Good soil practices are paying financial dividends for farmers in some states in the upper Midwest, and Wisconsin may soon join in.  Bob Bosold talks to Jack Cornell with the United Soybean Board about Farmers for Soil Health.  He explains their model and the companies that are already buying in, literally.Even small plots of ground can be incredibly productive. 

Pam Jahnke visits with Sarah Bressler, farm manager for the Hunger Task Force's 208 acre property in Franklin, WI.  It's land leased for 30 years in partnership with Milwaukee County.  Bressler said they produced a record 411,000 pounds of fresh vegetables and produce they'll distribute to food pantries.

Affordable health care is major talking point at a lot of state conventions and conferences this winter.  Stephanie Hoff gets real-life perspective from a farm couple in western Wisconsin.  Dylan Bruce from Ferryville. He and his wife operate Circadian Organics and Driftless Seed. He's also president of his Vernon-Crawford County WI Farmers Union Chapter. Dylan tells me that because farming is such a unique business, he doesn’t qualify for BadgerCare. And because he’s got a preexisting condition, he’s got to pay for expensive insurance.

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Keeping a farm or homestead in the family for more than 100 or 150 years is truly a great accomplishment and that’s something that the Wisconsin State Fair wants to recognize through their Century and Sesquicentennial Farm and Home Award.

To qualify for the award, families are required to provide proof of continuous family ownership of a property in the state of Wisconsin for either the last 100 or 150 years. All property owners will be honored at a special Century and Sesquicentennial Farm and Home Award Program held on Tuesday, Aug. 6 in conjunction with the 2024 Wisconsin State Fair which takes place Thursday, Aug. 1 – Sunday, Aug. 11 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis.

"We encourage everyone to make a copy of their application for family records," says Albanese. "It's a one-page application, front and back, but it's a testament to the family's commitment and history."

Applications for the Century and Sesquicentennial Farm and Home Award are available now and must be postmarked by the application deadline Friday, March 1, 2024. Only one certificate may be issued per property.

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There’s a new bill in Congress that aims to support domestic hardwood products, and Wisconsin manufacturers are hopeful it will pass through. The bill would create a Hardwood Products Access and Development Program. This program would give grants to fund research to show consumers the health and environmental benefits of hardwood products, such as flooring and cabinets. Kretz Lumber Company in Antigo would stand to benefit. President Troy Brown says the industry has a problem reaching consumers, and this would resolve that disconnect by spotlighting the benefits of real wood. Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany is one of the authors of the legislation. He says the price tag is about $5 million, and he hopes to get it included in the Farm Bill. 

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Wisconsin Farmers Union is asking the state to expand BadgerCare by accepting federal Medicaid expansion dollars. With the expansion, they say they can reach more farmers, such as Dylan Bruce. He and his wife operate Circadian Organics and Driftless Seed in Ferryville. He’s also president of his Vernon and Crawford County WFU chapter. Because farming is such a unique business, he doesn’t qualify for BadgerCare. And because he’s got a preexisting condition, he’s got to pay for expensive insurance. He says expanding BadgerCare can help mitigate the pitfalls of the current system.

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Brandi Grayson is the CEO of Urban Triage in Madison. With help from USDA and donors, Urban Triage has programming to support Black Wisconsin farmers as they strive to build financially stable, wealth-building farm businesses. Urban Triage says its agriculture programming at the Farley Center has become its most popular service and has been successful in generating new businesses.

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GrassWorks has been a driving force in promoting sustainable grazing practices. In 2023, the organization welcomed a new executive director and intensified their efforts in educating farmers. Their annual GrassWorks Grazing conference is happening now through February 3rd. President, Kevin Mahalko gives an overview of how this past year went for them and the exciting things ahead.

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The agricultural industry has been confronted with historically low cattle numbers, indicating a potential challenge in beef supplies for the foreseeable future. But what does this mean for farmers?  Jeff Swenson, Department of Agriculture Livestock and Meat Specialist provides some insight into how much of an impact this will have.

"While these may be low numbers, it's important to remember that cattle weights have increased about 3 percent every year and we’re producing more beef with fewer cattle than in the past. This gives the industry a little hope for what's to come."

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From the Northern end of the world's longest barn, Jill Welke brings us a story with the Flower Hill Institute, a nonprofit that provides outreach and technical assistance to small meat and poultry processors under the direction of USDA.

Jeff Swenson, DATCP livestock and meat specialist and author of the Wisconsin livestock report, reflects on the numbers in USDA's Cattle Report that reported historic cattle inventory lows. He gives risk management advice.

Brenda Boetel joins us with a 2024 beef outlook for both producers and consumers. She predicts a profitable year but warns that low cattle inventories can hurt export markets. Wisconsin is unique in offering dairy-x-beef to the mix.

Sara Stelter of Wautoma is reelected Wisconsin Soybean Association president. Wisconsin awards grant money to 15 dairy businesses.

Pam Jahnke takes us to a Centennial Farm in Northeast Wisconsin. Carol Schevers O'Rourke tells the story of the farm that started in 1914 after some of the family moved to Outagamie County from Holland. Listen in to learn how they persisted in keeping the farm together.

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Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is asking the state for permission to offer its own health care plan to members. Rachel Harmann has testified in support of Farm Bureau health coverage. She and her family own Lakeshore Land and Livestock in Door County. She says if passed, this unique health plan would provide relief for families that have to choose between growing the farm business or staying home with children, and taking an off-farm job for health insurance.

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Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is pushing a bill that would allow the organization to provide members with a health coverage plan option. Executive Director of Governmental Relations Jason Mugnaini says they aim to reach growers with unique and affordable health insurance that they wouldn’t already be eligible for. Seven other state Farm Bureaus currently operate in this model. The bill asks the state Legislature to exempt Farm Bureau from state insurance regulation to allow the model, offered only by state Farm Bureaus, such as Tennessee and Iowa. Mugnaini says Farm Bureau members in those states have seen premiums up to 60 percent lower than comparable subsidized plans.

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