Category Archives: Ag News

Dairy group cancels lobby day due to good weather

Several state legislative issues are high priorities for Wisconsin’s dairy farmers, but they will have to lobby for them another day.  Wednesday was supposed to be the day where members of the Dairy Business Association visited with lawmakers about issues important to the industry, but DBA’s Chad Zuleger tells Brownfield the weather prevented that from…read more

Wisconsin farm groups support funding PACE conservation easement program

A Wisconsin program that pays farmers for permanent agricultural conservation easements might get its first funding since its creation in 2009. Wisconsin’s Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement or PACE program started strong but has not been funded since.  Angie Doucette with American Farmland Trust tells Brownfield she’s hoping Governor Tony Evers’ 15-million-dollar budget item gets…read more

Wisconsin Specialty Meat Products Championships held

The people between the Wisconsin farmer and the consumer were recognized during the Specialty Meat Products Championships.  Jake Sailer tells Brownfield the competition is held during the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors conference in Middleton every April.  Sailer says processors enter meat products in 38 classes. “Those products get judged and evaluated by PhDs from…read more

Wisconsin too cool and wet for most fieldwork

Cool and wet conditions continued to slow most Wisconsin farmers last week.  USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service says northern Wisconsin still has some areas with frost in the ground, and most of the state is too wet for fieldwork.  The exceptions are in the southern counties and central sands regions where spring tillage and some…read more

Wolf delisting legislation takes another step forward

A U.S. House bill that would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List and prevent judges from putting the animal back on the list has made a step forward. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act, also known as HR 845, would restore authority back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials to control…read more

University of Wisconsin offers help to growing food & farm businesses

Wisconsin food and farm businesses looking to expand or create value-added products have help available through the Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business Entrepreneurship. Paula Gilbeck tells Brownfield the Food Finance Institute, the Small Business Development Center, and the Center for Technology Commercialization have been around for years, but few businesses know about them.  She…read more

USDA says not much activity in Wisconsin fields yet

USDA has begun the weekly crop progress reports for the 2025 growing season, and thanks to the weather, there isn’t much to report in Wisconsin. Greg Bussler with the National Ag Statistics Service office in Madison says much of the state received rain, ice, or snow during the past seven days.  He says while conditions…read more

Most of Wisconsin not planting yet

Wisconsin’s weather has kept most farmers out of the fields.  The recent cool temperatures along with wind, rain, and snow have left fields far from ideal, impacting the ability to apply manure, fertilizer, or do spring field work, even in southern Wisconsin. Janesville area farmer and Wisconsin Soybean Association President Doug Rebout hasn’t been in…read more

Wisconsin Corn Foundation creates Oleson scholarship

The Wisconsin Corn Foundation has created a new scholarship to honor a past executive director. The scholarship is named for Bob Oleson, who served as executive director of the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association and the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board for seventeen years and was also a founding director of the United Soybean Board.  He also…read more

ARC, PLC, ECAP signups going strong

A Farm Service Agency official says farmers are actively signing up for crop insurance and economic relief. Wisconsin FSA’s Deputy Executive Director Tyler Radke tells Brownfield they’ve had a steady flow of farmers signing up for Ag Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage. “Wisconsin is actually quite a bit ahead of the national average with…read more