Weather's not making it easy to control cover crops that were supposed to be dead!

Dean Ebert with Helena Agri in West Bend has been in the sprayer cab a few days this week.  It's obvious, the mild winter Wisconsin experienced has turned into a surprise with vibrant cover crops that don't want to give up.

Ebert talks with Pam Jahnke about how they're approaching these unique challenges, plus focusing on keeping nutrients, like nitrogen, in place despite the weather.

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It's almost graduation for a lot of college students on ag campuses across the state.  Charitee Seebecker visits with UW-Platteville School of Agriculture Director, Tera Montgomery.There's no lack of jobs for graduates, but their priorities are interesting when accepting a position.

A small bar/grill in Oneida County has captured the inaugural Wisconsin's Best Beef Burger title.  Pickle's Bar & Grill in Hazelhurst was announced as the winner, and both the WI Beef Council, and the owner operators are thrilled.

Lauren Siemers from Kiel grew up on the family dairy but didn't immediately see an attractive opportunity to join the farm. So she decided to investigate the marketing side of the industry.  Siemers will be graduating from UW-Oshkosh with a degree in marketing and she's ready to "sell" Wisconsin agriculture as the next Alice in Dairyland.

Zach Bauer, broke analyst with EverAg, steps in to visit with Pam Jahnke.  The market's still talking about HPAI in dairy and beef testing that's ongoing, but now suppliers and processors are more focused on milk production.  He's also keeping an eye on butter.  It's at near record prices, and depending on milk production - it could stay there.

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Dr. Shawn Conley's got some reminders for Wisconsin soybean growers heading to the fields.  From chemical combinations to placement of seed - it's all going to matter this year.

Conley also shares some of the ongoing and upcoming field research he and his team will be conducting this year.  Much of the funding for Conley's research comes from the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board and soybean checkoff dollars.

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Veterinarians play a critical role with county fair functions and the relationship with exhibitors.   Jill Welke visits with Dr. Meg Mueller, a fair veterinarian, about how she helps exhibitors comply.

Plants in space!  It's happening thanks to researchers on the UW-Madison campus.  Simon Gilroy, botanist on campus, has been coordinating projects with NASA that should help answer questions about potentially growing food in space.

Ashley Huhn from the Steffes Group joins Pam Jahnke.  Last week's sale in Darlington brought big numbers of attendees and high prices for registered cow/calf pairs.  Paid for by Steffes Group.

The challenge facing farms to try and secure safe and legal farm labor keeps getting more complicated.  Chad Smith talks about newly introduced revisions to the H2A guidelines. He speaks with John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Kiley Pagel from Kewaunee is hoping her life experiences on the family dairy farm. Her experience working with the general public, and her upcoming graduation from UW-Green Bay with a Business Administration degree all play in her favor to become our next Alice in Dairyland.

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Today, kids have so many opportunities on how they want to spend their summer, simple things like 4-H Camp can be overlooked.  Marie Witzel, Dodge County 4-H Extension Agent knows how hectic it can be, but she takes time with Pam Jahnke to explain the benefits she sees uniquely provided through 4-H Camp.

Wisconsin offers many different options, dependent on the campers age, interests and schedule.

Research shows that youth who attend camps during the summer come away with so much more than what camping programs are given credit for.  Witzel says 4-H is intentional in providing critical components of a successful learning experience as part of all its summer camp curriculum. These Essential Elements are: Belonging, Independence, Mastery, and Generosity.  They are designed to meet the developmental needs of youth.

Check out links on the Extension Dodge County Page to register: https://dodge.extension.wisc.edu/4-h-youth-development/camps/

If you have questions about the Dodge County 4-H Youth Development program or other extension programs please contact the office at 920-386-3790 or online at https://dodge.extension.wisc.edu/

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It's a powerful message to look at what one farm can grow in Wisconsin, and how many families it supports.  Supports not only with good paying jobs, but produce that keeps them fed.  Meet Roderick Gumz from Endeavor.  Their diversified farm grows corn and soybeans, carrots, onions, potatoes and mint!  Pam Jahnke finds out about the marketing side.

HPAI in dairy, and now testing in beef, has federal officials monitoring results and world reaction.  Doug McKalip, Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, says they're putting the emphasis on science.

Mikaela King from Big Bend knew she wanted to be "Alice in Dairyland" since she first met "Alice" as a fair youth in Waukesha County.  King grew up on a beef farm, but kept the passion for story-telling through her educational process at the Univ. of Minnesota.  Now she's ready for the next step.

Native plants might be an option your considering for your garden this year.  Charitee Seebecker talks to Amy Staffen - DNR Conservation Biologist about how to get things started.

John Heinberg, market advisor with Total Farm Marketing catches up with Pam Jahnke.  The wet weather and severe storms over the weekend slowed spring planting, but it's still too early to be a market influence. Heinberg says the continued focus on HPAI in dairy, and now testing of beef has the market anxious.

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Biologic agents are growing in popularity for Wisconsin farming practices.  Bob Bosold talks to Matt Oemichen from Short Line Ag in Colby about how biologics work and how they improve an entire plant system.Storm season is upon us and it's critically important that farms are prepared. 

From refreshing your memory on insurance policies to making sure that back-up generator is ready to go.  Construction manager Jeff Mahlkuch with A1 Electric in Monroe runs down some of the places to check first.

Meet Katrina Hoesley from Denmark. She's a finalist for the Alice in Dairyland position advancing to the final phase of interviews this Friday in Door County.  Hoesley explains her activities before college and on the UW-River Falls campus that helped broaden her scope on the audience "Alice" needs to reach.

Crop Stunt Disease.  It's not something we normally see in the upper Midwest, but it's devastating Argentina's corn crop now.  Dr. Darcy Talenka from Purdue explains how it could move to other areas of the U.S.

Tomorrow hundreds of school kids from the Milwaukee urban school district will be at State Fair Park.  Pam Jahnke talks to Tess Kerksen, WI State Fair Promotions Coordinator, about the second year of "Ag Discovery Day".

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Welcome back as we feature specialty crops across Wisconsin and the producers who not only grow them but welcome you to the farm for an agricultural experience. Today, we take a walk through the rolling pastures of Bull Brook Keep in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. They’re about 65 miles northeast of the Twin Cities. In the pasture, you’ll come across what looks like, at first glance, weeds. In reality, these plants can prevent sickness or cure ailments. Sylvia Burgos-Toftness considers herself a medicinal herbal student. She’s been undergoing formal education for eight years to become an herbalist. Her farm hosts pasture walks and workshops for people with similar interests. This is how the farm sustains itself after transitioning from a labor-intensive grazed cattle operation. Burgos-Toftness says the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association is a resource for farmers who look to transition the farm to a new commodity or add value through a new revenue stream. This podcast series is brought to you courtesy of Specialty Crop Block Grant 23-10. Learn more about how to engage with Wisconsin's agricultural tourism industry at https://gowiagtourism.com/.

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Mick Homb is no stranger to the dairy sector.  He's been making milk move for decades. So it took a little nudge from staff and family to get him to step into the new role as General Manager for FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative.

Homb visits with Pam Jahnke about the areas he knows well within FarmFirst - logistics of moving milk and making sure that milk has a home every day.  Homb says the questions he's getting from vendor partners today on milk quality and products they're developing are different then questions he answered even five years ago.

Homb says he's going to rely on the expertise of many FarmFirst staff members to make sure, as General Manager, he's letting others use their expertise to help the dairy farm families they serve.

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Wisconsin farms and rural landowners need to slow down and pay attention to lengthy agreements they're being offered for the land and solar development.  Bill Oemichen, Law Professor for UW-Extension says some of these agreements can be 10-14 pages in length, full of details you'll have to live with.  Stephanie Hoff leads us through some of the top items to look for.

Blain's Farm & Fleet just opened a new option for farms to gain access to pharmaceuticals they need.  Animal RX.  Chris Ramos with Blain's Animal RX explains what changed with the FDA that made it possible for Blain's to step in and fill the need.

Heili Heinzel from Oconomowoc was once intimidated by farmers.  She didn't meet her first cow until she was 16, but today - she wants to speak up for all of WI agriculture as Alice in Dairyland.  She talks to Pam Jahnke about her journey to this stage of her life, and what she hopes for in the potential new position.

Small, unique farming opportunities, farming events, community gathering spots - they all help build vigor for rural communities.  Sometimes those "good ideas" need funding, and Compeer Financial decide to step in as a partner.  Paul Dietman is the director of Emerging Markets for Compeer Financial and tells Pam Jahnke about their portfolio and who they work with.  Paid for by Compeer Financial.

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