It's almost time for Wisconsin to shine as the host for the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.  John Umhoeffer, executive director of the hosting WI Cheesemakers Association visits with Pam Jahnke about the history of the event and what it means to host it.

Mental health resources are scarce in many areas of Wisconsin, but those counselors that are available are trying to help connect people as best they can.  Charitee Seebecker talks to Alma Jorgenson, Lake Superior Community Health Center Coordinator, about how they're juggling demand versus resources available.

Stephanie Hoff focuses on how state money invested in the Dairy Innovation Hub is being used, and what projects are developing new uses for dairy produced today.

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Agenda's are continuing to come together for policy work at the state capitol.  Wisconsin agriculture's watching.  Bob Bosold talks with Jordan Lamb, policy consultant representing a lot of Wisconsin farm organizations.  She explains some priorities they're working on.

Jared Hitchins is one of the staff in Wisconsin working with the Steffes Group.   Pam Jahnke catches up with him at the WI Corn/Soy Expo and talks about his background and what he finds fascinating in the auction business.  Paid for by Steffes Group.

The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is next week.  Pam Jahnke talks with Kirsten Stromenger from the host, WI Cheesemakers Association, who explains the crazy logistics required to host the event.

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This is the time of year when farms are making new equipment acquisitions and making upgrades on equipment they've been using.  The technology involved in today's farming equipment though has led to a real shortage of available technicians that can service that equipment.  Carrie Mess visits with Josh Gruett about recruitment for these key roles.

For the first time in more than 20 years, Wisconsin has a voice on the House Agriculture Committee.  Bob Bosold talks with Cong. Darren VonOrden about his quest to be on that committee and what the "interview" process looked like.  Bob Bosold visits with him.

John Hineberg with Total Farm Marketing steps in for an update on big oil's new look at renewable fuels.  Apparently their interest is cooling temporarily. He joins Pam Jahnke for an update on what's developing.

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It's that time of year! Maple syrup producers are getting ready for that perfect sugaring temperature. Steve Anderson is the third generation operating Anderson Maple Syrup in Cumberland. They package about 4,000-5,000 gallons a week of maple syrup for several area producers. And then they ship it all over the U.S. Steve is also the president of the WMSPA. He’s got a great perspective on harvest yield predictions and consumer demand. He starts with a status report on what’s happening in the woods. He welcomes anyone interested in maple syrup to visit wismaple.org. He says the association is always looking for new member producers.

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Providing the right kind of entertainment for different types of events to make sure that everyone attending has a great experience can be a hard task. Managing and recruiting so many different acts can also be challenging, especially during a pandemic.

Tim Stevens of G.L. Berg Entertainment provides entertainment for all types of business parties, cruises, and conferences, but his favorite to work with is the fair industry. He explains how he got started in the entertainment industry and how his “entertainment that works” philosophy helped him navigate the COVID pandemic. 

“My start in the entertainment world was as a performer in a band called The Memories,” says Stevens. “ I put a band together that played at wedding dances and that kept progressing. And a couple of years later, we performed at local fairs up in the Dunn County area.”

Being a part of his band is what led Stevens into association with Gary Berg, where G.L. Berg Entertainment comes from. Berg started the agency and as it was growing asked Stevens to be a part of it. He has now been working full time with G.L. Berg for over 25 years.

G.L. Berg Entertainment has a working relationship with about 100 performers, with about 25 of  those being exclusive. 

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County Highway officials are monitoring roads to know when to post and lift road restrictions. Fond du Lac County Highway Commissioner Tom Janke says that you may not see damage right away for hauling over the load limit as it is a progressive damage that deteriorates the infrastructure or pavement over time. He reminds farmers to pay attention to the weight of their loads and that there are permits available for heavy loads as the fines you may encounter otherwise can be costly. 

“Our roads were built well before our current farming practices and larger agricultural equipment came to be,” Janke explains. “Pavement life is roughly 20 to 25 years and if people don’t follow the load restrictions for certain roads, it is ultimately affecting that lifespan.”

Janke inspects the roads every other year and rates them on a scale of 1 to 10 for cracks and different tests to determine the functionality. He says the dead of winter is the time to move your heaviest loads before things start thawing out in order to cause less distressing of the pavement and keep the roads rating high.

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This fall, USDA announced historic investments to support farmer-led projects to fight climate change. Organic Valley was one of 16 projects in Wisconsin to get money. The cooperative got $25 million for its carbon insetting program. The money will help farmers establish new practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Wade Miller is the vice president of farm resources and sustainability with Organic Valley. It’s his job to help their member farmers make money on conservation. He has an update on how the program has worked so far, and where it’s going. 

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Pheasants forever is dedicated to benefiting wildlife by preserving native habitats and educating landowners on how to do it. Heather Doherty is a Farm Bill Biologist for Pheasants Forever. She sees first hand the benefit of planting native species and encouraging the habitats to grow and explains more about what they do.

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Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association says growers are positioned well to start 2023. However, 2022's crop was less than desirable, and economic challenges are persisting. Meanwhile, the Cranberry Research Station and the industry is working on better varieties, pest resistance and frost protection. And the Wisconsin Cranberry Board is monitoring export barriers and tariffs.

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Since it started in 2019, the UW Dairy Innovation Hub has been working on keeping Wisconsin’s dairy industry alive and well. It does this through research surrounding land and water stewardship, human health, animal welfare and growing farm communities. We get an update on what the Dairy Innovation Hub is looking forward to in the new year from UW-Madison Prof. Chuck Nicholson. He’s funded through the Hub and started his role in January 2022. His focus: dairy economic issues.

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