Scott Walker spoke to media after he announced $700,000 in dairy industry development grants at the University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research (photo caption)
Trump tariffs: Wisconsin dairy farmers, cheesemakers get hammered
USA Today
Category: Agriculture
Morning Minute: Wisconsin Dairy Industry Development Grants
Portage Daily Register
UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank discussed the importance of the CDR in collaborative research and how the grant will help with the CDR’s facility upgrade. And, CDR Director, John Lucey, highlighted the impact of the CDR’s TURBO program and the WEDC’s grant.
Gov. Walker announces $700,000 in grants to support entrepreneurship in dairy industry
WI Farmer
Governor Scott Walker today visited the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Great Lake Cheese to award $700,000 state grants to support and promote entrepreneurship within the state’s $43 billion dairy industry.
Visit Education Station and ‘Farm Forward’
Agri-View
UW-Extension will feature several interactive displays, such as safe transportation of livestock, and a UW research project designed to help dairy farmers improve management decisions.
MPP: A shifting safety net for dairy farmers facing uncertain milk prices
WI Farmer
“It is an insurance-type product,” said Mark Stephenson, an agricultural economist and director of the Center for Dairy Profitability at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a June 8, 2018 interview on Wisconsin Public Television’s Here & Now.
Dairy Challenge prepares UW grads for careers
WI Farmer
As they prepared for the contest, the teammates were also practicing skills they’d soon be using on a professional basis. All four graduated in May and now have jobs that involve troubleshooting dairy operations.
Can Wisconsin’s corn take the heat? Study warns rising temperatures could be devastating
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Paul Mitchell, professor of agricultural and applied economics, extension state specialist and director of the Renk AgriBusiness Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, agreed. This research “doesn’t talk about the social adjustments at all. Farmers don’t care about variability of yields, they care about the variability of income. Crop insurance is already heavily subsidized, and there are mechanisms in place to mitigate the financial impacts. If yields go down, fine, we’ll plant more corn.”
Creating an effective Dairy Task Force
Ch. 19 - La Crosse
“A lot of times when you hear that term task force, it’s really, it’s a group coming together identifying those problems and developing solutions,” Kaitlyn Lance, Agriculture Educator at UW-Extension La Crosse County, explains.
Walker announces dairy task force
WSAU - Wausau
Walker has appointed UW-Madison Director of Dairy Policy Analysis Mark Stephenson to chair the committee. His first task will be to assemble the rest of the team. Walker says that will include stakeholders in the dairy industry from across the state.
America’s Dairyland is hurting and Wisconsin seeks solutions
AP
Walker, a Republican who faces re-election in November, said the state agriculture department will join forces with the University of Wisconsin System to create the dairy industry task force. It is designed to bring industry experts together to create solutions to help farmers, processors and related industries.
Scott Walker says crisis team needed to help state’s crippled dairy industry
Wisconsin State Journal
“I think we’re in a good situation today because of what was done (by the first task force) back then. I sort of hope we can be half that good,” said Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at UW-Madison, who will lead the new group of experts dubbed by Gov. Scott Walker as Wisconsin Dairy Task Force 2.0.
Scott Walker says crisis team needed to help state’s crippled dairy industry
La Crosse Tribune
“I think we’re in a good situation today because of what was done (by the first task force) back then. I sort of hope we can be half that good,” said Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at UW-Madison, who will lead the new group of experts dubbed by Gov. Scott Walker as Wisconsin Dairy Task Force 2.0.
Wisconsin Dairy Task Force To Look For Ways To Boost Industry
WPR
The task force will be chaired by Mark Stephenson, director of Dairy Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He said he wants to listen to those in the dairy industry to better understand and prioritize the biggest concerns.
DATCP Unveils Plans for Wisconsin Dairy Task Force 2.0
Wisconsin Ag Connection
The Task Force will be chaired by Mark Stephenson, who is the director of dairy policy analysis at UW-Madison. It will seek to gain consensus on issues facing the dairy industry and release recommendations for the industry going forward.
First responders and medical students prepare for rural emergencies
WKBT-TV, LaCrosse
Medical students and local emergency responders are teaming up to prepare for accidents on the farm.
Corn-silage techniques diverge
Agri-View
UW-Madison research reveals how optimum plant populations for corn silage differ from those of corn grown for grain. In recent years farmers have increased corn-plant populations at the rate of 250 to 300 plants per acre per year, Lauer said.
Avoiding GMO food might be tougher than you think
Popular Science
Quoted: The USDA only just announced how they would require manufacturers to disclose GM ingredients, though the law was enacting back in 2016, and the new rules don’t use the term “GMO” or even “GM.” Instead, they opt for “BE” or “bioengineered,” perhaps to avoid using loaded terminology. “I’m not sure how much people will know that term,” says Dominique Brossard, a communications professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison specializing in life science issues like GMOs. “I don’t think it’s going to be very easy for people to find out [which foods are genetically modified].”
Women make up more than half of grads in ag programs
WI Farmer
At UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural & Life Sciences (CALS), the department as a whole has seen an increase in enrolled female students, from 57.2 percent in 2008 to 61.6 percent in 2017.
Forage Councils to hold Twilight meeting June 20
WI Farmer
Keynote speaker at this year’s Twilight meeting is Dr. Jennifer Van Os, UW-Madison Extension specialist on animal welfare, who will talk about “Why millennials care about animal production practices and what it means to you.”
Wisconsin Milk Production Slows As Tough Prices, Snowy Spring Take A Toll On Farms
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: Bob Cropp, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the slowdown in milk production is good for milk prices, which have remained at low levels for the last three years thanks to an abundance of milk on the market.
Demand For Wisconsin Farm Land Remains Strong
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: “That surprised me,” said Arlin Brannstrom, associate professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I thought there would be some dampening in that enthusiasm for land ownership given the weak prices we’ve seen for agricultural commodities, in particular milk. But I think there’s still a lot of demand.”
Dairy Outlook Report Continues to See Optimism for the Future
WI Ag Connection
Just in time for summer, dairy producers are slowly starting to reap the benefits of good domestic sales and stronger exports. That’s the assessment of Dr. Bob Cropp with the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
UW-Madison soybean checkoff funded collaborative international research and outreach
WI Farmer
This collaborative effort includes researchers here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Researchers at Iowa State University, including Dr. Daren Mueller.
Kaitlyn Riley of Gays Mills selected as 71st Alice in Dairyland
WI Farmer
Wanting to share agriculture’s story, she studied strategic communications and broadcast journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In college, she held officer positions with the Association of Women in Agriculture and Badger Dairy Club. She also founded the university’s first agricultural radio talk show, AgChat.
New hires, promotions at Wisconsin companies
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: The University of Wisconsin-Madison named Karen Wassarman, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Wisconsin farmers worry about wet conditions
Wisconsin State Journal
Wisconsin farmers still have time to see a decent start to the growing season, said Mike Ballweg, a University of Wisconsin Extension agent in Sheboygan County.
Farm income plummets nationally as Wisconsin farmers face wet fields
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
There’s still time to have a decent start to the growing season, said Mike Ballweg, a University of Wisconsin Extension agent in Sheboygan County. “But if it’s too wet, too muddy, there’s nothing you can do but wait,” he said.
UW-Madison, Organic Valley create endowment honoring co-op’s COO
La Crosse Tribune
The award, which is to be presented annually to a faculty or staff member, acknowledges CALS graduate Hemstead’s pioneering work in dairy science and dairy business, according to a joint statement.
Wisconsin Dairy News: Promising job outlook for agriculture students
Ch 27 - Madison
John Klatt, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for UW-Madison, says most students in the Dairy Science program have an accepted job offer before graduation, or shortly thereafter.
Alfalfa quality: when to cut first-crop
WI Farmer
Determining when to cut first-crop alfalfa is often difficult because alfalfa quality, relative to flowering stage, varies greatly. To help with this dilemma, agronomists at the University of Wisconsin – Madison developed the Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) method which predicts alfalfa’s Relative Feed Value (RFV) at the time of cutting.
CALS redesign will position college and students for future success
The Country Today
CALS has embarked on an organizational redesign effort to optimize the structures of the college to ensure a bright future for our college, the students we teach and the people we serve through our research and outreach.
Checking the gas
The Country Today
Sometimes dairy scientist Michel Wattiaux approaches his research like a cop at a traffic stop. He uses a breath analyzer to check for problematic products of fermentation.Last spring, the UW-Madison researcher began using a specialized device to measure the methane being exhaled or belched by a group of Holsteins and Jerseys.
Wisconsin facing agriculture agent shortage
Ch 7 - Wausau
Republic Rep. Todd Novak, of Dodgeville, says Grant, Green and Lafayette counties don’t have a full-time agent despite paying the required fees for them. He says officials are in the process of hiring an agent for Grant and five other counties.
Wisconsin has agriculture agent shortage despite high demand
La Crosse Tribune
Agents give advice, troubleshoot problems, educate through workshops and connect farmers to research at the university.
Dr. Cropp: Milk Prices on Path to Slow Recovery
WI Ag Connection
One of Wisconsin’s top experts in dairy market pricing says butter, cheese, dry whey and nonfat dry milk prices continue to average higher this spring.
UW-Madison team wins national dairy contest
Wisconsin Agriculturalist
Students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Dairy Science took first place at the National Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, held April 12-14 in Visalia, Calif.
CALS Dean Wants to See Changes to Education Programs
WI Ag Connection
CALS has embarked on an Organizational Redesign effort to optimize the structures of the college to ensure a bright future for our college, the students we teach and the people we serve through our research and outreach.
UW Ag marketing team garners national honors
WI Farmer
For the second time in four years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison student chapter of the National Agri?Marketing Association (Wisconsin NAMA) took home first place honors at the NAMA Student Marketing Competition April 10-13 in Kansas City, MO, defeating 29 other teams from across the U.S. and Canada in three rounds of competition.
UW-Madison Agri-Marketing Students Earn National Honors
WI Ag Connection
A team of students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison brought home the top prize from the National Agri-Marketing Association’s annual marketing competition last week. The contest, hosted by NAMA as part of its national conference in Kansas City, featured more than 400 students from 30 schools across North America.
UW-Madison agriculture club wins marketing national championship
Daily Cardinal
If you think UW-Madison’s athletics are the only teams winning championships, you’re wrong.
Madison Dairy Research Center, Babcock Hall to be Renovated
WI Ag Connection
Center Director John Lucey says the upgrades will help the facility reach its full potential, while giving students an opportunity to advance their skills in cheesemaking.
Renovation approved for UW-Madison’s Babcock Hall Dairy Plant
WKOW-TV 27
The State Building Commission signed off on plans to overhaul the Center for Dairy Research and the Babcock Hall Dairy Plant at UW-Madison.
UW-Madison’s Babcock Hall and Center for Dairy Research in line for important upgrades
Wisconsin State Journal
Despite outdated equipment and facilities that have plagued it for years, UW-Madison’s Center for Dairy Research is where most of the state’s master cheesemakers have learned how to craft those mouth-watering, award-winning specialty cheeses that have been credited for reinventing Wisconsin’s formidable cheese industry.
More spending approved for UW-Madison chemistry complex, meat science, Babcock dairy
Capital Times
The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents on Friday approved $29.3 million in additional spending for renovation and expansion of the chemistry complex on the UW-Madison campus, bringing the cost to $123 million.
Soybean on soybean challenging
Agri-View
It’s a matter of weeks before soybeans are planted in some parts of the state. For farmers who have cover crops established, cover crops need to be terminated two weeks before planting, said Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin-Madison soybean specialist.
Monsanto taps ag data sensors created by Madison-based Understory
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Kubicek has a master’s degree in atmospheric science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Four to be Inducted into Wisconsin Meat Hall of Fame
WI Ag Connection
The Hall of Fame program, which was created in 1993, is coordinated by and housed in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory.
Mane attraction: Students lead the way at nearly 100-year-old horse show
The Country Today
What do these three ladies have in common, aside from their love of horses? They are all animal science majors at UW-Madison and active members of the campus’s Saddle and Sirloin organization. They have also been busy planning the 99th annual Little International Horse Show set for Saturday, April 28, at the Alliant Energy Center’s New Holland Pavilion.
Research aimed at helping cranberry industry
La Crosse Tribune
Noted: The research of Amaya Atucha, an assistant professor and Gottschalk Chair for cranberry research in the university’s horticulture department, focuses on how cranberry plants are able to withstand subfreezing temperatures during winter, as well as strategies to reduce the impact of frost and winter stress in cranberry plants.
General Mills is transitioning 53 square miles of South Dakota farmland to certified organic
New Food Economy
“To bring people into organics we need mentors, people nearby who can come out to the field and answer questions,” Mesko says. Over the years, the organization has paired 281 mentors and mentees since 2008, and MOSES just wrote a grant to strengthen this program. In another program, OGRAIN with the University of Wisconsin, MOSES is helping develop grain farmer hubs, where one farmer is working with many others nearby in a network.
Aprium, anyone? The pick of hybrid fruit and vegetables
The Guardian
Row 7, a collaboration between a chef, a plant breeder and a seedsman, aims to sell seeds for vegetables that might not otherwise reach a broad market, reported the New York Times last month. One of its offerings is the Badger Flame, a beetroot of brilliant orange that a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison bred to produce a sweet and mild variety his children would enjoy.
Crop insurance rules for cover crops prevent good farming
Des Moines Register
In organic farming, farmers routinely plant green and delay termination of the cover crop for weeks after planting soybeans because they can achieve greater weed control and thus higher yields by doing so. Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania and Erin Silva’s lab at the University of Wisconsin, Madison have led the way on this research. Silva discovered that with a fixed termination date for the cover crop, but varied soybean planting before and after this termination, the soybeans planted before cover crop termination saw an 8 bushel per acre increase as compared to the soybeans planted later after cover crop termination.
Lung Ultrasounds Promote Healthier Replacements
Dairy Herd Management
Theresa Ollivett, Assistant Professor in the Food Animal Production Medicine Section, School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has become a pioneer in using thoracic (lung) ultrasounds to manage the healthy development of dairy calves.
Students attend Farm Bureau’s FFA farm forum
Lake Mills Leader
Joining Holte as keynote speakers at the event were Mariah Martin, UW-Madison Collegiate Farm Bureau member along with Glen Schraufnagel, Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agency 10 Consultant.
Trisha Wagner and John Shutske: Farmers should learn science of stress
Jackson County Chronicle
Dr. John Shutske, UW-Extension Agricultural Safety and Health Specialist, will present the program and discuss the science of stress and how farm families are coping with stress.
Seeds Only a Plant Breeder Could Love, Until Now
New York Times
When his children were small, Irwin Goldman wanted to give them a beet to snack on — a beet so pretty and swirled with colors, so juicy and delicious, that they’d crunch on it raw.
Farmers adapt to changes in weather patterns
WI Farmer
Farmers, the scientists said, are key actors in adapting to climate change or mitigating its effects. They manage 61 percent of the nation’s land. They are vulnerable to droughts, cold, heat and hail.
University of Wisconsin President optimistic about dairy & extension research
Brownfield Ag News
Cross says Wisconsin has to be the state everyone continues to come to for answers or solutions for agriculture, and particularly the dairy industry.
UW-Madison Offering County Farm Safety Grants
WI Ag Connection
The University of Wisconsin Center for Agricultural Safety and Health is awarding over $19,000 in grant money to help sponsor farm safety and health education, training or informational programs.
Cow College presents strategies for feeding forage
WI Farmer
During the 56th annual UW-Extension Cow College’s second session, Dr. John Goeser and Dr. Randy Shaver, from the UW-Madison Dairy Science Department, reviewed lab results from 2017 forage and grain, and offered strategies to help producers get the most milk from their feed.