COW97 Ag News from Brownfield

Weather continues to slow down planting progress for many Wisconsin farmers.  USDA statistician Greg Busler says only 3.2 days were suitable for fieldwork in the week ending Sunday, and  the rains benefited small grains and grasses but held back field activities like tillage, planting, and fertilizer applications for many, especially in the northern two-thirds of… ... Continue Reading

A woman who grew up off the farm but became very active in FFA has been chosen as the 77th Alice in Dairyland.  Halei Heinzel was selected from the six top candidates.  She tells Brownfield that in her high school junior year, FFA experience showed her the many possible careers in agriculture. “With 12% of… ... Continue Reading

Dry weather early in the week allowed Wisconsin farmers to make considerable planting progress. USDA’s latest crop update says corn planting is 10 percent complete, six days ahead of last year and two days ahead of the five-year average. Soybeans are 11 percent completed, compared to two percent a year ago and three percent normally.… ... Continue Reading

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued additional guidance for interstate movement of lactating dairy cows Friday. Wisconsin State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkle tells Brownfield says Friday’s update provides more clarity about required H5N1 virus testing for Wednesday’s federal order restricting the interstate transport of milk cows, including the cost to farmers. “USDA will… ... Continue Reading

More changes are coming to agricultural and industrial equipment maker CNH Industrial.  The parent company of Case and New Holland brands announced CEO Scott Wine has decided to leave the company to pursue other interests.  Gerrit Marx from Iveco Group has been named to replace Wine on July 1st.  Marx is familiar with the company… ... Continue Reading

Photo: Black cutworm moths, Courtesy-Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Wisconsin ag officials say black cutworm moths have arrived in the state, and in big numbers. The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection says it’s the second straight week their pheromone traps have collected a significant numbers of moths.  As of April… ... Continue Reading

A Wisconsin pet food manufacturer is expanding. Nestle Purina has announced a 195-million dollar project in Jefferson, Wisconsin, where Purina will increase production of wet pet food brands by nearly 50 percent, including Pro Plan, Fancy Feast, and Beneful IncrediBites, and add 35,000 square feet to the facility. Nestle says facility will serve the northern… ... Continue Reading

The Executive Director of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association says many farmers are cutting back on vegetable crop acreage this year because of reduced demand caused by imported canned vegetables.

Tamas Houlihan tells Brownfield it’s also affecting farmer income. “We’re seeing anywhere from a ten to a twenty percent decline in acreage, and a similar decrease in price.”

Houlihan says vegetable canners have full warehouses, and the high cost of tin plate steel due to tariffs gives foreign canners an advantage. “When you look at a can of corn, one-third of the price you’re paying is for that steel can.”

Houlihan says some growers are moving from a four-year rotation to a three-year rotation, growing more potatoes.

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An agronomist says farmers need to be patient before planting. Bob Berkevich with Pioneer in Wisconsin says some farmers have put in some corn and soybeans, but many are waiting for the right soil conditions… as they should. “At the end of the day, sometimes the best decision is just to be patient and to… ... Continue Reading

A new agronomic application is providing farmers with data-driven insights throughout the growing season.  Brendan Bachman, GROWMARK’s director of FS agronomy, says they’ve partnered with Intelinair to introduce the myFS Agronomy app. “What we’re really trying to do is bring an easier, more simplistic, intuitive way for farmers to engage with our local FS crop… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin farmers were able to get a lot of field work done in the week ending Sunday.  USDA statistician Greg Busler says the wet and cool conditions continued to delay significant row crop planting in the state, but farmers were preparing equipment, getting some spring tillage done, and planting potatoes, oats, and alfalfa.  There was… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin farmers were able to get a lot of field work done in the week ending Sunday.  USDA statistician Greg Busler says the wet and cool conditions continued to delay significant row crop planting in the state, but farmers were preparing equipment, getting some spring tillage done, and planting potatoes, oats, and alfalfa.  There was… ... Continue Reading

An ethanol producer says the EPA’s summertime waiver allowing the sale of E15 fuel is very welcome, but knowing sooner would have been better for the fuels industry and consumers. Erik Huschitt from Badger State Ethanol tells Brownfield a lot of preparation happens in the supply chain ahead of the June 1st deadline. “We’re approaching… ... Continue Reading

Many schools have a day where students bring farm tractors to school, but in Auburndale, Wisconsin, it’s a special day with a purpose. Ag educator Mark Cournoyer tells Brownfield nearly 40 students will bring old and new tractors for the parade through town, which raises money for a different cause every year. “Every year, they… ... Continue Reading

A southwestern Wisconsin farmer is glad to see this week’s steady, light rain.  Darin Von Ruden farms in the hilly driftless region near Westby, and he says topsoil moisture is adequate, but subsoil levels are not good, so this week’s slow and steady rain is welcome. “We like those one-inch, 24-hour rains. They’re some of… ... Continue Reading

Potato growers in Wisconsin’s central sands region have been making good planting progress.  One of them is Andy Diercks at Coloma Farms.  He says, “We’re probably 35-40% (done), something like that.” Diercks tells Brownfield his crew started planting a week ago, and some other growers began around ten days ago. “We’ve really only got two… ... Continue Reading

A weed scientist says the mild winter has given problem weeds a big head start.  Rodrigo Werle with the University of Wisconsin says, “Giant ragweed just started emerging last week at our research farm near Janesville.” He tells Brownfield he’s talked to several farmers and consultants who had sprayers rolling over the weekend. “Very favorable… ... Continue Reading

A farmer and seed salesman says there were no big shifts in seed orders this spring. Ryan Ripp with Dairyland Seed tells Brownfield only a few of his customers made changes based on commodity prices. “We are seeing a little uptick in soybean sales, just a little bit of switchover, not a ton, though. I… ... Continue Reading

Recent moisture and more rain in the forecast has many Wisconsin farmers waiting to plant. Arika Wech with Pioneer in Wisconsin says soil conditions have to be right before planting. “Obviously, a nice upcoming forecast doesn’t hurt either, but you absolutely want to make sure that soil is fit. If you have soil that is… ... Continue Reading

Despite an ideal weekend, mid-week wetness kept soils unfit for field work in most of Wisconsin.  USDA statistician Greg Busler says there was scattered corn planting in eastern and southern Wisconsin, with some tillage in lighter soils.  There was also some limited alfalfa and oats planting, manure hauling, and fertilizer application. Potato planting is already… ... Continue Reading