MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Pam Jahnke
  • 4.6 (8)
  • News
  • Updated Daily

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

  1. New "Cattle Comfort" Tool Helps Dairy Operators Manage Heat & Humidity - Chris Vagasky

    1d ago

    New "Cattle Comfort" Tool Helps Dairy Operators Manage Heat & Humidity - Chris Vagasky

    No one in Wisconsin enjoys the heat and humidity that seem to be circling back.  Now, Wisconsin dairy operators have a new tool to help them establish the "real feel" of that weather on cattle. Chris Vagasky, Research Program Manager for Wisconet, says the state now has 79 weather stations dotting the state.  Each generates real-time weather data that can give guidance on animal handling and care.  Wisconsin is following models from other states and global systems, but uniquely creating tools specifically for the state.   The "Cattle Comfort" tool available on the Wisconet website is the result of collaboration with dairy scientists in Wisconsin, and partnerships with dairy operations in Brillion, Darlington, De Pere, Durand, Marshfield, Montana, Rice Lake, and Wittenberg.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min
  2. Hereford Youth Energize Wisconsin And Holiday Buying For Dairy Around The Corner - Yonkman

    3d ago

    Hereford Youth Energize Wisconsin And Holiday Buying For Dairy Around The Corner - Yonkman

    America's Dairyland has had a problem.  It's estimated that dairy operations have an estimated 5,000-10,000 year-round immigrant laborers, rather than temporary seasonal visa holders, that help keep cows milked and fed.  There's no federal work program that applies to that unique situation.  Recently the U.S. Dept. of Labor announced some clarification on H2A governance and how it can be used.  It clarified that dairies should qualify for that tool.  Sam Moheban, immigration attorney at Ruder Ware law firm in Wausau, says that's good news but shouldn't lull dairies into a false sense of security.  Pam Jahnke finds out what he means. Over 2 inches of rain reported in places like Belgium, Valders and the Green Bay area yesterday.  Stu Muck says that moisture is leaving after today, but heat is right behind it.  Muck say we'll easily be back in the 90's by the weekend. Over 700 youth from 44 states and Canada, plus around 2,000 head of cattle are making the Junior National Hereford Show a success in Madison.  A mom and Hereford enthusiast from Lancast, WI, is keeping things rolling.  Kiley Allan talks with Jaclyn Bevans, board member of National Hereford Women, about the benefits exhibitors see beyond the ribbons and trophy's.  Bevans puts the accents on the family time spent preparing animals, and the skills youth participants are picking up in the 1400 skill based contests they've held this week too. HoHum.  That sums up the dairy market story lately.  Why won't if budge?  Ryan Yonkman, vice president of EverAg, joins Pam Jahnke to talk it through.  Yonkman says consumer demand is flat at best.  Pizza sales have continued to slip, and the European Union is giving the U.S. plenty of price competition.  The good news is that U.S. dairy product continues to move in the export space, but will it continue.  Yonkman says a lot will depend on how the "holiday" buying season ramps up in the next few weeks.  He notes that schools will be starting to come back online in August, and the Labor Day holiday can be an indication of early holiday demand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  3. Charting The Course For 2027 - Tammy Vaassen

    4d ago

    Charting The Course For 2027 - Tammy Vaassen

    Sharing the great story of Wisconsin's beef industry can go in many different directions for many different audiences.  Dollars, however, are limited. That's one of the challenges facing Tammy Vaassen, executive director of the Wisconsin Beef Council.  Vaassen, along with other state staff leaders, will be at the Summer Business Conference of the Cattlemen's Beef Board learning about projects that might fit with Wisconsin's direction.  Presenters will be from several different partners that contract with the Cattlemen's Beef Board.  Each with a particular area of expertise. Vaassen explains to her board members and producers the simple fact that there's not as many cattle in the U.S. today as there has been.  That directly dictates the operating budget for the Wisconsin Beef Council.  By investigating partnerships with other checkoff funded partners, Vaassen can parlay her limited budget into a bigger bang for Wisconsin producers buck.  Any ideas that she believes are worth pursuing will be shared with her Wisconsin board members for final decision on funding. In the past, for example, the Wisconsin Beef Council has used these partnerships to create reverse trade missions.  Brining foreign buyers to Wisconsin to learn about the unique system of beef production the state offers.  Vaassen and the staff at the Wisconsin Beef Council welcome questions or suggestions from producers or industry leaders.  The staff will be on hand in the Beef Tent at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days sharing educational materials with passersby.  You can also find more at their informative website - beeftips.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    9 min
  4. The Push & Pull Of Rural Housing Demand

    4d ago

    The Push & Pull Of Rural Housing Demand

    The need for affordable housing impacts our rural communities and their economies every day. But there is good news: there's people and programs working to ensure more homes are available. Done so through grants, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago hopes to incentivize the next generation of real estate developers to focus on the rural housing demand. Tashayanna Mixson sat down with me. She's currently one of their emerging rural development fellows, and she's working right here in Wisconsin. While the program itself focuses on both the rental and ownership side of the equation, Tashayanna tells me that she herself is focused on creating opportunities for affordable homeownership, a situation that she describes as a dire need for rural Wisconsin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    6 min
  5. Boots-On-The-Ground Crop Condition Report

    4d ago

    Boots-On-The-Ground Crop Condition Report

    This week's crop progress and condition report put out by the USDA says Wisconsin corn and soybeans are well on their way to a fruitful crop. But what are farmers noticing directly in their fields? I sat down with regional crops and soils educator, Anastasia Kurth. She tells us if the boots on the ground observation aligns up with the report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    8 min
  6. Field Demos Have A Change Up This Year At WFTD Plus 79th Alice Is On The Job

    4d ago

    Field Demos Have A Change Up This Year At WFTD Plus 79th Alice Is On The Job

    Field demonstrations have become a staple of successful WI Farm Technology Days events.  This year looks to be no exception.  Bob Bosold visits with one of the volunteers who has repeatedly been involved with this element of the show.   Ron Zygarlicke has served on the field demo committee for more than a decade.  This year, he's adding a twist by including Italian ryegrass in the mix. There's already rain moving into western Wisconsin this morning.  Stu Muck says that the cold front moving in will bring measurable rain from LaCrosse to Green Bay throughout the day.  The rest of the state can expect it later tonight and into Thursday. Anastasia Poull is officially on the job as the 79th Wisconsin Alice in Dairyland.  She's got a sweet task this month promoting July at National Ice Cream month.  Pam Jahnke is happy to participate!  Poull explains her background and passion for agriculture, and why explaining the state's role in ice cream production is a treat! Affordable housing is a conversation plaguing many Wisconsin communities.  Finding affordable housing in rural communities is like finding a needle in a haystack - and nobody wants to talk about building more needles for that haystack!  Kiley Allan gets the background from Tashayanna Mixson, Emerging Development Fellow (Emerging Rural Development Fellowship).  The gap in available rural housing forces residents out of their hometowns and shackles local businesses from recruiting and retaining employees.  Sponsored by grants from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, the rural development fellowship trains the next generation of developers to tackle rural housing shortages with custom, community-tailored projects rather than massive, urban-style apartment complexes. To achieve affordable homeownership, she advocates for the Community Land Trust model—a system gaining traction in Wisconsin that operates similarly to a condo model and helps secure long-term, attainable housing.  Highlighting the scale of the crisis, Wisconsin's Office of Rural Prosperity projects that the state will require between 140,000 and 227,000 additional housing units by the year 2030. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  7. Tight Dollars Sharpen Farmers Checkoff Investment Strategies - Matt Wagenson

    4d ago

    Tight Dollars Sharpen Farmers Checkoff Investment Strategies - Matt Wagenson

    Every soybean grower knows about low market prices.  If you're a farmer sitting on the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, those challenges turn into difficult decisions about where to invest checkoff dollars for the future.  Pam Jahnke sits down with WI Soybean Marketing Board Vice President, Matt Wagenson.  Wagenson farms near Bear Creek, managing just over 1,000 crop acres plus a beef operation. Now in his 12th year serving as a board member for Wisconsin soybean growers, Wagenson says he's got a more complete picture on how checkoff invested dollars are repaying growers today.  It takes time, and that's one thing he stresses when talking with other growers. "The most exciting things I've seen in the past two years for us, other than research, is what Delong's doing in Milwaukee,"  Wagenson says.  "Getting the Great Lakes going.  Start cranking stuff out of the Great Lakes out of the St. Lawrence Seaway."  Wagenson says Wisconsin soybeans can now get to Africa and the EU faster than almost any state.  That's one of the stories he shares when growers ask about where their investments are going. Wagenson says while the WI Soybean Marketing Board cannot invest in physical structures, they can support generating information that helps companies and businesses make decisions about those investment.  Find out more about how your soybean checkoff dollars are being spent in Wisconsin! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    9 min
  8. From Cow To Commerce - Janet Clark's Perspective On DFW Investments

    5d ago

    From Cow To Commerce - Janet Clark's Perspective On DFW Investments

    Janet Clark is a busy dairy woman at Vision Aire Farm LLC.  Clark juggles her active on-farm schedule with her duties as the chair of the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin farmer board.  Now that the dust has settled from amazing June Dairy Month acitivites, Clark shares some of the milestones DFW's attained that many dairies may have missed. Clark visits with Pam Jahnke about some of the campaigns DFW spearheads that dairy farmers might miss.  Those efforts include the direct connection DFW is facilitating in "meeting" customers where they're at.  Clark explains that they know sharing the story of Wisconsin dairy coupled with sampling product, leads to success.  This year, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has already engaged more than 200,000 consumers through community events and farm experiences. After attending these events, 97% said they intend to return, and 98% said they're more likely to purchase Wisconsin cheese. Those personal connections help build trust and confidence in how Wisconsin dairy farmers care for their animals, land, and communities. It doesn't end there.  Clark says they recognize the need to start growing their next generation of customers.  That begins with the "Adopt A Cow" educational opportunity.  This is a personal favorite of Clark's.  It allows Wisconsin dairy farmers to bring school children into the barn virtually!  Again, so far this year, DFW has helped reached more than 55,000 students through programs like Adopt a Cow, connected with over 2,000 FFA students, and provided dairy education resources to 3,000 teachers. Clark believes that when young people understand where their food comes from, they become more informed consumers and future advocates for agriculture. These are just a few examples that make Clark proud to represent Wisconsin dairy operations on the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin board.  These are just a few examples.  She encourages farmers and interested foodies to investigate more at wisconsindairy.org. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    11 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
8 Ratings

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Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

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