MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Weather and global conflicts.  It's all being surveiled by NASA.  Ben Jarboe goes behind the scene with Mike Humber.  Humber is NASA Harvest Data Lead and NASA Acres Deputy Director. The data collected by NASA satellites allows monitoring of crop conditions, water availability and much more.  Jarboe finds out about what they learned when war erupted between Ukraine and Russia, and how the ongoing war in Iran is disrupting food production and movement.

Cloudy and windy for our Tuesday.  Stu Muck says the winds will be most noticed today, but there's hit and miss chances of rain for the next 48 hours too.

Used equipment prices are holding firm rolling into spring planting.  Ashley Huhn with Steffes Group Auctioneers says the trends they see in March sales attest to continued interest in quality used equipment.  Paid for by Steffes Group.

Louisianna corn growers got a nasty surprise on March 17th.  An unexpected freeze!   Dr. Shelly Kerns, corn specialist at Louisiana State University Ag Center in Winnsboro, says the calls started streaming in at dawn.  Kerns encouraged growers to remain calm and give the plants a few days to recover.  Ultimately though, 60-70% of impacted acres had to be replanted.  That brought another unique set of challenges.  Kerns says growers, including herself, were unable to find hybrid varieties that they wanted.  That brought more anxiety in a year where costs were already high, and market opportunities already curtailed.

Oil is back in the headlines for traders today.  John Heinberg, market advisor with Total Farm Marketig, tells Pam Jahnke that the standoff with Iran is manifesting itself in higher oil prices and more demand for ethanol.

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Immigration enforcement continues to be an issue that Wisconsin farms and agribusinesses are monitoring.  Sam Moheban, immigration specialist and attorney at Wausau based, Ruder Ware law firm says things are changing.  Moheban tells Pam Jahnke that instead of focusing on raids, which are expensive and require a lot of staff, ICE is pivoting to enfocement through paperwork.  Specifically Moheban says they are reviewing I-9 forms.  These are the forms all employers use to verify that their employees can legally be employed.  Moheban says now, if there's an error found on that paperwork, employers can be fined immediately.  He also says that the government can now serve notice of inspection via certified mail or personal service on any business in the country.

Severe weather starts off our Monday.  Stu Muck says there's a tornado warning in effect for a chunk of south central Wisconsin this morning with gusty storms on the way.

Wisconsin dairy farmers had been hoping to restore whole milk to the school lunch program. That finally happened in January when the "Whole Milk For Healthy Kids" was signed into law.  Kiley Allan talks with Darren VonRuden, president of the WI Farmers Union, about the struggles schools are facing finding the whole milk.  VonRuden says the milk is out there, it just needs to find its way to the correct processing line.

WI Ag Secretary, Randy Romanski, has been honored as the 2026 Distinguished Agriculturist by UW-River Falls.  Pam Jahnke reports.

Spring is a busy time on Wisconsin farms.  Stephanie Hoff takes a visit to Eugsters Farm Market in Stoughton to investigate what's new.  She finds Kat Eugster very busy with new baby lambs, goats and other farm babies.  Eugster explains how the tempo picks up with round the clock care.  Eugsters is also in the process of developing a vineyard they'll be opening in 2027.

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This is a big weekend for the equine industry.  Another big show - in Minnesota.  Jill Welke talks with the organizers of the show and entertainment at the MN Horse Expo.]

Rainfall reports are spotty this morning around Wisconsin.  Stu Muck says western Wisconsin suffered the brunt of the heavy rainfall.  Drier weather for most of the weekend with rain back in the forecast on Monday.

The legislative session is in the rear view mirror for agriculture right now.  Stephanie Hoff gets a quick recap on some highline items from Jason Mungniani, government affairs specialist with the WI Farm Bureau Federation.  Aside from noting "wins" on things like PFA's protection and road weight adjustments, Mungniani also says they've started a campaign to engage with not only existing lawmakers, but potential candidates.  Dubbed "Engage with Ag", it's made up of a consortium of bipartisan groups and associations from Wisconsin agriculture, offering farm visits and personal education about today's farms and agriculture.

Award winning author James Patterson will keynote graduation ceremonies for UW Madison grads.  His wife, Sue, is an alumnae of the UW.  In honor of the high profile couple, Babcock Dairy has created Patterson #1 Triple Chocolate.  A decadent new flavor unveiled this week.  Pam Jahnke explains the ingredients and availability.

Speaking of graduation - how's the job market. With agriculture facing some difficult economics, what does the job market look like?  Ben Jarboe gets some perspective from Mia Dauphin.  She's a double major in agribusiness and dairy science.  She's actually graduating early in a blazing 3 years.  She's secured a job in the feed industry, but suggests current students seek out internships and real world experiences before the exit campus.

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The EPA recently came out with new mandates for the renewable fuel standard which provides a jump from 3.35 billion gallons in 2025 to 5.4 billion in 2026 and 5.7 billion in 2027. Kurt Kovarik the vice president of federal affairs, with Clean Fuels Alliance America, says this is a big step in the right direction. This will help the US soybean farmers find a bigger market in hopes to increase the demand.

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Stephanie Hoff meets the new president of the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors, Tim Brueggen. He owns and operates Falls Meat Service with his family in Pigeon Falls. Tim tells us how this tight-knit processing community is evolving, and why advocacy and government affairs are becoming central to their mission. He also talks about how local processors are adapting to shifting consumer trends, from the booming snack food market to the "buy local" movement.

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In this week's episode host Ben Jarboe talks with Noah Hemper the owner of Madison Angling Guide Service to get an update on what's been hot on the Madison chain and a look into some unique fishing. Tom Zidek also joins the show to give a look into how he started his business Hooked & Tagged out of his college dorm room and grew it into a national company based out of the Northwoods. This episode is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops Sun Prairie and Petland.

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NASA has been in the news quite a bit recently with their Artemis II mission circling the moon, but they also have a lot of work being done for agriculture. Mike Humber, the NASA Harvest Data Lead and NASA Acres Deputy Director, gives a look into their programs and shares what they look for during and after times of war for the betterment of agriculture world wide.

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On Saturday, August 8, the Madison Mallards will become the Right Bowers and will attempt to break the record for the World’s Largest Game of Euchre. General Manager Sam Rubin tells Stephanie Hoff to get your ticket now, plus a Right Bowers Jersey, a pack of custom Bicycle Cards, and entry into the Tournament with a cash grand prize. Don’t go alone! Send this to your Euchre partner! Learn more: https://northwoodsleague.com/madison-mallards/

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Signs of spring are popping up across Wisconsin, from farm babies and uncertain weather to greenhouses full of early spring plants. Scott Trudell joins me. He works with the plant desk at the Bruce Company. Well-known for their award winning landscape services and premiere garden center, the experts at the company have tips that will help any home gardener show off their green thumb. Scott spends his day fielding questions from people about all things spring backyard planting. Scott tells me about some of the most common questions he gets when his phone rings.

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Not much can get done on the farm today without a tractor, but working around tractors can result in some of the most serious injuries or deaths on the farm if care is not taken. Stephanie Hoff and Division of Extension Agricultural Safety and Health Specialist John Shutske highlight common scenarios that frequently lead to accidents. But more importantly, you'll hear how to prevent them. 

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