As temperatures rise, Wisconsin's insect population is springing into action, signaling a potentially early start to the bug season. With approximately 20 thousand different insect species in the state, varying strategies help them survive the winter, but warm weather can prompt their activity sooner than expected.

“While certain species may still be dormant as eggs, others, such as adults, have begun their activities due to the unusually warm temperatures,” explains PJ Liesch, state entomologist.

This early activity could lead to an overall earlier start to the insect season in Wisconsin. However, the impact of prolonged warm spells in spring and fall on insect populations remains uncertain.

"Extended warm periods could allow certain insects to squeeze in additional reproductive cycles," says Liesch. "While some insects, like aphids, can continuously reproduce generation after generation, others may attempt a second generation if conditions permit."

Furthermore, mild winters may facilitate range expansions for certain insect species, potentially pushing them farther north into Wisconsin.

While the recent weather fluctuations, from warm spells to cold snaps, may seem concerning, experts believe that most insects are resilient to such variations.

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Cheeses from Sri-Lanka!  Cheese made from camel milk!  It's all featured during the 2024 World Champion Cheese event happening at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.

Pam Jahnke talks with John Umhoefer, executive director of the hosting Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association, about the logistics behind moving a mountain of cheese and other dairy entries from around the world.  It starts at WOW Logistics in Little Chute and slowly makes its way to Madison for presentation and judging.

The World Champion Cheese event runs Tuesday through Thursday, March 5-7, and can be viewed online.  The World Champion will be revealed around 2 p.m. central on Thursday.

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Randy Swensen, Director of Quality & Grading at Wisconsin Aging & Grading (WAG) Cheese, has been working with the World Championship Cheese Contest for more than 20 years. As the Director of Contest Logistics, he spends much of his time in the weeks before the event at WOW Logistics' warehouse in Little Chute. This is where he leads the effort to receive and categorize the more than 3,300 entries of cheese, butter, yogurt, and more.

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The latest hay stocks report from USDA shows Wisconsin supply is down 30 percent from the year before. Meanwhile, out West, they're seeing a hefty carryover supply that will bring their hay prices down, according to Josh Callen, a market analyst with The Hoyt Report. He covers hay markets in the seven Western states of the Continental U.S. But he says the cost of hauling hay negates any interest in hauling those bales to places like Wisconsin. Callen says there are vast regional differences in hay supply and prices. Weather in different areas of the U.S. may influence hay prices here at home.

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Jordan Lamb is a policy consultant representing seven Wisconsin farm organizations at the State Capitol. She expects the legislative session to wrap up during the first few weeks of March. Ahead of the session, back in December of 2022, she says three themes stood out among Wisconsin farmers: transportation, workforce, and health care. And Lamb says they've made strides in all three areas. This summer, she will work with her team to connect legislators to farms. 

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It’s tough to show progress without a starting point or a scale of measurement. That dilemma has been a roadblock for those tasked with reducing the environmental impact of milk production. Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) provides a solution with a new initiative, Your Farm – Your FootprintTM.

The first-of-its-kind, farmer-led sustainability initiative empowers dairy producers to know and easily understand the environmental footprint of their farms. It gives farmers the opportunity to measure carbon and methane emissions so they can make informed decisions and shape their farms’ futures while retaining control of their data.

Shelly Mayer, executive director of Professional Dairy Producers says this initiative is led by dairy farmers, for dairy farmers. 

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Cheesemakers from around the world will be coming to Wisconsin next week for the World Champion Cheese contest. With over 3 thousand entries, it takes a lot of behind the scenes work to get them into proper categories and maintain food safety. John Umhoeffer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association says getting all those dairy products to Wisconsin is no easy feat, and it gets more challenging every year.

Bugs aren’t usually showing their face yet this time of year, but thanks to the pretty mild winter we’ve been having - some have been getting active.  PJ Liesch, state entomologist, says ticks have already become active and  if we have an early spring and an extended fall, it would allow these insects to have additional generations and be more prevalent longer into the year than normal.

When the temperatures swung down this week, you probably reached for the thermostat. That's where propane thrives -- in heating homes. But the potential for propane fuel goes beyond that. Mike Newland of the Propane Education Research Council joins Stephanie Hoff to talk about what's new for 2024.

Friday means it's Friday Night Fish Fry time. Pam Jahnke is joined by Tammie Paoli, a DNR Fish Biologist to talk about just where these fish we enjoy are coming from.

It’s tough to show how much progress you’ve made without a starting point or a scale of measurement. That has proven to be a roadblock for those tasked with reducing the environmental impact of milk production. Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) provides a solution with their new initiative, Your Farm – Your Footprint. Shelly Mayer, executive director of Professional Dairy Producers says this initiative is led by dairy farmers, for dairy farmers.

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Protect Our Farms is circulating the state Capitol. It aims to bring consistency and peace of mind to Wisconsin’s livestock farmers, says Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Director of Governmental Affairs Jason Mugnaini and Columbia County pork farmer AV Roth.

Imagine starting a sheep shearing business without knowing how to shear sheep. It panned out for Briana Bateman who now co-owns Riversong Shearing.

Congress reached an agreement to prevent a government shutdown for now. Wisconsin Farm Service Agency Director Gene Schriefer outlines the impact of a shutdown on agriculture programs. He asks for your patience as staff train on Dairy Margin Coverage software.

You might not be putting cow tongue in your grocery cart, but in other countries, it’s a delicacy, says U.S. Meat Export Federation past chair Dean Meyer.

Cheese prices have seen a lift this week. Ever.Ag dairy agent/broker Cody Koster says it may not continue as future demand looks soft.

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Jesse Wagner from In The Woods Sugarbush in Manitowoc says as long as the 60-degree temperatures aren't here to stay, all is well. He is hoping for snow cover to come in March to prolong the sap collection season.

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Most potato producers in Wisconsin would never imagine managing their 2023 crop with temperatures in the 70's come February of 2024.  Stephanie Hoff learns about the precision necessary to keep those potatoes in good condition for consumption from Mike Copas, agronomy manager for Wysocki Family Farms Company.

Protect Our Farms is an anthem you're hearing at the state capitol as farm organizations and commodity groups come together to prevent a patchwork of ordinances from constraining livestock production without merit.  Jason Mugniani with the WI Farm Bureau says it stems from Prop 12 in California, and the Supreme Court not taking action to prevent each state from creating rules that dictate production practices beyond their state border.

Commodity prices are down more than 22% compared to 2022, and that's got Wisconsin farmers stressed.  Add to it the current concern about exceptionally dry conditions going into spring - and you see why discussing mental health in the rural community is so key.  Pam Jahnke introduces us to Dan Wexfeld, a trainer with Mental Health First Aid.  On March 14th they're holding a daylong training session to identify signs of mental stress and potential suicide.

John Heinberg, market advisor with Total Farm Marketing in West Bend steps in for an update. Farmers are getting antsy in Wisconsin to get started with spring chores, and the same is true farther south.  Heinberg says there's reports of growers starting to plant cotton, and even some early season corn.  His eye is focused on the sweeping weather changes planned for the mid-section of the U.S. where the wheat crop could get shocked.  Heinberg's also watching money flow, and preparing for Friday's next cattle on feed report. 

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