A southern Wisconsin farmer says his corn looks good, but the soybeans are struggling a little. Ryan Nell raises crops on 22-hundred acres near Juneau, Wisconsin. He tells Brownfield planting was delayed a few times by wet weather, and the nearby tornado from nearly two weeks ago brought minimal damage and rain. “We got an…… read more
Category Archives: Ag News
Time running out to apply for Conservation Reserve Program
A Farm Service Agency official says landowners that want to enroll acreage in one of the Conservation Reserve Program options are running out of time. Ian Krause tells Brownfield the continuous signup and general signup enrollments need to be done by June 6th. Krauss says the Conservation Reserve Program is functionally the same except for…… read more
Central Wisconsin grower pleased with first crop alfalfa
Weather has prompted a central Wisconsin dairy farmer to park the planter and harvest first-crop alfalfa. T.J. Draeger raises corn, soybeans, and alfalfa near Marathon City. He tells Brownfield the frequent rains have made his alfalfa look fantastic. “We had good carryover from last year so it gave us the opportunity to actually chase quality…… read more
Poulsen says lab ready for Wisconsin milk testing
A research veterinarian says Wisconsin’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is ready for the state’s H5N1 milk testing. Dr. Keith Poulsen tells Brownfield individual farms will be tested but farmers will not have to do anything extra to have their milk tested. “It’s really not going to change your day-to-day business, or the milk haulers for that…… read more
Ag credit deterioration concerning
A policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says there are concerns over the amount of credit deterioration occurring in the ag sector. David Oppedahl says low commodity prices and high input costs continued to plague agriculture in the first quarter of 2025. “There is an increase in demand for non-real estate loans.” …… read more
Chalmers to again lead Wisconsin FSA
A familiar face is returning to lead Wisconsin’s Farm Service Agency. President Donald Trump has re-appointed Sandy Chalmers as Wisconsin’s Executive Director for FSA. Chalmers previously served as the FSA State Executive Director for Wisconsin during President Trump’s first term. Chalmers previously served in executive positions at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer…… read more
Wisconsin CREP signup window running out soon
Time is running out for Wisconsin farmers to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. Brian Loeffelholz with Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection tells Brownfield this year, USDA’s Farm Service Agency is watching enrollments closely to prevent going over the 28-million acre national cap in the twice-extended 2018 Farm Bill. “This year…… read more
Fewer new H5N1 cases, but virus still out there
A veterinary disease expert says producers should not let their guard down when it comes to protecting livestock from avian influenza. Dr. Keith Poulsen with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tells Brownfield for birds, most of the focus is in South Dakota, Ohio, and the Tennessee River Valley and he’s encouraged by the low number…… read more
Wisconsin manure spill under investigation
An unexpected heavy rain in a short period of time is a factor in a recent Wisconsin manure spill. Ben Uvaas with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources tells Brownfield the farm used low-disturbance manure injection, which performed well in most of the field. “There were a couple of parts of the field where that…… read more
Midwest farmland values up slightly in first quarter
A policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says land values in the Seventh District were up slightly from a year ago in the first quarter of 2025. David Oppedahl says a few factors led land values 1% higher than the first quarter of 2024. “And up 4% from the fourth quarter.” He…… read more