MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON Pam Jahnke

Consumer habits have changed since the pandemic, and this includes how much we’ve all been snacking! Convenient, healthy snacks are trending, and it’s an opportunity for the dairy industry. This is according to Audrey Girard, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science at UW-Madison. She recently got a grant from the UW Dairy Innovation Hub to look at how to get some lower value, nutritional dairy components into snack foods. The goal would be to meet market demand while raising the value of those components.
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Agriculture is dependent on weather. It can either help bring a prosperous harvest or ensure a difficult year. Today, technology and better understanding of weather patterns can help farmers understand when they can expect certain weather and how to adapt. The U.S. is expected to experience the El Nino weather pattern this winter, which means a warmer winter for Wisconsin. Eric Snodgrass is the Senior Science Fellow for Nutrien Ag Solutions who studies weather and helps producers better understand it. He shares more about what an El Nino will bring and how farmers can prepare. 

 
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Does getting up to 300,000 miles on your car seem like a scary idea to you? We’ll it’s a scary thought for many - but not for Tim Lease, Division Manager of Premier Co-op. Tim had his vehicle converted to run on propane and says he can now hit that 300,000 mark with proper maintenance with no worries. He also has some significant cost savings. He explains more about how the conversion works and the cost versus savings breakdown.

" I’ve been running my Ford F150 on propane since October 2016," says Lease. "I’ve been meticulous in keeping records on my savings and to date savings are a little over $15,000."

Lease is now in the process of converting his 2022 Dodge Challenger. He expects to have a difference in savings of 11.4 cents per mile.

He adds, "If I drive the car 100,000 miles I will have saved $11,400."
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Despite the drought, there has still been a lot of insect activity. For some it even helped them.  PJ Liesch, the director of the UW-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab and state entomologist, also known as the Wisconsin Bug guy, says several insects stand out at the moment including Asian lady beetles, box elder bugs, and grasshoppers. But first he talks about another busy insect. Yellowjackets.

“It's important to note that these insects are often mistaken for ground bees, but they are actually ground-nesting yellow jackets,” explains Liesch.
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Schumacher Farm Park in Waunakee is probably unlike any other county park you’ve been to. Sure they have walking trails and natural areas, but it’s also a time capsule of what farming and rural living looked like in the early 1900s, all complete with the original farmhouse and red barn. Mark Pelton, president of Friends of Schumacher Farm Park, says they're gearing up for their popular annual event, Halloween at the Farm on Oct. 21. They're also getting ready to utilize a new storage facility that came together thanks to donors in the community. First we reflect on just what makes this Dane County Park so special. Pelton encourages you to check out their website https://schumacherfarmpark.org/ to plan your visit and check out upcoming events they host on grounds.
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Wisconsin's dairy industry will be at center stage for the inaugural Art of Cheese Festival.  The event's attracting interest and guests from around the world .  Nate Zimdars visits with Rachel Kerr of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and explains the itinerary.Ashley Huhn from the Steffes Group visits with Pam Jahnke about things people should consider if they're thinking about an auction.  Paid for by Steffes Group.

U.S.D.A Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt visited Wisconsin on Wednesday, discussing the program and financial options they're offering to beginning farmers and farmers that have been turned away elsewhere.  She explains to Nate Zimdars how gratifying it is to see the impact programs have on people's lives.

Ryan Yonkman, vice president and analyst with EverAg, joins Pam Jahnke to discuss the continue fallout we're seeing in cheese prices.  He also discusses the rapid run-up in butter, plus the "unknowns" about a potential government shutdown and risk management tools farmers depend on.r
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