This weekend, Girl Scout troops will explore the world of agriculture. John Haag is a dairy farmer out of Dane, Wisconsin. He milks about 115 cows with his family. They’ve been hosting Girl Scout troops on the farm for the past five years, helping these girls earn their dairy patch. About 40 troops will rotate around different presenters -- women who work in the field of agriculture: agronomy, nutrition, natural resources, communications, animal health, and more. John will also give the girls a tour of his modern dairy farm showcasing robotic milking technology and animal welfare. 

Pictured: John Haag talking to a Girl Scout troop at his farm in 2024.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s time to renew your premise ID. If you have livestock – maybe you’re milking 3,000 cows or maybe you’ve just started a chicken flock in your backyard with three birds. Registering your premise with the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium is the law. WLIC manages these premise registrations for the state. If there’s an animal disease outbreak, it allows the state to come up with a plan to protect livestock owners. Scott Schneider of Nature Link Farms knows firsthand how detrimental a disease outbreak can be for a commercial flock - he’s dealt with the highly pathogenic avian influenza on his farm. Scott has a cage-free egg-laying operation near Lake Mills. He produces about 20,000 dozens of eggs per day. He says consumers also feel the effect of a disease outbreak, starting with the price of eggs in the grocery store. Register your premise at wiid.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin's already witnessed a few wildfires that have torched rural acres.  The threat for fire on the farm needs to be taken seriously too.  Not only is property at risk, but family and employees need protection.  Ben Jarboe gets some tips from Jerry Minor, retired fire chief with the Pittsville FD.  He suggests that farm devise an emergency response plan if a fire occurs.  He says there's a wealth of information and guidance in online resources.  Minor says he'd really like farmers to help their local FD to prepare in case of emergency.

Moderate weather returns to Wisconsin for the weekend.  A little rain, and more moderate temperatures according to Stu Muck.

Next week the largest 3 day horse event in Wisconsin returns to the Alliant Energy Center.  The Midwest Horse Fair focuses on education according to show general manager, Terri Gianetti.  She says they're expanding horses and clinicians from across the United States.  She highlights some of the performances people flock to as well with Ben Jarboe.

Cuts in the federal budget are sending ripple effects to researching campuses across the United States, including UW-Madison.  UW-Madison Chancellor, Jennifer Mnookin, says they're trying to be proactive if these cuts are coming their way, but she says it's difficult.  Mnookin tells the Mid-West Farm Report that the UW is the 6th largest research university in the U.S. and a sizable amount of the funding for that research comes through federal channels. 

Federal cuts are impacting local budgets too.  During the pandemic the federal government created a funding mechanism to try and connect school lunch programs with local farmers that could supply fresh produce and goods during a time when the food chain was disrupted.  Now, the federal government's discontinuing two of the major programs that local school nutrition programs counted on.  Local farmers also counted on those funds.  Stephanie Hoff finds out how school lunch programs are trying to react with Ashwaubenon School District Nutrition Coordinator, Kaitlin Tauriainen.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New producers continue to enter the sheep community, but common beginner mistakes can become serious issues for the flock down the road. Caroline Ihde is a small ruminant outreach specialist with Iowa State University and the UW-Madison Division of Extension. She has the details on how to keep your flock safe and productive. But first, she says it’s been exciting to see new families or retirees find interest in sheep and goats.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you're lambing or kidding this spring, keep in mind that you’ll need to relook at your nutrition regimen for new mamas. Caroline Ihde is a small ruminant outreach specialist with both Iowa State University and the UW-Madison Division of Extension. She says nutrition is commonly overlooked this time of year. Here’s what you need to remember.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When national food supply chains broke during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government came up with the Local Food for Schools program. It directed money to help schools buy food from local farms. Wisconsin schools were supposed to get another $9 million this year, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled the program. Today we’re talking with Ashwaubenon School District Nutrition Coordinator Kaitlin Tauriainen. She says she won’t stop trying to bring local food into the menu, but it’s going to be harder. Kaitlin is also the president of the School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin. She says nutritionists are under a lot of pressure to plan menus while also following many regulations and pinching pennies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder Darren Redding and Co-chair Dan Guden invite you to the Classic Green Reunion June 12-14 at the Washington County Fair Park & Conference Center in West Bend. This family-friendly event will feature over 1,000 tractors, implements, engines, toys, and memorabilia exhibits. Admission will include access to the exhibits, working demonstrations, seminars, kids’ activities, and a daily tractor parade. Create new friendships and connect with a global community of people supporting the love and passion of all things John Deere. The Classic Green actively engages the next generation of participants with innovative events that are both exciting and educational.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hill Valley Dairy, a family-run cheese company from East Troy, Wisconsin, is bringing its farm-to-table experience to Milwaukee with their newest cheese bar.​  Charitee Seebecker asks "what’s a cheese bar​"? ​ Cheesemaker Ron Henningfield shares how their cheese bar offers a unique space for people to gather, learn, and enjoy high-quality, locally made cheese​.

Another windy day today after a stormy night in Wisconsin.  Stu Muck updates us on what geography was impacted overnight, and what to expect today.

Liberation Day happened Wednesday when the president signed into effect a 10% tariff on ALL global trade partners.  Agricultural organizations, commodity groups and elected officials all reacted.  Pam Jahnke highlights comments from Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau, on their hopes for a speedy resolution to trade disputes.  Ethan Allan from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association says that U.S. beef has been discriminated against globally for years.  He cites tariff's U.S. beef incurs from Brazil, Uruguay, Vietnam and Thailand.  He says beef producers hope this helps open avenues so U.S. beef can compete with Australia.  There's also the overhanging issue of penalties against foreign built vessels that bring goods to the U.S..  Mike Davis has an update on that financial measure and its impact on agriculture.

Bryce Windecker, dairy risk manager for EverAg, joins Pam Jahnke from his dairy in upstate New York.  Dairy markets are anxious about starting trade on Thursday.  Windecker says the U.S. is still the cheapest dairy source, but we're sitting on higher supplies of cheese and dairy ingredients.  One area to watch may be an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease in Slovakia impacting about 4,000 animals so far.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weather can change in the blink of an eye here in Wisconsin and farmers want to mitigate losses from it wherever they can. After a wet spring last year, it has farmers thinking about tiling their fields. Ryan Thurk with Thurk Tiling LLC out of Fremont shares some recent trends that he has seen within the industry as well as some tips when one is thinking about getting tiling done in their fields. These trends include an increase in demand. He also shares that if you would like tiling done to separate fields into sections to be more efficient.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin soybean growers have a lot on their minds as they approach spring planting.  Equipment's been set.  Supplies have been reserved.  Weather is always the unplayed card.

Jonathan Gibbs from Fox Lake is the president of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.  He chats with Pam Jahnke about how he mentally prepares for spring planting.  Gibbs knows it may require long hours, but making sure you're thinking through the whole process is something he finds critically important.  Gibbs says using the research information that's been gained through farmer checkoff investments helps him get that "game plan" together.

Gibbs says knowing what research has shown on, for example, cover crops and their role in spring planting and weed resistance, helps him decide which fields will get planted first.  Which fields get sprayed first, or when it's time to stop planting soybeans and move on to corn.

All information that's been influenced by research supported through Wisconsin farmers soybean checkoff investments.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.