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Category: Agriculture

UW Study: Irrigated Farms In Central Sands Region Linked To Cooler Temperatures

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Wisconsin Public Radio

A new study on the irrigated farms of Wisconsin’s central sands region is suggesting that something farmers in more arid climates have known for a long time is also true in the Midwest: a high concentration of irrigated farms can cool regional climate.And while that initially sounds like a good thing, viewing irrigation as a defense against climate change is not the message, according to Mallika Nocco, lead author of the study out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dairy Innovation Hub should stay in state budget

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Wisconsin State Journal

The $81 billion state budget the Republican-run Legislature is approving this week includes $8.8 million for research on dairy farming at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is expected to — and should — issue partial vetoes to improve the Republican-proposed budget. But he should leave the Dairy Innovation Hub intact.

Antimicrobial usage in large dairies evaluated

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Feedstuffs

At the American Dairy Science Assn. annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, research on this topic conducted by J. Leite de Campos and P.L. Ruegg of Michigan State along with A. Steinberger, T. Goldberg, N. Safdar, A. Kates, J. Shutske, A. Sethi and G. Suen of the University of Wisconsin was presented.

Ag tourism brings locally produced goods to the forefront

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Noted: Will Hsu, president of Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises in Wausau, grew up on the family farm doing his share of weeding and picking seeds. A University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate in finance and Chinese literature who later went on to earn his MBA from Harvard, Hsu joked he’s likely the only farmer out of his 800 MBA classmates. His father started the business in 1974 and today they farm hundreds of acres, all in Marathon County.

Wisconsin farmers digest what Green New Deal means for dairy

Posted on
Madison.com

Agriculture makes up 9% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, farmers receive a disproportionate amount of attention because the heat-trapping emissions from agriculture are primarily due to methane, said Horacio Aguirre-Villegas, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison biological systems engineering program.

Summer’s coming, and drinking pink – some from Wisconsin – is a sweet (or dry) way to stay cool

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Quoted: Just how are red grapes turned into pastel-colored wine? We asked Nick Smith, University of Wisconsin Associate Outreach Specialist and Instructor of Wine Science.

“The most traditional version would be to take your red fruit and lightly press it or macerate it for a very short time on the skins to get a hint of color,” he said, noting that longer skin contact will give a deeper color. “And then you ferment it like you would any white wine.”

Dairy research could be bipartisan — Donald Miner

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Wisconsin State Journal

It may be that more money needs to be appropriated to research at University of Wisconsin System campuses to help the struggling dairy industry. But state Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and 27 other Republicans have taken a partisan path to address the problem.

It’s gardening time

Posted on
Wisconsin State Farmer

Noted: Jerry Apps, born and raised on a Wisconsin farm, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of more than 35 books, many of them on rural history and country life. For further information about Jerry’s writing and TV work go to www.jerryapps.com.

A Chef Advocates For Eating Insects

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Wisconsin Public Radio/Central Time

Insects provide an affordable and bountiful source of protein, and according to our guest, they can be delicious, too! We’ll hear from a self-described “edible insect ambassador” who is bringing his message of eating bugs to Wisconsin.

DATCP Secretary: Increasing Dairy Exports Is Top Priority

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Wisconsin Public Radio

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. recently announced a $750,000 grant for the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The grant will establish a Beverage Innovation Center for small businesses to test and develop new beverage products.

The ‘uncured’ bacon illusion: It’s actually cured, and it’s not better for you.

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The Washington Post

Quoted: It’s worthwhile to take a moment to understand the difference between nitrate and nitrite. (Besides, without at least some eye-glazing detail, how would you know it was me?) I asked Jeff Sindelar, professor of meat science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, to explain the process. Nitrate is a molecule consisting of one nitrogen atom with three oxygens.

To ensure that 10 billion future people can eat, look at your carbon ‘foodprint’ today

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Quoted: “Most people don’t realize that the food system is one of the primary ways that humans are affecting the environment,” explained Valerie Stull, an interdisciplinary environmental health scientist and a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Global Health Institute.

David Ward: Congress should invest more in ag research to keep US ahead of China

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Wisconsin State Journal

Since 2014, Wisconsin universities have received 74 AFRI grants totaling $38 million. These grants have gone to projects such as studying the impact of climate change on dairy production at UW-Madison and research on improved food access for rural, low-income communities at Northland College in Ashland. Locally, this means we are improving an industry that is a cornerstone to our economy. Globally, this allows us to maintain food-supply chains and remain a world leader in agriculture.

19th Badger Invitational Dairy Sale: another success

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WI Farmer

The Badger Invitational Sale dates to 1983 when it began as “a means to apply in actual practice what was being taught in the UW-Madison Dairy Science Department classroom, such as dairy pedigrees, sire evaluation, performance indexes and business principles.”

Countdown to 2019 Farm Tech Days is on

Posted on
The Country Today

The annual meeting also included the announcement of the recipient of the Donald R. Peterson Technology Transfer Award. Dr. Brian Luck, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at UW-Madison received this year’s award, although he was unable to attend the annual meeting.

Now is the time to invest in research for our dairy future

Posted on
WI Farmer

UW System agricultural research, which Wisconsin farmers of the past relied on to help build America’s Dairyland, still focuses on nutrition, production efficiency, welfare and disease prevention in dairy cows. In addition, UW researchers are also developing new stress-reduction programs for farmers, formulating new dairy-based food products, and creating sustainable practices that benefit water, land, rural communities and farm workers.

What Else Is in Your Ice Cream These Days?

Posted on
Consumer Reports

Quoted: There are two main schools of thought about choosing a “healthy” ice cream, according to Scott Rankin, Ph.D., a professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “On the one hand, you have consumers who want the fewest ingredients possible,” he says. “On the other, you have customers who want their ice cream to have specific ‘attributes,’ such as no sugar added or nonfat.”

Can Ice Cream Ever Be Healthy?

Posted on
Consumer Reports

Quoted: In its simplest form, ice cream has just four ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, and flavoring, such as vanilla. For many years, there were limited options in overall ingredients, composition, and flavor, says Scott Rankin, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the department of food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Farmers learn from farmers

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Agri-View

UW-Discovery Farms is a research and outreach program focused on the relationship between agriculture and water quality. It’s a unique program that conducts research on privately owned farms in Wisconsin.

MARS agronomist: Large, small farms can succeed together

Posted on
The Country Today

As the agronomist at the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station, Cavadini has been integrating no-till and cover crops practices to support the station’s dairy herd. He also grazes a small herd of about 40 Black and Red Angus beef on his family’s 80-acre Cavern Point Farm near Stratford.

Ag Day at the capital: Telling the story for agriculture

Posted on
Wisconsin Farmer

Noted: John Holovoet of the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association told of the proposed UW Dairy Innovation Hub $7.6 million funding request. The proposal focuses on four areas: land and water resource stewardship; enrichment of human health; growth of farm businesses and communities and animal health.

The governor included a request of $88 million of state funding for the expansion of the UW School of Veterinary Medicine that was built in 1983 to see 12,000 patients a year, a figure that has since risen to 27,000. The always top five rated school of Veterinary School in the nation has trained over 50 percent of  the veterinarians practicing in the state. The $128 million project includes some $38 million from private donations in addition to the state funds.

Dairy farms seek higher milk prices to help save struggling farms

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“It’s very much a matter of your perspective,” said Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at University of Wisconsin-Madison and chairman of Dairy Task Force 2.0, a committee of Wisconsin dairy farmers and others that aims to chart a course for the dairy industry’s future.

Wisconsin dairy farmers seek higher milk prices before it’s too late

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Quoted: “It’s very much a matter of your perspective,” said Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at University of Wisconsin-Madison and chairman of Dairy Task Force 2.0, a committee of Wisconsin dairy farmers and others that aims to chart a course for the dairy industry’s future.

Wisconsin dairy farmers lean on creativity, innovation

Posted on
AP

University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Victor Cabrera wants to help farmers make better decisions through his project called Dairy Brain , which would collect and integrate data from all parts of the farm operation, then use artificial intelligence to analyze the findings and help farmers make smarter management decisions.

Axios Markets

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Axios

“Farmers are structured to ride these waves out, but when the waves are this long they can’t ride that out,” says Steven Deller, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

UW Extension Hosting Conference on Farm Human Resources

Posted on
WI Ag Connection

“Many ag consultants are on the farm and see the challenges farmers face with employees every day,” said Simon Jette-Nantel, Professor and UW-Extension Farm Management Specialist. “These are often the people farmers ask for advice regarding employees. This program provides information and resources to help Wisconsin farmers address these questions.”

Task force recommends changes

Posted on
Agri-View

Mark Stephenson, chairman of the task force and director of dairy-policy analysis for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said at the end of the meeting, “We’re kind of stuck in the red zone and have a little bit of clean-up work yet to do.”