The National Weather Service relies on volunteer weather observers to provide real-time weather data. Tim Halbach is the warning coordination meteorologist for NWS-Milwaukee. He says being a weather observer is easy and rewarding work! NWS and Mid-West Farm Report are encouraging you to sign up. Just visit CoCoRaHs.org or wisconsinweatherwatchers.org -- whatever is easiest to remember because they go to the same place!

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The Wisconsin State Climatology Office and the National Weather Service are calling on residents to become citizen scientists. Throughout March and beyond, Wisconsinites can help by becoming official rainfall reporters and weather observers.

"This is a fun activity, especially if you are a weather enthusiast or even if you just want to learn more about the weather," says Sarah Marquardt the Senior Service Hydrologist and Meteorologist with the National Weather Service out of Milwaukee.

One of the best ways to contribute is through the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network, also known as CoCoRaHS. Volunteers measure daily precipitation using official rain gauges and submit their data online. 

Becoming a weather observer is easy and does not require daily reports. Volunteers can submit data when available, and the process only takes a few minutes. Training and resources are available at www.cocorahs.org.

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The 2025 United States Championship Cheese Contest has come to a close with Arethusa Europa from the Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, Connecticut being victors. Wisconsin had a strong showing with 9 entries making the top 20 and Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan by the Lake Country Dairy-Schuman Cheese in Turtle Lake earning the second runner-up honors. Mike Dudas and Aileen Kacvinsky with Schuman Cheese share how it feels to have one of the best cheeses in the nation as well as other entries they were proud of.

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At McFarland High School, students are getting a hands-on education that goes far beyond the classroom—transforming local trees into high-quality lumber for their woodworking projects. Under the leadership of Steve Pennekamp, Technology and Engineering Teacher, the school’s unique milling program allows students to experience the full process from log to finished product, gaining valuable skills along the way. What started as a way to offset rising lumber costs has grown into a community-driven initiative, thanks to a partnership with the Village of McFarland. The result? A sustainable, immersive learning opportunity that teaches craftsmanship, resourcefulness, and problem-solving while giving students a tangible connection to their work.

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Today we’re catching up with Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association Executive Director Sheila Everhart. She's working on quite a few exciting things this spring from networking events for farmers all the way to an awards banquet featuring some of the farmers we’ve talked to in this series. First, Sheila has an update on the specialty crop block grant that makes this podcast possible and the buzz ag tourism has been able to create! Visit gowiagtourism.com to explore previous episodes in this series. We touch on all aspects of Wisconsin agriculture and introduce you to the farmers who grow them. On that same page, learn more about WATA's Peer-To-Peer Mentorship Program. There are so many resources through WATA to help your farm diversify revenue streams by inviting people to the farm. And finally, use their website to find an ag-venture near you. There’s even a map to help make the experience easy to plan.

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Cattlemen are anxious in 2025 over available inventory, and now new tariffs targeting their markets.  Bob Bosold visits with NCBA President Buck Wehrbein.  Wehrbein was a guest at the WI Cattlemen's Winter Conference.

It's a messy Wednesday around Wisconsin.  Some schools are closed because of snow, other areas of the state are getting measurable rain.  Stu Muck describes the system moving through.

The calendar is getting full for the Steffes Group.  Ashley Huhn talks with Pam Jahnke about their new catalog that's been released and how prices are trending.  Paid for by Steffes Group.

Federal agency offices are working with skeleton crews in many areas.  Dr. Amy Hagerman, an agricultural and food policy specialist for Oklahoma State University Extension, says farmers will see some of the consequences of those changes, and will be responsible for keeping track of some of their own records

.It's been a pretty steep learning curve for the new president of the Midwest Food Processors Association.   Nick Novak has been in the job about 3 months and now is facing tariffs that are rocking his industry.  Ben Jarboe finds out more about his agenda, and how he's maneuvering his first few months.

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The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association is sounding the alarm. It sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking Secretary Brooke Rollins to immediately release funding for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives. The program froze, and the stoppage of nearly $29 million dollars stands to impact 420 dairy businesses nationwide. Hidden Springs Creamery in Westby is one of them. Stephanie Hoff tells us that Travis Forgues manages 80 acres and milks 300 sheep for their farmstead cheese. Before the federal government froze the money, the DBIA was supposed to be a tool for Travis to supplement his own investments in growing the farm and creamery. It's not the only frozen program that's creating sleepless nights for Travis -- he also has a loan through the REAP program for his solar array that came online in January. That too, has stopped.

It might be a little slick out there this morning, but conditions should continue to improve.  That's the weather outlook from Stu Muck.

Wisconsin continues to measure the magnitude of the tariffs being levied against China, Canada and Mexico, while preparing for retaliatory effects.  Sean Cleary, president of Cleary Building, tells Pam Jahnke that he started to plan for potential tariffs before the election.  Now he's working with his sources to keep product coming for building projects, while managing existing inventory to manage costs.

Wisconsin dairy is reeling after tariffs started knocking product movement out of whack to Mexico and Canada.  Bryce Windecker, New York dairy producer and staff analyst with EverAg, tells Pam Jahnke what manufacturers are doing to try and keep product moving, and what it signals to dairy farms as far as pay price.  He notes that we're producing more butterfat than we have in decades, and that's causing butter prices to retreat.  He also focuses on New Zealand's latest strategy to offset their increased milk production by targeting some of the U.S's hot markets like Japan.

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The Wisconsin State Climatology Office and the National Weather Service are calling on residents to become citizen scientists. Throughout March and beyond, Wisconsinites can help by becoming official rainfall reporters and weather observers.

“We want everyone to take part in collecting weather data,” said Bridget Mason, Assistant State Climatologist. “Your observations help provide a clearer picture of local weather patterns across Wisconsin.”

One of the best ways to contribute is through the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network, also known as CoCoRaHS. Volunteers measure daily precipitation using official rain gauges and submit their data online. 

Becoming a weather observer is easy and does not require daily reports. Volunteers can submit data when available, and the process only takes a few minutes. Training and resources are available at www.cocorahs.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Tony Evers directed another $5 million in federal funds to support the expanded Well Compensation and Well Abandonment Grant Program. Evers created an expanded Well Compensation and Well Abandonment Grant Program in 2022, using federal funding to help support more private well owners and increase access to clean drinking water, including expanding eligibility to those facing PFAS contamination in their wells. Thanks to the expanded eligibility, many individuals who would otherwise be ineligible under a similar state-funded program applied for and received assistance, including some small Wisconsin businesses with a non-community well, such as daycare centers, rural restaurants, and churches. The application period for this additional $5 million is open now: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/aid/WellCompensation.html

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Tariffs are in effect on Canadian energy of 10 percent. Petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan with GasBuddy says the price hike may trickle down to the end-user in the weeks ahead. He notes that not all regions of the U.S. will feel the impact equally if at all, even though Canada is our largest supplier of crude. De Haan argues against the idea that the U.S. can support itself overnight with fuel due to our current infrastructure. He shares his insight.

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