March 15. That’s the deadline for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. So how do you know which one is best for your farm? Well it may be a case by case scenario but the Renk Agribusiness Institute has some recommendations.

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There may not be a huge membership, but the Wisconsin Bison Association is impressive with the number of animals they've got here in the state.

Pat Ries from Mount Calvary is a board member for WI Bison. Ries says Wisconsin sits in the #6 spot as far as the number of farms raising animals.  Estimates are there's over 5,800 bison in Wisconsin with the number growing.

This weekend, 1/26-1/28, the bison owners will be in Green Bay focusing on licensing, slaughter options and a new partnership with UW-Madison students.  Register or find details at the Wisconsin Bison website.

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Brenda Boetel, Extension agricultural marketing specialist and chair of the Department of Agricultural Economics at UW-River Falls, says beef was a bright spot for Wisconsin cattlemen and women in the past year. She's optimistic that the good prices will continue through 2024 based on low supply and steady consumer demand.

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Rural livability has become a focus at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison. Thanks to federal grant money, the college is looking at what assets are needed to sustain Wisconsin’s rural communities. One of the voices in the rural livability conversation belongs to Steven Deller. He specializes in rural economic growth and development. He’s also a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Today, he marries together for us the economic trends in rural Wisconsin and the human elements that play a role in keeping these towns resilient. He predicts the state’s economy in 2024 as a soft landing and a glass half full. Photo by Michael P. King/UW-Madison CALS

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Farm accidents occur year round.  Now the National Farm  Medicine Center in Marshfield is trying to draw attention to that fact and amp up awareness.  Bob Bosold talks to Melissa Ploechlmann from NFMC about their campaign.

How are dairy farmers financial contributions to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin being used?  What's the return on their investment?  Charitee Seebecker addresses some of their questions with DFW's CEO, Chad Vincent.  Paid for by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

Last week WI Farm Technology Days announced their host for the 2026 show!  As part of the show's new direction, individual farms will be selected to host versus a county.  Anna Maenner, general manager of WFTD, explains the pivot in the show process to Pam Jahnke.

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Kicking off a Tuesday morning, Jill Welke introduces us to Brad Olson, the new president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. Olson says he brings a "look from the outside" after only having been a WFBF member since 2022. He does have tenure as a town and county board member. He's passionate about moving agriculture forward and is preparing for Ag Day at the Capitol, where he anticipates renewable energy, milk prices, and health care to dominate the conversation.

Wisconsin is in a winter weather advisory today. Ag meteorologist Stu Muck has the details.

In dairy news, every drop of milk produced in the U.S. is priced based on what's called the Federal Milk Marketing Orders. Now for the first time in decades, the dairy industry and USDA are looking at revising these complex rules. One problem that's been revealed is that the dairy farmers directly impacted by those orders may not even have a voice in accepting or denying the verdict, explains Lucas Sjostrom with Minnesota Milk and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. This week marks the 11th week that USDA has been gathering testimony. Sjostrom says no one is sure when they'll conclude the process.

Kiel High School makes sure that every student in after-school activities gets access to chocolate milk. Charitee Seebecker has the story.

Finally, John Heinberg joins us live before speaking at the 2024 Agriculture Outlook Forum. Grain is the name of the game today. He says corn is drawing concern as China moves more of its business to South America. 

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The craft beer industry faced some headwinds in 2023 due to inflation. While the situation has somewhat stabilized, prices remain higher. The biggest headwinds ahead for 2024 are shifts in consumer habits with many choosing ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages and the trend of dry January.

Zak Koga, the Vice-President of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild and owner of Carbon 4 brewing says despite these headwinds, there’s also opportunities for growth with the use of cannabis.

He says, “One significant trend on the horizon is the continued growth of the cannabis industry. Cannabis-infused beverages are becoming more prevalent. We’re cautiously exploring this space, but I believe it will play a significant role in shaping beverage choices moving forward.”

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Arguably one of the most competitive jobs in the state of Wisconsin is accepting applications -- the 77th Alice in Dairyland position with the Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. Applications are open through Jan. 31. If you’re passionate about telling the story of Wisconsin agriculture, this is the job for you. Here to tell us about the experience of being Wisconsin’s agriculture ambassador is the current Alice, Ashley Hagenow.

You can learn more at https://www.aliceindairyland.com/

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What do you refuel your bodies with after a workout? Maybe water or Gatorade? Well students at the Kiel High School refuel with chocolate milk. Emmy Newberg, the Kiel Agriculture Teacher and FFA advisor has partnered with local dairy farms to supply every student involved with after school extra circulars chocolate milk through their Chocolate Milk Initiative program. She says this project took about a year to make possible.

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At the State Capitol in Madison, the drama continues to unfold over Wisconsin’s legislative maps. Wisconsin Farmers Union is asking the Legislature to set aside their politics and work together. In December, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin’s legislative maps are unconstitutional and must be redrawn before the 2024 election. WFU member Hans Breitenmoser is passionate about the issue. Breitenmoser operates Golden Dawn Farm in Lincoln County, milking 450 dairy cows and farming 1,300 acres. He tells Mid-West Farm Report why fair maps matter to his farm and community. In the future, WFU insists upon the creation of an objective, nonpartisan procedure for the preparation of legislative and congressional redistricting plans.

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