix of microbes to add to your soil? Instead of relying on traditional methods of adding a select few microbial strains to the soil, experts advocate for activating the natural balance of hundreds of existing microbes. This approach yields benefits in nutrient availability, crop health, and environmental sustainability. “Some microbes specialize in nitrogen fixati...

Corey Rosenbusch, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute, tells Mid-West Farm Report what growers can expect from fertilizer prices this year. He also touches on some of the regulatory and political hurdles that face the industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agriculture markets are volatile, which can make it risky for ag lenders to work with growers who don’t have equity or experience, according to Michael Meil. He’s a loan officer with Ag Resource Management. ARM is a nontraditional ag lender whose loans are based on crop insurance. Michael tells me that they are uniquely positioned to be an asset for a small or beginning farms, especially with the...

Foremost Farms CEO Greg Schlafer is confident about the cooperative's position to weather 2024's unique set of challenges. He retraces his footsteps with Pam Jahnke in the new office space in Middleton. It's part of a strategic plan that Schlafer put in place to position the food ingredient cooperative in a market with labor, laboratory resources and collaborators. Pam Jahnke visits with Randy Kat...

Pivot Bio, a leader in sustainable agriculture, is making waves in the industry with its groundbreaking microbial nitrogen product, Proven 40. This revolutionary product lives on the roots of corn, harnessing sugars and starches from the plant throughout the growing season. In return, it converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, providing corn crops with approximately 40 pounds of nitrogen over...

The Center for Dairy Research at UW-Madison, also known as CDR, is world leading in product development, contract research, and training services. The center is supported by dairy farmer checkoff dollars. CDR Director and Professor John Lucey joins us. He tells me about the research and short courses happening inside the state-of-the-art facility. CDR is also a part of the Dairy Business Innovatio...

So far, the winter has been mild and warm. Here to tell us why we’re experiencing this type of forecast and what it could mean for the planting season is Dan Vimont, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UW-Madison. He says there's two reasons for our warm winter: the general trend in increasing temperatures and the largest climate event in the world -- El Nino. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Meet Marta Kohmann, the state forage specialist. She first joined the UW-Madison faculty in January 2023. She says she's interested in providing practical knowledge to producers as they participate in conservation efforts, help increase soil health, and maintain diversity of species. Mary Kay Thatcher, senior manager of federal government and industry relations with Syngenta, says there’s regulati...

Dane County Executive Director, Joe Parisi, is preparing for the next chapter in his career.  In 2024, he will leave what's been a very publicly served life.  Despite Dane County's focus on more housing and jobs, Parisi has never lost sight of the value of the rural communities that make up his constituency and the farm families that have been willing partners in his goal of improving water qualit...

Greg Schlafer, President and CEO, Foremost Farms USA isn't done facing challenges managing a dairy cooperative located across seven Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin – America's Dairyland. He sees 2024 is going to offer it's own unique set of challenges, but he is feeling more confident about the position Foremost Farms is in today, versus w...

It's a question that haunts many dairy farm families.  How do you get the next generation interested, let alone involved in dairy farming? That was a topic discussed openly at a Merck Animal Health forum in Appleton.  Michelle Kohls of Gillett didn't expect to be back at the home farm, but it's become her profession today and one area she focuses her skill set on is employee management. Kohls stud...

Wisconsin agriculture includes more than cows, sows, and plows. Add vodka to the list. Jill Welke interviews distiller and fifth-generation farmer Scott Perlick on the journey of vodka from the field to the highball glass. The potato industry is supporting a new grant that aims to bolster potato research at UW-Madison. The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association gave funds to Extension...

It’s been a challenging year for pork. The National Pork Producers Council says input costs were up about 60 percent from where they were three years ago. And the price of pork isn’t supporting that. Holly Cook, economist for NPPC, says the bright spot for pork is exports, but other than that, pork farmers are faced with incredible economic challenges.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Expanding renewable liquid fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, and increasing trade negotiations, are top priorities for CHS. CHS is one of the largest agricultural cooperatives in the country. Will Stafford is the director of federal affairs with CHS. He says these are items outside the Farm Bill that the cooperative is pushing in the new year. Meanwhile, the 2023 Farm Bill’s deadline has been...

Growth Energy, an advocacy organization coined as the voice for American biofuel, continues its focus on matters that have been an issue for years, such as expanding the Renewable Fuel Standard with the EPA. The organization is also getting involved in some more nuanced issues, such as carbon scores with the U.S. Treasury. In-house, Growth Energy has launched a new logo and a new brand, but they c...

As a third generation beekeeper from Rhinelander, Chris Hansen knows what it takes to care for bees and market honey. He explains how he has evolved into more of the commercial side of beekeeping by creating beekeeping equipment based on the needs of his peers. He says, "if you’re even remotely interested in becoming a beekeeper, take the leap and do it. You’ll be part of a community that supports...

Varsity Meats is the retail brand at the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery building on the west end of campus. The state of the art building is about three years old now, and is home for not only students and faculty, but the meat processing industry. We visit with Dillon Walker, he’s the meat plant operations manager. He says he’s optimistic about growing the Varsity Meats brand across...

Honey Acres has redefined the landscape of honey production by creating value-added products. The journey began with a five-generation legacy of beekeeping that traveled continents from Armenia to the West Coast of the United States.  Narek Gabriellian, the Chief Executive Officer at Honey Acres, says, “My father became the master beekeeper for an operation on the West Coast, overseeing the growth...

With the global population growing and available land shrinking, new and creative approaches are trying to solve how to feed all those people.  Jill Welke dives in with Robbie DoMinico of Freight Farms.  Their concept creates food producing systems around the world from freight containers.  They also include technology that helps focus on sustainability throughout the process. Technology is someth...

Soil health practices like no-till and cover crops can play a large role on your water quality. But when exactly does nitrogen and phosphorus tend to leave a field? And when or what should you be doing when it becomes a problem?  “The months of January through March, occasionally extending into April, witness significant surface runoff,” explains Amber Radatz, Extension Ag Water Quality Program Ma...

With 2023 wrapping up, farmers are focusing on their plans for the 2024 season. But in order to manage the uncertainties ahead, they need a key plan of action. Leon Hunter, East Heartland agronomy manager for Syngenta says a holistic approach can help farmers tackle disease challenges and optimize their ROI for long-term success.  He says, "Having a plan not only ensures budgetary preparedness but...

As farmers gear up for 2024, they’re focusing on addressing persistent challenges like corn rootworms and other pests. Enter Ethos Elite. Matthew Pye, biological subject matter expert with FMC says Ethos Elite is their latest innovation in insecticide bio-fungicide, which can be a game changer for corn growers. He explains more about how they’re working to reshape crop protection for 2024. See omn...