MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

There's a maelstrom of information blowing through dairy circles these days.  Matt Tranel, dairy analyst with EverAg is trying to keep a pulse on it all.

Tranel tells Pam Jahnke that there's a lot of information that could be gleaned from the upcoming World Ag Supply Demand Estimates that will be released from USDA.  While most of the emphasis is on corn and soybeans, dairy is included in the outlook.  

Tranel points to the corn and soybean estimates as a direct indicator of feed costs - which have gone up!  Will that mean dairies change their approach to animal management?

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Farms encourage striking up relationships with your local farms and the goods they can provide you with.  Unfortunately, once those relationships are cemented, getting the finished products to customers can become the battle.  Kiley Allan finds out about it firsthand from Haly Schultz, farmer at Marth Homestead Farm & Beef Store.  She says roughly 36% of Wisconsin counties (26 out of 72) lack inspected red meat slaughter facilities, creating processing "deserts" that force farmers like Hallie Schultz to drive hours round-trip to process their livestock. Older mom-and-pop processing facilities closed due to retirement and high upgrade costs, and while post-COVID funding briefly helped new processors open, several have since shut down or shifted away from local slaughter to wholesale and retail sales. She explains the demand for state- or federally-inspected mobile slaughter units, which would allow farmers to handle cattle on-site, reduce animal stress, eliminate transportation logistics, and keep local processing options accessible. Local meat markets face persistent hurdles including a shortage of skilled, detail-oriented butchers, strict inspection standards, and a need for improved consumer education regarding regional meat production. 

Another picture perfect day in Wisconsin weather on the way.  Stu Muck says we'll stay pretty dry today and tomorrow with only slight chances of showers.  Temperatures will stay in comfortable upper 70's for the rest of the week.

It will be "back to work" for representatives and senators beginning next week.  That includes U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin.  She's got a full agenda she'd like to see discussed, as she shared with Teri Barr.  The two caught up recently at the Crave Brothers Farmstead in Waterloo during celebration of new Burrata cheese for the holidays. The Crave Brothers increase in new cheese production is supported through a grant from the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative program, Baldwin supported the creation of the program. She wants more funding to continue support. The program is currently out of money.Although there was celebrating at Crave's event, Baldwin says she's concerned about the future for other farmers.  The senator explains her priorities as she goes back to the nation's capitol - including the Farm Bill and beef imports.

International negotiations have been part of daily headlines for months.  That means they sometimes become a dull noise in the background.  Matt Tranel, dairy analyst with EverAg says that Wisconsin dairy operators and dairy processors need to stay vigilant on monitoring those discussions.  Tranel says in July, for example, Mexico purchased 35% of all U.S. cheese exported.  That's a big number!  It's more than South Korea, Japan and Australian sales put together for the same time period.  Tranel says keeping that relationship healthy is a major directive from the nations dairy operators.

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Hopefully you never need them - but unfortunately many families in rural communities have to call on Emergency Medical Services(EMS).  Those resources are stretched no matter what community you live in.  Pam Jahnke finds out about those challenges from Carrie Meier.  She's spent 21 years in Dane County helping to coordinate those emergency response efforts.  Things have definitely changed over the course of that tenure.

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There will be a limited number of legislative days when lawmakers return to Washington -- and Congress breaks again -- before the midterm elections. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin plans to push for dairy support while keeping an eye on the farm bill and other issues affecting Wisconsin agriculture.

She talked with Teri Barr about the importance of legislation while attending an on-the-farm event and celebration. 

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School lunches are highly regulated by the federal government, but they still need to be tasty to appeal to students. What does that mean your child's actually getting served? Diane Pratt-Heavner joins Kiley Allan. She's a spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association. She's explains the careful considerations and requirements foods must meet before landing on lunchroom trays.

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As canning and preservation enthusiasts shift from crop to crop, Heather Quackenboss, a UW–Madison Extension Human Development and Relationships Educator, says it's important to make sure you're crossing your t's and dotting your i's when it comes to proper preservation techniques. While there are a plethora of resources online, Heather says they can't all be trusted the same. She tells us about a new tool UW-Madison and Iowa State Extension are bringing to the canning community.

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In order for meat to go from the farm to your dinner plate, there's several steps that need to happen, and they're all important. One of those critical steps the Mid-West Farm Report is talking about is the processing step. While there are many factors that play into getting an appointment at your processor, one that can't be overlooked is the distance and accessibility of that facility to a farm.

According to a new study from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, 36% of the state (26 of Wisconsin's 72 counties) have no inspected red meat slaughter facility in their county at all. They site that other producers in the state have to travel up to 80 miles to reach a facility.

While this disconnect isn't a new issue, it seems as though it was amplified after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although producers have been looking for solutions long before that, Kelly Maynard joins me. She's a Cooperative Development Specialist for the UW Center for Cooperatives. She tells Kiley Allan about a unique experience she's had with two groups in different parts of the state who are looking to solve these problems for themselves. These groups, mostly consisting of livestock producers, are looking to open meat processing facilities.

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There are numerous roadblocks that can stand in the way of people discovering the benefits of using preservation techniques to extend the shelf life of their produce. As someone who enjoys the canning experience herself, Marissa DeGroot is on a mission to invite more people to discover the joys of canning. Her idea to invite her friends and family to a "pickle party" was what she described as her "worlds colliding." She's the Marketing and Operations Coordinator at Vitruvian Farms, and loves canning herself. She tells Kiley Allan about the party she threw for her friends and family to discover canning.

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Haly Schultz and her husband take great pride in raising the seventh generation now on Marth Homestead Farm. In addition to the pride they feel for their children, they're also proud to run their own beef store and help feed their community. But like every other aspect of farming, running the beef store is not without its challenges. They butcher almost every month of the year, and Hallie tells me they have to travel nearly an hour each way to reach their processing facility. And unfortunately, they're not alone. A new study from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute says that 26 of Wisconsin's 72 counties (36% of the state) have no inspected red meat slaughter facility. Hallie sat down with Kiley Allan to break down the major hurdles that these processing deserts pose for her operation.

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