COW97 Ag News from Brownfield

A Wisconsin county is giving middle school students a chance to explore career paths in agriculture. The Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation is working with Ebert Enterprises, a dairy and crop farm, to show students about agronomy, cropping, horticulture, animal nutrition, milk testing, cheese making, agriculture support services, technology, and the business of agriculture. Ag… ... Continue Reading

A soybean researcher is urging farmers to take another look at the fine print on the seed tags before planting. Shawn Conley with the Wisconsin Soybean Program says last year’s dry harvest conditions might have impacted the germ test. “Most of the time, when you harvest soybean seed at 14-15 percent moisture, handle it gently,… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin farmers had about three days on average to continue planting last week. USDA’s latest weekly crop report says another rainy week hampered efforts, with corn planting at 4 percent and soybeans 6 percent planted. Oats are 26 percent planted, and potatoes are at 41 percent as of Sunday. About a quarter of anticipated spring… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin officials are bringing an conservation-focused agronomy education tool across the Mississippi River.  Jeffrey Voltz with Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources tells Brownfield his agency is working with Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation and the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to develop a curriculum to teach conservation agronomy. “It’s definitely for those that… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin’s online weather and soil monitoring network has received some upgrades. Christopher Kucharik is with the Wisconsin Energy Institute, a part of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  He tells Brownfield the Wisconet environmental mesonet just launched a new website improving free and easy access to their network of monitoring stations.  He says each station… ... Continue Reading

A Wisconsin farmer is continuing his father’s no-till farming lessons on his operation. Roger Bindl farms in Wisconsin’s hilly driftless region near the Village of Plain in Sauk County.  A creek runs through his farm, and he does what he can to keep the soil from getting washed away. BindlePractices1          :05             “…alternative forages.” Bindl says… ... Continue Reading

A regional manager for Beck’s Hybrids says farmers in the Upper Midwest are shifting more acres to corn. Heather Morris is based in North Dakota and covers the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. “Sales never stop, and (earlier this month) actually a grower had decided to shift even more of his bean acres into corn. So… ... Continue Reading

The National Football League draft starts Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin and the Taste of the Draft is one of the pre-draft events that helps feed children. GENYOUth is a nonprofit organization that works to equip schools and help provide students with better access to nutrition and physical activity.  CEO Ann Marie Krautheim tells Brownfield… ... Continue Reading

The Chairman of the Wisconsin State Senate Agriculture Committee says legislation that would give the state’s certified seed potato law additional enforcement tools passed the Senate unanimously Tuesday and advanced to the Assembly.  Patrick Testin tells Brownfield Senate Bill 164 would increase fines from $150 dollars to $5,000, plus an additional $5,000 for each acre… ... Continue Reading

The director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says farm bankruptcies are on the rise. During a recent Soils for Success webinar, Paul Mitchell says 2024 marked the first increase in defaults since 2019. “The first upswing in a long time.”  He says, “We’re up 55% from ‘23. We’re still low… ... Continue Reading

Most Wisconsin farmers are waiting for better field conditions. In the week ending Sunday, there were just under four days suitable for fieldwork statewide.  USDA officials say field activities were limited to spreading fertilizer and manure, some tillage, and a small amount of planting. Corn planting is 1% complete with most of that in the… ... Continue Reading

Tillage and some planting activity is picking up in parts of southern Wisconsin, but most of the state is too cool for anything but fertilizer applications. Zeb Zuehls raises beef and row crops near Montello in central Wisconsin.  He tells Brownfield with no-till and cool soil temperatures, his planter is staying in the shed for… ... Continue Reading

Potato planting was briefly slowed by rainy weather in the central sands region of Wisconsin. Jeff Huber is the agronomy manager for Alsum Farms and Produce in central Wisconsin.  He says they started planting potatoes at their Grand Marsh location a week ago Friday. “When we started off, the temperatures were a little bit cool… ... Continue Reading

Since COVID, more producers are learning how direct marketing of beef can help their farm’s bottom line.  Grace Link from Bosben Road Beef Company near Deerfield, Wisconsin is a producer who started selling on the farm.  She tells Brownfield it’s often hard for producers, especially when starting out. “We’re selling a very simple product, beef,… ... Continue Reading

An agricultural group would like to see more utilization of Wisconsin’s Water Quality Trading Clearinghouse. Chad Zuleger with the Dairy Business Association tells Brownfield the bipartisan program was created three sessions ago in 2020 but has not been able to deliver the expected results. “There are good people doing good work out there, but really,… ... Continue Reading

Cool soil temperatures have Wisconsin farmers focused on manure and fertilizer applications and some spring tillage. Others, like Zeb Zuehls, who raises beef and no-till corn and soybeans near Montello in southcentral Wisconsin tells Brownfield he’s making a few repairs, and the planter is still in the shed. “I won’t plant for two weeks yet.”… ... Continue Reading

Many farmers are waiting to plant in the northern Corn Belt. Heather Morris covers the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin for Beck’s Hybrids and says conditions are cool. “We’re not seeing a ton right now, but I know in South Dakota there was some work going on. But a lot of talk about enjoying the Easter… ... Continue Reading

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… ... Continue Reading

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… ... Continue Reading

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… ... Continue Reading