It's not just the time of year to harvest crops -- trap lines are out! Pam Jahnke talks with Shawn Rossler, a furbearer ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR. UW-Extension specialist Amaya Atucha tells grape growers the ins and outs of fertilizing and spraying herbicide. Delores Fortuna of Rusk County shares the unique story of her family's hard journey to northern Wisconsin and the unique stone work on the farm buildings. Andy Faulman of Ever Ag says back to school means back to Class 1 milk, but that high demand could be infiltrated by the COVID-19 pandemic closing schools. In addition, the domestic and international issues of transporting milk is impacting the rate of getting product on boats and sending product overseas. Midwest milk reports are showing tightness, trading at a premium. Milk production has slowed in the western parts of the U.S. multiple weeks in a row due to wildfires and extreme heat. The high cost of feed is also taking a toll.

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The federal reserve is holding its benchmark interest rates for this year. Craig O'Leary, the executive vice president of the Bank of Broadhead, says he sees this as a positive for farmers. 

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This week, Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf and Wildlife, and Project Coyote sued the state over its authorization of a 300-wolf quota for the November wolf hunt.

But Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Director of Government Relations Tyler Wenzlaff says depredation money is funded by wolf hunts. About three dozen claims have been made so far this year totaling $44,368.13 in approved wolf damage compensation.

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Delores Fortuna is the third generation on her family's Centennial farm in Rusk County. In 1919, her grandfather, a Polish immigrant, traveled from a collapsed mine in Pennsylvania to northern Wisconsin and purchased the farm -- without looking at the full acreage. Delores calls the property a hardship farm with sandy soil and difficult terrain for raising crops and a dairy herd. While she and her sister did not carry on dairying, Delores is turning the land into a conservancy -- bringing back birds, marshland and hardwood trees to the area. 

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Agriculture in Alaska is quite a bit different than here in Wisconsin.  Bob Bosold just recently returned from a farm tour to Alaska and had the chance to learn about different aspects of agriculture in the frozen tundra.  Bryce Wrigley and his family own and operate Alaska Flour Company, growing food grade barley.  He shares what it takes to grow the crop in the state.

When you think of organic agriculture, manual labor often comes to mind.  That's not the case at the Arlington Ag Research Station where Dr. Brian Luck, extension specialist in machinery and precision ag, is making modifications to equipment to help them work most efficiently in organic farming.

Farm director Pam Jahnke visits with the Steffes Group on their online auction schedule.  Things are busy this time of year, but they want people to know they are always willing to help and get a new auction on the schedule.

Leo Johnson of Johnson Tractor shares what's going on in the farm equipment world.  He says it seems that supply chain issues are finally catching up, but anybody looking for new equipment or repairs need to plan ahead for any issues that may arise into the future.  Johnson also mentions that used equipment is currently holding strong value, however he is unsure how long that will sustain itself.

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