Olives. Not necessarily what we’re used to growing here in Wisconsin. But Bob Bosold got the inside look at how olive oil is produced from the harvest to the store on his farm tour in California as he talks with Karen Bond of Bondolio Olive Orchard.

Wisconsin Public Service will host the 61st anniversary WPS Farm Show March 28-30 on the EAA grounds in Oshkosh. Charitee Seebeker visits with Matt Cullen, media relations representative for the WPS Farm Show about the longstanding tradition of helping farmers of all sizes operate as efficiently as possible.

Amber Radatz of UW Discovery Farms joins Pam Jahnke to discuss how dairy checkoff dollars fit into the Discovery Farms Program. She says there are 3 surface water monitoring stations currently and explains how this research promotes positive sustainability practices. Paid for by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

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As an Agronomist at AgSource Laboratories, Tim Boerner relies on good weather reporting to make recommendations to his clients. That’s one reason he’s been a CoCoRahs weather reporter for over 15 years. 

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Acclimate weather? Traffic delays? Spooked cattle? Smooth route? It's all got to be considered when you're hauling live cargo. But it’s all second nature to Rick Reese of Hortonville, who has been hauling livestock since he was in high school. He’s been in the business for about 50 years. Today he’s with JBS livestock haulers. He breaks down what it entails to get cattle to the meat processor safely and in quality condition. 

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When you think of upcoming spring holidays, such as Easter, you may think of lamb. It’s a common dish for spring celebrations around the world. The holidays are important for lamb producers here in the U.S. Cody Hiemke is a Wisconsin lamb producer who runs the lamb program for Niman Ranch. Niman Ranch represents roughly 650 farms, selling their meat to high-end restaurants and retailers. These farms are predominantly in the Midwest, but the meat is distributed across the nation and even to the Bahamas. Cody gives us the 2023 outlook for lamb production.

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It’s been a pretty mild winter aside from some of the outlying winter storms. And that means that propane delivery has been overall smooth. Cheryl Lytle is the executive director of the Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, which represents propane suppliers across the state. She says propane's demand season went well, and prices are looking good for consumers.

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Bugs aren’t showing their face yet, but it won't be long. We’ll be able to see how the efforts to manage these pests went come Spring. PJ Liesch the director of the UW-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab and state entomologist, also known as the Wisconsin Bug guy says this winter didn’t impact insects too much. He shares how the winter affected emerald ash borer and ticks and what pests we should be aware of moving into spring.

“We’ve had emerald ash borer in the state for about 15 years so in terms of how it's been progressing, it’s relatively slow,” says Liesch. “What does this mean for us? The winter didn’t impact the population and we will still be dealing with them, especially in the southeast corner of the state.”

There is some research being done in biological control of this insect. This has included screening for tiny stingless wasps that parasitize the eggs or larval stages. Liesch says it will be a few years yet but these wasps may help to turn the tide of the emerald ash borer population.

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It’s a sad sign of change, to look across the countryside and see a once beautiful old barn sagging with age. While some have been invested in others simply cannot continue to stand. That’s where Ken Goodwin comes in. He is the owner of Wisconsin Barn Board and Beam, a company that specializes in taking down barns and salvaging the wood for its next life. 

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A favorite event for farmers is ready to return. Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) will host the 61st anniversary WPS Farm Show March 28-30 on the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) grounds in Oshkosh.  Matt Cullen, media relations representative for the WPS Farm Show says the show has a longstanding tradition of helping farmers of all sizes operate as efficiently as possible.

The 2023 WPS Farm Show features approximately 400 exhibitors showcasing the agricultural industry’s latest innovations, including large farm machinery, robotic milking systems and precision planting equipment. These tools can help farms of all sizes run more efficiently and grow their operations.

“This year's event will feature four hangers and one outdoor tent full of products, equipment and services that can help farms continue to grow and succeed as they go forward,” says Cullen. “In addition to that, there really is something for everybody at the WPS Farm Show, from a delicious food tent to a kids tractor pull event to a silent auction. There really are a number of different things for attendees to see and do over the course of those three days.”

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The Farm and Industry Short Course at UW-River Falls will start October 30 and run through March 15, 2024. The inaugural class will be limited to a cohort of 24 students. A special tuition and housing rate will be offered to the 24 students that make up this inaugural class and interested students should plan to apply before June 1.

Students will live in the UWRF residence halls and earn academic credits from UWRF, experiencing the supportive environment of a welcoming campus community where lifelong relationships and lasting mentorships are created. Classes will be taught by UWRF faculty during the first semester (eight-week period). During the winter term (more commonly known as J-Term), programming is envisioned as a collaborative effort between UWRF, UW-Platteville and UW-Madison to expose participants to unique characteristics of each campus. Students would then take classes for the first half of the spring 2024 semester at UWRF. A total of 20-24 transcriptable credits would be earned by the students in the first year, credits that may be applied to a degree program at UWRF or elsewhere.

Students will have the opportunity to take courses for one or two years.  The first year will focus on the critical, fundamental aspects of dairy farm operations with heavy emphasis on managing the animal. The second year will continue to focus on animal management with additional emphasis on managing operations of the whole farm.

To learn more about the Farm and Industry Short Course Program at UWRF, visit https://www.uwrf.edu/Academics/FISC, call 715-425-3704 or email Steve Kelm at [email protected].

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Even amidst economic challenges, Wisconsin does it again! The Badger State has set another record for food, forestry and agricultural product exports in 2022. A 7 percent increase from the previous record in 2021. Mark Rhoda-Reis is the director of the International Agribusiness Center at DATCP. He says exports were shipped to 142 countries totaling nearly $4.22 billion.

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