MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

We may be a little biased here in Wisconsin, but the best time of year is here. June Dairy Month is upon us. It's an opportunity to explore, enjoy, and honor the farmers, craftsmanship, and exceptional dairy products that make Wisconsin dairy truly special. Today, we catch up with 78th Alice in Dairyland, Sarah Hagenow. Dairy isn't just something we produce here in Wisconsin. In fact, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin say it best: it's so...

While we're still relatively early in this year's growing season, Dr. Emily Bick tells us we've already seen the first wave of pests. She's an Extension Specialist of Insects for Field and Forage Crops. Emily, explains what we're seeing right now in the fields.

More information and tools:

- https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/pest-management/insect-pest-alerts/ for signup for the Pest Text Alert service. 
- Inform...

Hands-on educational opportunities are crucial for students going through their academic career. It can also play a crucial role in career-specific trainings. Luxemburg Fire Department is taking advantage of all hands-on opportunities they can get. Brad Zellner joins us. He's the safety and training officer for the fire department. He tells me about a recent hands-on training opportunity provided by a local farm.

See omnystudio.com/...

Fair season in Wisconsin brings with it a few changes for livestock exhibitors.  Jill Welke chats with Dr. Meg Mueller about her engagement in the dialog.  Also, while New World Screw Worm may not make it to the state, Dr. Mueller says it could still deal a financial blow to local producers.  Her priorities include sourcing animals from outside the state and making pet owners who might adopt aware of the risks.

Wow -...

Hot, sticky weather is conducive to insects, and Wisconsin's a perfect example.  Kiley Allan gets a quick update on what new arrivals have made Wisconsin home from Dr. Emily Bick.  Bick is a UW-Madison Extension Entomologist that tracks everything from armyworm to alfalfa weevil.  Both of those insects pop up in this conversation.

It's an alert day for much of Wisconsin.  Warm, moist air and gusting winds will c...

UW–Madison's Data Science Institute is a campus-wide research institute that focuses on data science and artificial intelligence. The group isn't just working with computer scientists, though. Rather, they work with researchers across campus to leverage artificial intelligence in their individual products. Kyle Cranmer is the director for the Data Science Institute. He gave Kiley Allan a closer look at the research they're do...

Summer is a busy time on Wisconsin farms. While we're between planting and harvest, farmers are checking fields, monitoring crops, maintaining equipment, and preparing for the months ahead. Unfortunately, this time of year also brings safety risks that can have devastating consequences. 

Pam Jahnke visits with Chris Schlechta, Safety and Loss Control Manager for Rural Mutual Insurance.  

Together they have a quick co...

Wisconsin is home now to 79 weather stations that dot the state.  These stations are generating real time information that farmers and outdoor enthusiasts can tap into.  Pam Jahnke visit with Chris Vagasky, Research Program Manager for Wisconet.  Vagasky says one new element they've added to these stations are soil sensors.  The 400 soil sensors provide "plant available water" readings at multiple depths in the ...

The small community of Ashippun in Dodge County is using farmland preservation tools to keep consistency as a part of land transition.  Robert Guenther, dairy farmer and member of the Town of Ashippun Planning Commission says the community  is facing increasing growth pressures, including recent applications for a private golf course and a solar energy farm. Ashippun's growth is largely driven by its location directl...

Fox Valley Technical College is the only place in the state of Wisconsin where students can explore a two-year natural resources education program. It's recently received an addition that has campus buzzing with excitement. A 160-acre anonymous donation was made by a community member who wanted their land to stay in habitat and not be developed. A priority in education made the program the right fit for the donation. Paul Groell is...

The loss of a crop is awful.  The loss of a tradition, even more painful.  This year's erratic weather has caused some Wisconsin strawberry growers to rethink their plan.  Kiley Allan gets the story from Danielle Clark of Mayberry Farms in Mayville.  Their strawberry harvest is over before it started. They have pick-your-own strawberries, honeybees, row crops, and a newly planted apple orchard, backyard livestoc...

The states weather network keeps getting upgrades that help Wisconsin farmers, and anybody that enjoys the outdoors.  One of the latest tools added is Plant Available Water readings.  Chris Vagasky, Research Program Manager for Wisconet, the states mesonet of weather stations, says they now have 400 soil sensors to tip off farmers when things are too dry, or too wet.

Vagasky says the soil sensors measure moisture at 2, 4,...

The loss of a crop is awful.  The loss of a tradition, even more painful.  This year's erratic weather has caused some Wisconsin strawberry growers to rethink their plan.  Kiley Allan gets the story from Danielle Clark of Mayberry Farms in Mayville.  Their strawberry harvest is over before it started. They have pick-your-own strawberries, honeybees, row crops, and a newly planted apple orchard, backyard livestoc...

Throughout the month of June, farms across Wisconsin are opening their doors for visitors. Most of those farms are dairy farms because, after all, June is dairy month. But there's another farm, an herbal farm, opening their doors to visitors. Jane Hawley Stevens joins us. She's the owner of Four Elements Organic Herbals. They're 130 acres in Baraboo Bluffs. There, her and her husband, both former horticulture grads from the UW-Madi...