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Category: Agriculture

From chasing spy balloons to saving family farms, AI in Wisconsin has arrived

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

At University of Wisconsin-Madison, radiology and biomedical engineering professor Pallavi Tiwari is leading a team of researchers to make cancer diagnoses more comprehensive with the help of AI. Tiwari is also one of the leaders for the school’s RISE-AI and RISE-THRIVE initiatives focused on AI in advancing health outcomes.

Trump tariffs: How Wisconsin farmers are impacted by trade policies

WISN

Chuck Nicholson, an associate professor of animal and dairy sciences and agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shared insights on the potential ramifications.

His research, recently featured in Time magazine, highlights the challenges posed by the back-and-forth nature of tariffs on the economy.

We’ve entered a forever war with bird flu

The Verge

“We thought this was a one-off: one bird to one cow, and we wouldn’t see that again,” says Peter Halfmann, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Influenza Research Institute.

Yet the more severe human cases are concurrent with the spread of a recently mutated, potentially more dangerous version of the virus called the D1.1 genotype. D1.1. is now circulating among wild birds and poultry, and it has spilled over into dairy cows at least twice in 2025, according milk testing data from the Agriculture Department. With D1.1, Halfmann explains that the threshold for cross-species transfer is “much lower than we previously thought.”

Bird flu virus can survive in raw milk cheese for months, study finds

Very Well Health

The vast majority of raw milk cheese should be safe after the 60-day aging window, according to Keith Poulsen, DVM, PhD, a clinical associate professor of medical sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.

“We have a lot of history and data to back that up,” Poulsen told Verywell in an email. “Unfortunately, the data from Cornell suggests that if raw milk cheeses were made on an affected farm, they would not be recommended for consumption.”

Zero gravity greens: How Earth’s farmers could benefit from spaceflight cultivation

Interesting Engineering

Simon Gilroy is a professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who regularly designs spaceflight experiments with NASA. When asked if he thinks we are using astrobiological research enough to improve our sustainability on Earth, Professor Gilroy pointed to the discourse around urban farming, an approach which involves moving some elements of cultivation and productivity into cities instead of using agricultural fields.

Speaking to Interesting Engineering, Professor Gilroy observed that urban environments have many of the same problems as growing plants in space, including challenges around water delivery, maintaining environment within the desired parameters and dealing with pathogen outbreaks. “So there’s a lot of technology development going on in space, which has real applications when you come back to thinking about those kinds of applications on Earth,” he noted.

‘Farmer’s Ozepmic’: UW researchers work to reduce certain amino acids in soybean, corn plants to create weight loss strategy

The Badger Herald

A three-year grant funded by Wisconsin Partnership Program, a grantmaking program within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, is backing research into how the reduction of certain proteins could be actualized through gene editing of soybean and corn, Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair for Biomedical Research in the Department of Medicine Dudley Lamming said.

Does eating grass-fed beef help the planet? Research says not so simple

ABC News

Randy Jackson, a professor of grassland ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison who was not involved in the study, said he has found similar results in his own research showing that grass-fed beef has higher emissions assuming the same demand. In fact, Eshel’s team cited his work. But he worries that the study is too focused on minimizing emissions “without concern for the environmental impacts beyond GHG load to the atmosphere,” like biodiversity and soil and water quality, he wrote in an email.

Trump administration cuts threaten UW-Madison ag studies, state farmers

Isthmus

Wisconsin farmer Andy Diercks sits on a red Memorial Union Terrace chair in the middle of a farm field, holding a potato in his left hand. “It’s amazing all the work that goes into growing this little guy,” he says to Amanda Gevens, UW-Madison chair of plant pathology, who sits across from him. “The research you’ve done over the past decades is critical to grow a good quality crop.”

$19? We might be at peak strawberry

MarketPlace

“In Japan, fruits are not just food. Fruits really have a lot of symbolic meaning and cultural meaning,” said Soyeon Shim, a scholar of consumer and financial behavior who’s studied the country’s fruit market. “High-end fruits are used as a gift. And gifts are a very important practice in Japan.”

A $19 strawberry isn’t unusual there, said Shim, who’s the dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Human Ecology. The high-quality fruit is grown in controlled greenhouses and requires a lot of hand labor, she said.

“I wouldn’t ever buy a $19 strawberry to get my daily intake for vitamin C. So it isn’t designed for everyday consumption,” Shim said.

Fennimore farmers work to reduce dairy intolerance through products

WMTV - Channel 15

Researchers explain that some people have a reduced ability to chop up and absorb lactose. UW Madison’s Center for Dairy Research is hoping to continue to learn more about the future of dairy digestion.

“There is weak evidence at the moment that this change in the moving from what is typically A1 to A2, that there’s a difference in potential difference in how the body digestive,” Dr. John Lucey, the center’s director said.

Wisconsin farmers protect potatoes with weather forecasting tool, help from UW researchers

The Badger Herald

Farmers may prevent blight by spraying their fields with fungicides, but if overdone, this practice has its drawbacks, University of Wisconsin professor of plant pathology Andrew Bent said. To prevent blight and overspraying, professor and Department of Plant Pathology Chair Amanda Gevens uses a tool called Blitecast to communicate to farmers the appropriate time to spray fungicides.

How new tariffs on Mexico and Canada affect Wisconsin industries

Wisconsin Public Radio

“I’m looking at whether we’ll get into a tit-for-tat type of trade war,” said Steven Deller, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies Wisconsin’s agricultural and manufacturing economy. “One of the things the Canadian Prime Minister was talking about is cutting off the electricity supply to the U.S. If we get into that kind of tit-for-tat, then things are going to start to deteriorate rapidly. So I’m just going to be watching how our trading partners respond.”

US egg prices are expected to rise by more than 40% in 2025. What’s in store for Wisconsin?

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

So far, Wisconsin’s bird flu outbreaks have been among turkey flocks, not hens, according to University of Wisconsin-Extension poultry specialist Ron Kean. Still, the state has felt the strain of egg shortages, with some Milwaukee grocery stores even setting egg purchase limits in recent weeks.

“Unfortunately, I don’t see prices improving in the near future,” Kean said. “We still don’t have a handle on stopping bird flu.”

Farmers fear more pain from Trump’s trade war

Time

About 20% of U.S. milk production is exported annually, with about 40% of that going to Canada, Mexico, and China, according to Chuck Nicholson, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. If the domestic dairy industry gets only a little more milk than traders were expecting, prices drop as a result, Nicholson says. So if the dairy industry started trying to sell that 20% domestically instead of exporting it, prices would plummet, making it difficult for farmers to continue to operate.

U.S. dairy farmer says Trump’s mass deportation plan would put him out of business

CBS News

John Rosenow, a fifth-generation farmer in Waumandee, Wisconsin, owns more than 900 acres and over 600 dairy cows. He said about 90% of the work on the farm is done by immigrants.

Those immigrants include Kevin, who was born in central Mexico and crossed the U.S. southern border illegally when he was 18. Now 21, Kevin, who did not provide his last name during an interview with CBS News, is among the 11 million undocumented migrants living in the U.S. More than 10,000 of them work on Wisconsin dairy farms, according to a report by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Wisconsin’s lack of snow concerns local farmers as they look toward spring

NBC-15

Dan Smith with UW Extension’s integrated pest and crop management, says the recent snowfall is good for their crops, but it may not be enough to keep crops like alfalfa, wheat, and small grains from winter kill.

“There are a couple of factors that we should consider when we’re thinking about winter kill, for alfalfa, we’re primarily considering those conditions where we don’t have snow cover, like December and January this year,” explained Smith.

Shortsighted DOGE USAID cuts hurt Wisconsin farmers, weaken national security

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a key partner for USAID’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab, helping train agricultural researchers around the world and research new seeds. In the past decade, Feed the Future has reduced hunger and poverty by 20 to 25 percent in targeted areas, with over 6 million producers newly using better agricultural practices in 2023 alone.

Of course, these innovations not only support communities abroad, but can also be put to use right in UW-Madison’s backyard to make farmers more resilient to increasing hazards such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation.

Restrictions on CDC communications, Concerns about bird flu, An album inspired by Wisconsin’s landscape

Wisconsin Public Radio

We learn how new restrictions on communications by federal health agencies could affect public health. Then, we look at how the ongoing bird flu epidemic is affecting farmers and whether it could surge. Then, we talk with a pianist inspired by Wisconsin’s landscape.

Wisconsin farmer groups feel impact of Trump administration’s funding freeze

Wisconsin Public Radio

Soybeans is one of the major commodities purchased by USAID, according to agricultural economist Paul Mitchell at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

But Mitchell said foreign food aid also includes shelf-stable foods that may be produced by Wisconsin farms and food processors. With the agency’s website largely down, he said it’s almost impossible to determine what products could be affected.

This first-of-its-kind plant discovery could help boost pantry-staple crop yields — here’s how it works

The Cool Down

Improving crop productivity is on the United Nations’ list of Sustainable Development Goals for the 21st century, and a recent discovery by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers may be able to help.

“For the first time, we realized that the effect of these photoreceptors is not everywhere along the stem and that different photoreceptors control different regions of the stem,” as Edgar Spalding, a professor emeritus of botany at UW–Madison, explained in the piece.

Ag industry leaders say Trump policy changes on trade, immigration could hurt farmers

Wisconsin State Farmer

Farm economists and industry experts weighed in on these impacts during the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum, an annual event for farm and food industry leaders in the state. Chuck Nicholson, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics at UW-Madison, was one of the speakers.

“If we substantively implement some of the policy ideas that have been proposed and talked about prior to the inauguration, I think that will pose some pretty significant economic challenges for the farmers of Wisconsin and the U.S. generally,” Nicholson said.

Rocks, crops and climate

Scientific American

For enhanced rock weather (ERW) to have a large impact by 2050, it will need to expand quickly, says Gregory Nemet, an energy scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Last May he and his colleagues published a study analyzing the combined potential of novel CO2 removal methods such as ERW, direct air-capture machines and the use of biofuels with CO2 captured from smokestacks. Between now and 2050 these methods need to grow “by something like 40 percent per year, every year,” Nemet says.

Why are egg prices rising in Wisconsin? Here’s what’s behind the egg shortage

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Of course, $3.65 is just an average. Egg prices are similar across most U.S. states but can vary slightly, said University of Wisconsin-Extension poultry specialist Ron Kean.

“I would say the Midwest tends to be a little bit cheaper, but, by and large, prices are pretty similar, because we can ship eggs pretty easily,” Kean said. “So, if they’re a lot cheaper in one place, people will probably ship (those) eggs to the more expensive areas.”

First human death from avian flu sparks calls for stricter hygiene, more testing

Wisconsin Public Radio

Tom Friedrich, professor of virology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine, said more details are needed to understand what led to the patient’s death. But he pointed out that other countries have already seen deaths caused by similar H5N1 viruses, especially in people who are sick enough to be hospitalized.

“There’s over 50 percent case fatality when people have these severe infections,” Friedrich said. “So it’s not unheard of in other parts of the world, even though this is the first time it’s happened in the United States.”

First U.S. fatality from bird flu reported in Louisiana

Los Angeles Times

Yohishiro Kawaoka, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Tokyo, said the the death “highlights the need for vigilance in avoiding contact with the virus wherever possible.”

At the same time, however, Kawaoka said it was “important to note that the individual was over 65 and had underlying health conditions, which may have contributed to the severity of the illness.”

What bird flu means for milk

Mother Jones

There are a handful of variables and factors that shape the financial losses of a dairy hit with an outbreak. Luckily, agriculture economist Charles Nicholson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and some colleagues created a calculator to estimate this financial impact of a bird flu outbreak. Based on Nicholson’s estimates for California, a typical farm of 1500 cattle will lose $120,000 annually. For context, this is about $10,000 more than the median household income of a dairy farmer.

Sandhill crane committee supports hunting, and solar farms can accommodate crops

Wisconsin Public Radio

Can large solar farms and cultivated crops coexist? Our guests says “yes.” Agrivoltaics is the convergence of agriculture and solar farms, which is the area of study of UW-Madison hydrologist and professor Steven Loheide and professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences Ankur Desai.

TikTok influencers are driving raw milk sales – Here’s why it’s still a bad idea

Men's Health

What these idealists forget is that while people used to live on more natural products, they were also pretty unhealthy. According to John A. Lucey, PhD, a professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and director of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, it’s estimated that in 1938, pre-pasteurisation, milk-borne outbreaks constituted 25% of all disease outbreaks (related to food and water) in the United States. Now, they make up fewer than 1%.

Partisan approach to farm bill delaying updates for Wisconsin farmers

Wisconsin Public Radio

Paul Mitchell, professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said it’s fairly rare to see Congress have to pass a second extension to the farm bill. But he said the lack of cooperation between the parties has made it more difficult to reach the consensus needed to pass the large piece of legislation.

“Just like we walk up to the edge on these continuing resolutions to keep the (federal) budget going, the same thing is happening with the farm bill,” Mitchell said.

Raw milk has documented health risks, but if Kennedy leads HHS, its backers expect a boost

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

McAfee’s products have been linked to several outbreaks of E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter, according to the University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research. Even with on-farm testing, raw milk isn’t safe for public consumption, said Alex O’Brien, safety and quality coordinator at the Center, which is on the UW-Madison campus.

“The more people who consume it,” he said, “the higher the probability someone’s going to become ill.”

Hold up—does cheese have protein? And what kinds pack the most?

SELF

“Cheesemaking is a process of concentrating the solids originally present in milk,” Ben Ullerup Mathers, a research cheesemaker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Dairy Research, tells SELF. “Since protein is one of the main constituents of milk solids, the further you concentrate those solids, the more protein is in the final cheese. Since hard cheeses are the lowest-moisture cheeses, they will also be the higher-protein cheeses.”

The research that aims to cheese

The Chronicle of Higher Education

On a recent Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, sample number 435 lies supine on a lab table where it surrenders to a gauntlet of measurements.

Brandon Prochaska slides a thermometer into the pizza’s abdomen, and the digits tick upward to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. He and a group of other trained professionals jot the number down.

Can raw milk make you sick? Officials crack down amid bird flu fears.

USA Today

Raw milk supporters say it contains more enzymes, probiotics (or the “good bacteria”), proteins and vitamins than pasteurized milk. They also say it helps prevent chronic health issues such as asthma and allergies, as well as ear and respiratory infections and fever, citing studies of European children living on farms. There’s little scientific evidence to support these claims, said John Lucey, director of the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Research and a food science professor.

“The short answer is no, there are no proven benefits,” he told USA TODAY. “You are being conned with these claims,” he said. “This is snake oil.”

Ag Briefs: UW expert says federal officials expected to require H5N1 milk testing

Wisconsin State Farmer

Dr. Keith Poulsen from UW-Madison’s Diagnostic Laboratory told Brownfield Ag News that a nationwide bulk tank or milk silo milk testing requirement is likely to be enacted this month. Poulsen says the new federal order should have more specific guidance about how officials can effectively perform a national surveillance. He said the Colorado model is likely to be adopted nationwide.

Report: Wisconsin farm, food industry grows slightly behind the rest of state’s economy

Wisconsin Public Radio

“The size of the pie is getting bigger,” said Steve Deller, a UW-Madison professor of agricultural and applied economics and co-author of the report. “Agriculture’s slice of that pie is also getting a little bit bigger, but it’s not growing at the same pace as the state’s economy is growing.”

Supplementing income off the farm, Social media warning labels, Powwow music

Wisconsin Public Radio

We learn how workers in Wisconsin are looking to bolster family farm income via employment in surrounding communities. Then a pediatrics professor shares research on social media and youth. And two members from the Wisconsin band Bizhiki discuss their new album of Indigenous music.

New Report Reveals Wisconsin Dairy Industry Up 16%, Contributing $52.8 Billion to State’s Economy

Hoard's Dairyman

The overall economic impact of Wisconsin’s dairy industry is bigger than ever, and dairy remains the leading sector of Wisconsin agriculture. This newly released data is from the Contribution of Agriculture to the Wisconsin Economy: An Update for 2022, conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics.