MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

You may have heard that dairy barns are like cow spots – there are no two alike. Just like when building a house you have your family in mind and what will be the most comfortable for you. The same goes for farmers as when they're designing a barn, they have their herd in mind. But Dr. Mario Mondaca, Senior Technical Applications and Research Engineer of VES-Artex says while every barn is differen...

Rachel Harmann is a beef producer out of Algoma. She started as the Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association Legislative Chair in August. Since then, she's already advocated for fellow producers in Washington D.C. and the State Capitol. The top priorities right now are to prevent a government shutdown in order to get the Farm Bill passed on time.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uzbekistan isn't likely on too many dairy businesses' radar, but it's trying to catch more attention.  During World Dairy Expo, Bob Bosold talked with an Uzbekistani trade group ushered by Oybek Thosmatov about what their agriculture looks like, and what they were shopping for at World Dairy Expo. 17 visitors from Thailand and the Philippines visited Wisconsin Friday to explore our state's ethanol...

Wisconsin's known as "America's Dairyland", so it's no surprise that other states want to know the secret.  Nate Zimdars chats with Russell Plaschka from the Kansas Department of Agriculture.  They made a special effort to bring a group to World Dairy Expo to try and draw a little attention to their state and the resources they're making available to dairies that might want to relocate. Wisconsin'...

Just like parents ensure the comfort and well-being of their children, farmers do the same for their cows. Karen Luchterhand, C.O.W.S. Project Lead for NOVUS says their C.O.W.S. program, gives farmers the tools they need to unlock their herds’ full potential.  The program assesses more than 600 data points, with a primary focus on improving cow welfare and farm management. Once the assessment is c...

For some farmers, the thought of having foreign visitors at their farm may be intimidating. For others, it is a welcome opportunity to showcase their farm and share how they operate. Howard Hartmann of Hartmann Farms just outside of Lodi is one of those farmers who has had multiple foreign groups visit his farm over the years. He shares more about his operation and why he values having foreign vis...

When a farmer retires, they don’t just turn in the keys. Just like farming is a unique occupation, so is farm retirement and how you plan for it.  Folks with a ‘normal’ job, say a typical 9-to-5, may own their home or a few other assets, but a vast majority of their savings is liquid in the form of a 401K, retirement savings or bank accounts.  “With our farms, if we have excess capital, it’s usual...

The U.S. Grains Council just hosted the Global Ethanol Summit in Washington DC. This summit brought visitors from all around the world to learn more about ethanol and how they could build relationships and grow markets. Chris Markey is with the U.S. Grains Council where he serves as the Assistant Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Oceania. He just visited Wisconsin with nationals from the...

Did you know that forest products provide 24 billion dollars to Wisconsin’s economy? Or that Forestry is the number 1 employer in 8 Wisconsin counties? These are important facts that highlight the value of timber to Wisconsin. To support the industry, skilled workers are needed. One college that is devoted to educating the necessary workforce is Northcentral Technical College in Antigo. Logan Well...

Dairy farming is more than just milking cows; it's a process that relies on the reproductive success of the herd. Understanding and managing that isn't easy. But technology helps farmers do just that. Technology is reshaping the dairy industry by providing farmers with valuable data and insights that enable them to make informed decisions, regardless of the size of their farm. Taliah Danzinger, Se...

As a sixth-generation dairy farm, Feltz Family Farm has built quite the family legacy.  Located in Stevens Point, Ken and Jackie Feltz, in addition to their children Taryn, Jared and Jake and their spouses, milk 680 Holsteins. But that's not all. They also have a storefront, cheese plant, pumpkin patch and corn maze, and also host farm tours.  Jared Feltz explains more about their farm and how the...

DNR staff Emily Eel and Quin Erdman talk with Pam Jahnke about how trends in outdoor activities have changed from the pandemic to now. They encourage people to be involved in the hunting and shooting sports program and enjoy the outdoors. One key part of that program is the learn to hunt class. Charitee Seebecker speaks with Deanna Opsal as she shares the story of her family’s century and sesquice...

DeLaval and John Deere have teamed up to create the Milk Sustainability Center. This digital platform helps farmers to improve the efficiency and sustainability of their operations. Something all farmers care about. But you’re probably wondering what makes this any different from other platforms and how will it save you time and money. Joaquin Azocar, DeLaval Solution Manager, Farm Management Syst...

As the US continues to grow it’s export market, great effort is put into building trade relations with foreign countries that are looking to buy American commodities. The Global Ethanol Summit , organized by the U.S. Grains Council was just held in Washington DC and attracted attendees from all over the world. Following the conference, a group from southeast Asia traveled to Wisconsin with the mis...

Organic Valley got about $25 million from USDA to cut carbon emissions. They're using the money as an incentive for about 500 of their farmer members to start manure management, planting trees or installing solar, to name a few examples, says Nicole Rakobitsch, sustainability director at OV. Now is the time to start making auction plans with The Steffes Group. In a paid program, Pam Jahnke talks t...

It’s harvest time. You’ll be seeing farm equipment out on the roads even more. Or maybe it’s you that’s pulling the long hours in the field. Whatever the case may be- things run on a tight schedule during this time all thanks to mother nature and her unpredictable weather. Jeremy Heim of Heim Brothers Custom LLC is a dairy farmer as well as a custom operator. So he’s working on his time and other...

Dairy is a rich part of Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage. It also plays a significant part of our country's agricultural identity. To honor that heritage, the organization Dairy Shrine was created. It brings together individuals from all different dairy backgrounds who are involved in the industry. The organizations missions is to strengthen a vibrant dairy industry by inspiring it's future, hono...

Getting hitched? Consider a prenup to protect the farm. When you think of a prenuptial agreement, maybe you associate it with a faulty marriage or a lot of wealth. Attorney Troy Schneider with Twohig, Rietbrock, Schneider & Halbach Law Office out of Chilton sets us straight on how a prenup can actually be a good tool for the farm business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beef on dairy – farmers have been interested in it for a few years now, and it’s only gaining momentum. Tom Earleywine, director of nutritional services with Purina Feed, says the industry is in a critical time now where it needs to provide the best animals in order to secure a market before the beef herd comes back. "It really has gone crazy in the last two or three years once people recognized t...

An often overlooked aspect of cow comfort that goes beyond good bedding and nutrition is a cool comfortable environment. That comes from proper ventilation. Ventilation is important for good air flow in barns. It also helps on dairy farms to increase milk production, sometimes by as much as 20% more milk. Brett Zickert is a Barn Ventilation Specialist with Agromatic who works with installing vario...

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. This is just one of the differences between your traditional diesel utility tractor and the all-electric T4 by New Holland. Lena Bioni, product marketing manager, says the industry's first all-ele...

About 90 percent of the potato crop is out of the ground in Wisconsin, and it’s looking great. That’s actually the verdict coming from several regions across the U.S. However, big spuds and high yields mean that storage will be tight. So the challenge is on for the industry to make sure there’s demand for those potatoes, says Mike Carter. Carter is the CEO of Bushmans' Inc. based in Rosholt. He’s...

Don't waste time when it comes to harvesting that corn crop of 2023.  Lucas Clayton, Wyffels District Sales Manager for Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties says with the rain that just came through, stalk quality will get to be a bigger and bigger issue. Clayton says while the corn yields are coming in better than expected, each field is different.  He says rootworm pressure was one area of concern...

Gregg Doud is getting ready to take the reins as CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation.  Doud's been involved in agriculture his entire life, but admits to Pam Jahnke that dairy is new for him.  They talk farm bill, federal milk orders and the future direction he sees the industry going. The Wisconsin FFA Association has decided to allow 6th graders to fully participate in chapter activiti...

For 35 years, 7th and 8th grade students have been allowed to join FFA. Now 5th and 6th grade students are able to participate in FFA. This is providing agriculture teachers the opportunity to decide how to involve those students in both agriculture classes and FFA. Emma Huber is the Middle School Agriscience teacher in Portage and is currently teaching 6th grade students. Huber shares how she pre...