COW97 Ag News from Brownfield

Wisconsin’s Farm Technology Days next month will show off new and old technology.  The three-day farm show July 18th, 19th, and 20th is known for it’s centerpiece called Innovation Square, but coordinator Anna Maenner (MAY’ ner) tells Brownfield this year, Madison College will show the diversity of diesel power and expose people to the many ag… ... Continue Reading

Now that planting is nearly wrapped up statewide, farmers are concerned about moisture as they start spraying weeds and side-dressing fertilizers. Mike Berget farms 85 hundred acres of corn and 3-thousand acres of soybeans in the driftless region near Darlington in southwestern Wisconsin. He tells Brownfield, “We’ve had some farms that haven’t had much of any… ... Continue Reading

New legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would remove the wolf from the endangered species list. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Northern Great Lakes Wolf Recovery Act would develop a regional-specific plan to delist the gray wolf in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  The legislation would create an advisory committee comprised of members… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin’s crops are nearly all planted, with most of the crops emerging.  USDA statistician Greg Bussler says 76% of the state’s corn has emerged and 97% of the planting is finished.  The dry weather has the crop condition down ten points, with only 72% of the corn in good to excellent condition. Sixty-nine percent of… ... Continue Reading

A University Extension expert says there’s good news and bad news for the first crop of hay now being harvested in Wisconsin. Richard Halopka is based in Clark County. He says, ”What I’m seeing being harvested right now today is low on quantity but high on quality.” Halopka tells Brownfield it’s been very dry, but… ... Continue Reading

Soil conditions have gone from too wet to very dry as potato planting wraps up in northern states. In northwest Minnesota, farmer Peter Imle says soil conditions are much better now for the seed and fresh potatoes on his farm considering there was a lot of snowfall over the winter.  “If anything, I think folks… ... Continue Reading

Legislation introduced Wednesday would put a moratorium on new signups for the Conservation Reserve Program. Tom Tiffany Congressman Tom Tiffany’s GRAIN For America Act would place a 1-year moratorium on the enrollment of farmland in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which pays farmers to leave land uncultivated.  After the 1-year moratorium, the same legislation would… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin Farm Bureau has named Bob Nash as this year’s Heroes of Hope honoree. Nash recently completed his term as the District 1 Young Farmer and Agriculturist Representative on the Young Farmers and Agriculturalists Committee and works nights and weekends at Golden E Dairy Farm in West Bend while operating heavy equipment during the day… ... Continue Reading

Sawflies-Photo: [email protected] A University of Wisconsin entomologist says she is getting more reports from farmers about crop pests. Emily Bick researches crop pests and collects insect reports from farmers.  She tells Brownfield farmers are reporting sawfly problems in many of their forage crops. “It seems to be behaving very similarly to what cutworm would do… ... Continue Reading

The end of planting season is near for a Wisconsin dairy farmer who also does custom planting. Brody Stapel Brody Stapel from Cedar Grove has been busy planting for other farms but is focusing on his own corn acres now. “We’re planting 775 and we’ve got 710 in or something like that. That’s corn. We’re… ... Continue Reading

The dry and warm week allowed Wisconsin farmers to plant crops and start the hay harvest. The first cutting of alfalfa hay is now 33% finished, six days ahead of average.  The USDA says the all hay condition is 79% good to excellent, one percent better than a week ago. Potato planting is more than… ... Continue Reading

Enrollment for the redesigned and relocated Farm and Industry Short Course through the University of Wisconsin is about half full. Steve Kelm with the River Falls campus tells Brownfield they are getting a lot of traffic at their online registration site. “I’ve been getting interest not only from Wisconsin, but I’ve been getting interest from… ... Continue Reading

A new study shows farms and businesses that used certain strategies emerged from the COVID pandemic stronger than their counterparts. Andrew Stevens with the University of Wisconsin Department of Applied Economics studied the relationship between diversification and resilience.  He tells Brownfield some farms had vertical diversification with some processing and retail sales while others had… ... Continue Reading

The revived and relocated Farm and Industry Short Course is now accepting student registrations. The sixteen-week program is now hosted by the University of Wisconsin River Falls after starting 138 years ago at the University of Wisconsin Madison campus.  Madison discontinued their program a year ago. Classes begin October 30th and run through March 15th. … ... Continue Reading

A Wisconsin Congressman and member of the House Ag Committee is asking for more farmer input on the next farm bill. Derrick Van Orden Representative Derrick Van Orden now has an online portal where he invites Wisconsin farmers to share their priorities.  The portal lets farmers mark their priorities, offer suggestions, and comment on what… ... Continue Reading

A central Wisconsin farmer says field progress this spring has been slower than usual because of excess moisture in some fields.  John Eron farms west of Stevens Point, and says for him, tillage and planting began in the lower lands this year. “We’re noticing a lot of the sidehill seeps are pushing out a lot… ... Continue Reading

A Wisconsin farmer who serves in the State Assembly says the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program bill under consideration is a good start to fixing rural infrastructure. Republican Travis Tranel of Cuba City says, “Here, we find ourselves with some one-time money. I can’t think of a better use for it because the need is so… ... Continue Reading

The mostly sunny weather has many Wisconsin farmers planting their corn and soybeans this week. Ben Augustine One of the farmers making good progress is Ben Augustine, who farms near Sheldon in northwestern Wisconsin.  He tells Brownfield, “I’ve got 952 acres done of a total of about 25 hundred to get planted, so I’m probably… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin farmers made solid progress with near-ideal planting weather last week.  USDA statistician Greg Bussler says there were five and a half days suitable for fieldwork. Spring tillage in Wisconsin is now 80% finished, which is about average. Corn planting is 69% finished, which is a day ahead of the average.  Twenty-six percent of the… ... Continue Reading

A central Wisconsin farmer wishes he could plant more soybeans, but he’s sticking to his original plan.  John Eron farms in heavy clay west of Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  He’s planting corn as planned because it’s too late for him to switch over to soybeans. “We’d like to just because of the markets crashing, and we… ... Continue Reading