Dr. Dane Elmquist, Conservation Cropping Outreach Specialist at UW-Madison Extension, shares some really interesting insights about how slugs, beneficial insects, and their interactions play out in no-till and cover crop systems. He's currently working on research at three Dane Demo Farms, keeping a close eye on pests and beneficial insects in the cover crop termination plots all across the county. Tune in to learn more about this pest management approach and how neonicotinoids can effect it's outcome.

Recommended resources:

UW Crops and Soils Division of Extension: https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/ 

Dane's email: [email protected]

Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops (A3646): https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/files/2025/01/A3646_2025_web.pdf 

Clean Wisconsin Neonicotinoid Workgroup: https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/neonics/ 

What is Dane Demo Farms? Allow me to provide an overview! In just 28 minutes, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of this topic. While single-host podcasts can sometimes be less engaging, I believe this one offers valuable insights. My name is Kim Meyer, and I will guide you through the details of Dane Demo Farms. Please click to listen and learn more!

Tyler Duerst from Darlington, WI, discusses his experience in transitioning the family’s 300-cow dairy farm to a no-till farming system, despite the complexities of managing both liquid and solid manure. With the support of their crop consultant and with a little patience, they successfully achieved yields equivalent to yields seen with previous tillage practices. By making several adjustments to their planter and implementing a strategic approach to manure management, they have effectively adopted no-till farming and do not plan on going back to tillage anytime soon.

Jeff Endres of Endres Berryridge Farms near Waunakee, WI, shares his experience with no-till alfalfa seeding into winter rye. The Endres' have been exploring the concept of planting green in their alfalfa seeding process. Over the past several years, they have successfully implemented a no-till seeding method for alfalfa into winter rye. This method has resulted in a decrease in herbicide use on newly seeded acres and has demonstrated effective erosion control, even during significant storm events in the spring.

Local resources for no-till alfalfa:

• https://demofarms.danecounty.gov/Case-Studies

Yahara Pride Farms:

• www.yaharapridefarms.org

Dane Demo Farms and Endres Berryridge Farms

• https://demofarms.danecounty.gov/Endres

Karl Sime of Sime Farms, located near Stoughton, WI, will share information on how he utilizes cover crops for grazing his beef cows. Karl continually strives to improve his management of cover crops for grazing and harvested forage while also growing a grain crop on the same acres within the same cropping year. This method requires flexibility on the part of the farm, but ultimately can lead to time savings as the cows play a significant role in the harvesting of feed and distribution of manure. 

Marie Raboin, a Conservation Specialist with Dane County Land Conservation, will be discussing the economic aspects of Karl's system. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from Karl and Marie on the benefits of grazing cover crops.

Resources referred to in this podcast:

• Practical Farmers of Iowa, Grazing Cover Crops Farmer Toolkit, https://practicalfarmers.org/grazing-cover-crops-farmer-toolkit/

Local resources for cover crops:

• University of Wisconsin, Integrated Pest and Crop Management, Cover Crops, https://ipcm.wisc.edu/covercrops/ 

Dane Demo Farms and Bruce and Karl Sime: 

• https://demofarms.danecounty.gov/Sime

Tom Ripp of Ripp-Vale Farms located near Black Earth, WI, will discuss his extensive experience in no-till farming and the utilization of cover crops on his farm. Tom has been practicing no-till for over three decades and incorporated cover crops into his cropping system more than thirteen years ago. His venture into cover crops began with tillage radish after winter wheat and has now expanded to a three-way cover crop mix after wheat, and rye after both corn and soybeans. Tom has made carefully considered alterations to his corn planter and, with persistence, has employed no-till practices with cover crops on low-lying areas along the Black Earth Creek. Tune in to hear Tom's insights on proper seed placement and efficient furrow closure in fields with significant residue.

Resources referred to in this podcast:

• No-Till Farmer magazine, https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/

Local resources for cover crops:

• University of Wisconsin, Integrated Pest and Crop Management, Cover Crops, https://ipcm.wisc.edu/covercrops/

Dane Demo Farms and Tom Ripp:

• https://demofarms.countyofdane.com/Ripp