Jamie Nack is a senior wildlife outreach specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension. If people encounter a bear outdoors, she said they should talk to the bear or shout at the animal and raise their arms over their heads to look bigger.
“You really don’t want to be turning and running, but just kind of backing away slowly and again just giving them an escape route for them to just go ahead and leave,” Nack said.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, created in 1978, supports the public and local county extension offices by receiving and analyzing several thousand insect samples each year. Every year, about two or three non-native insect species are discovered in Wisconsin. Some are only annoyances; others bring serious trouble. The latter is the case with the viburnum leaf beetle.
In Wisconsin, the beetle was first discovered in 2014 in counties west of Milwaukee. In 2019, UW-Madison entomologist P.J. Liesch, on a walk with his family, found an infested shrub. This spring, Liesch fielded dozens of questions from gardeners asking about it, as did Lisa Johnson, a Dane County Extension horticulture educator.
Tim Baye, a professor of business development and a state energy and energy finance specialist with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, said developers have been rushing since November to get planned projects moving in time to qualify for tax credits.
While there may be an initial rush to meet requirements for tax credits in the short term, Baye said he expects the bill will cause a slowdown in renewable development once those incentives sunset.
“We’re going to see a real slowdown,” he said. “It’s going to have a chilling effect.”
The aesthetic damage is more than just cosmetic. “It’s the most common sawfly found infesting landscapes and Christmas tree plantations,” according to the University of Wisconsin, which notes these sawflies thrive in pines like Scots, red, Jack, and Mugo—common species in holiday tree lots.
During a recent training session for crops and soils specialists, plant pathologist Damon Smith with the University of Wisconsin says growers are experiencing weather that is ideal for corn tar spot infection.
“It’s too early to see symptoms now,” he told them, “but it is likely that infections are occurring and that growers need to be vigilant in their scouting of susceptible fields in coming weeks.”
The grant-funded research will also send University of Wisconsin students to farmers’ markets in Marathon, Portage, Wood, Waupaca and Adams counties this summer through summer 2027 to collect data on things like where are people visiting from, how much money do they intend to spend at the market and other area businesses, and what they love about farmers’ markets, Haack said.
“With county fairs, there’s always a lot of movement of cattle whether it’s within the county or if there are open shows,” Jerry Clark, a crops and soils educator with UW-Madison’s Division of Extension, said. “These cattle are moving across county lines and so it’s just another way that fairs are doing their part.”
One of the greatest privileges of serving as Alice was working with the Dairy Innovation Hub, a collaboration between UW–Madison, UW–Platteville, and UW–River Falls. This partnership allowed me to highlight the incredible research being done in dairy science, from improving sustainability and animal health to advancing food safety and agricultural technology. These researchers and students are writing the next chapter of our state’s agricultural legacy, one data set at a time.
“A lot of Wisconsin businesses have been struggling with finding employees, and they have been for a number of years, going back to before COVID,” said Steven Deller, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at UW-Madison and one of the report’s authors.
The Emerging Crops Accelerator program through Extension at the University of Wisconsin-Madison included fiber flax production in its November 2024 strategic plan. The team has supported Schroeder’s studies through supporting her grant applications and finding her farming equipment.
You will find good information online from the Pacific Bulb Society and, of all places, Extension Horticulture of the University of Wisconsin.
Bats, birds, turtles, coyotes and more are the subject of study and conservation efforts, especially in the spring when they can be readily seen. We talk again to David Drake and Jamie Nack, wildlife specialists with UW-Extension, about these and other Wisconsin critters.
Fortunately, a little basic sense and some insider tips can help us avoid the perils of Wisconsin’s outdoors — or at least deal with the effects of ill-fated encounters. One valuable resource on that front is a free 40-page booklet from the University of Wisconsin-Extension titled “Outdoor Hazards in Wisconsin: A Guide to Insects, Plants, and Wildlife.”
Kevin Jarek, regional crops and soils educator with UW-Madison’s Division of Extension for Outagamie & Winnebago counties, noted, “If I were to go to counties like Shawano and Waupaca, especially the western parts of those counties, they get much lighter in soil. It’s a sandy loam texture, whereas here as we get closer to Lake Michigan, we tend to have a lot of clay.”
The National Farm Medicine Center was established in 1981 as a nonprofit entity dedicated to rural health and safety research and service. It partners with Marshfield Clinic Research Institute and the University of Wisconsin Extension on studies that have shown strong results over time.
Daniel Smith with UW Extension’s integrated pest and crop management says that since February, the temperatures have warmed up and had more precipitation.
Martin Ventura, the Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens Specialist at UW-Madison Extension, manages and maintains farms in the Milwaukee area, some of which are farmed by immigrants, particularly in the Hmong community. UW-Extension, Ventura said, had a former partnership with the Hmong American Friendship Association to establish a Hmong heritage garden plot, allowing local communities to farm.
Birds, amphibians, large predators and their babies all come out in springtime, explain our guests, two UW-Extension wildlife specialists. Then, we talk to a filmmaker and Wisconsin native about his Tomah-area film project.
As expected with a warmer climate, the season for collecting maple sap will shift to earlier in the year, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
Another good resource for gardeners is the University of Wisconsin Extension. The scientists and specialists experience the same gardening challenges when it comes to weather conditions and pest management and can provide geographically specific advice to plant what food crops.
Liatris, also known as blazing star or gayfeather, are flowering plants native to North America. The perennials appear dead during winter but bloom again in spring. They’re known for their bright purple flowers and are popular with pollinators, per the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
With the growing popularity of podcasts in recent years, there has never been a better — or more convenient — time to be a lifelong learner.
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.
Meanwhile, the price of conventional eggs is beholden to supply and demand, said poultry specialist Ron Kean of the University of Wisconsin Extension.
“The price of those really goes up and down according to national demand,” Kean said. “I like to think of it like gasoline prices, where it can really fluctuate a lot.”
Offering classes under the broad umbrella of “independent living skills” are people like Amanda Kostman, a family living educator with the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Human Development and Relationships Institute.
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.”
We call it “adulting” when young people face grown-up situations. But there are actual classes that teach independent living, financial literacy and health maintenance skills. Amanda Kostman, a UW-Extension Family Living Educator, joins us to explain.
Extension Specialist for Poultry Science at UW Madison, Ron Kean, is urging farmers to take extensive measures to prevent the virus from spreading to their flocks.
“Keeping them indoors, if possible, certainly cleaning and disinfecting anything that’s coming into the flock,” said Kean. “People tend to be a big carrier, we think. So, changing clothes, changing shoes, especially, or designated footwear.”
After years of reorganization, the Agriculture Institute within the UW-Madison Division of Extension has a growing staff of experts and researchers to help Wisconsin farmers. Institute director Heidi Johnson and Extension specialist Steven Hall join us.
Plus, how to budget for the holidays with Clare Dahl, a financial educator with UW-Madison Division of Extension in Dane County.
A 2021 study done by UW-Extension researchers found the proposed trail connection could attract hundreds of thousands of cyclists and snowmobilers from across the region, generating more than $6 million a year in direct economic impact.
A program of UW-Extension and a free community resource, Covering Wisconsin has Health Insurance Navigators located within communities throughout the state who help people understand their options, compare plans, connect with programs that provide financial help, and sign up. Farmers can get help understanding how being self-employed impacts their eligibility in programs and how to find affordable coverage.
While beef-on-dairy production continues to grow in the U.S., it was a novel concept in 2018 when it came to the attention of Ryan Sterry, regional dairy educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
“A few colleagues and myself were noticing more chatter about this, more farms were experimenting with it,” Sterry recalls.
UW Extension Educator Kevin Schoessow is back to talk about the Spooner Agriculture Research Station. And the food they have donated to local organizations. We also talk about the work being done at the Savannah Institute to integrate trees and shrubs with crops and livestock on farms.
“Bulbs are going to need a 12- to 16-week chilling period. When you put them in the ground that temperature should go down slowly, so they have the first 3 to 5 weeks developing their roots at 45 to 50 degrees, and then the next 3 weeks at 38 to 42 degrees,” said Lisa Johnson, horticulture educator for University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
“Fall is the best time to look at perennial weed control,” said Jerry Clark, a northwestern Wisconsin crops and soils educator who serves Chippewa, Dunn and Eau Claire counties through the Division of Extension at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Melissa Kono trains other municipal clerks around the stateas an associate professor with UW-Madison Extension Trempealeau County.
“There are outright threats, right? But there are also comments and things that are said that feel threatening,” she said.
For more than a decade, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension has been offering the opportunity for people to become Master Naturalists by attending expert-led training sessions and volunteering their time to conservation efforts. Altogether, Master Naturalists volunteer over 25,000 hours of service each year to over 700 organizations across the state.
Turf expert Doug Soldat is back with his annual fall lawn tutorial. We talk with him about the latest in lawn care research.
In the last half hour Native Plant Garden Curator at the UW-Madison Arboretum, Susan Carpenter is back. She’ll have updates on classes and tours, and what’s happening in the fall native gardens.
Homeowners and communities can also take steps to slow the spread. Ash trees should be checked out for emerald ash borer symptoms, and insecticides can be applied according to guidelines provided by a certified arborist or the University of Wisconsin extension. Trees can also be removed, and replaced with non-susceptible species.
“Location during retirement is often based on an individual’s situation and desires. Many of the factors that should be considered will be specific to the person, couple, or family,” says Jonathon Ferguson a financial capability specialist with the Financial Education Division of Extension at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Yet, all retirees or soon to be retirees can benefit from understanding the taxation implications of their retirement locations. State rules regarding taxation of pension benefits, social security benefits, long term capital gains, etc. can vary a lot.”
Clare Dahl, a financial and life span educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, supports the change.
“Any time that access to free tax filing is expanded, it’s good news for everyone,” said Dahl, whose division supports the volunteer-run Richard Dilley Tax Center.
But the bug can be indicative of a larger pest problem and can often have a foul odor, according to the Dane County UW-Extension.
“I am getting a number of submitted photos of plants with holes in the leaves and no obvious culprit,” said Lisa Johnson, horticulture research specialist with the UW-Extension. “These are likely to be earwigs or slugs. Populations of both are high this year due to excess moisture.”
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides an abundance of resources to guide a producer’s decisions according to the 4 R’s of nutrient management: right source, right time, right rate, right place. But nutrient management is complex and site specific. To help producers and consultants get a better grasp of the nitrogen needs on individual farms, the Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) was born.
“We had the warmest February on record and our soil moisture was down to 16% in some areas. And now we’ve gone from one of the most severe deficits to one of the most severe surpluses (of moisture) in just a couple of months,” said Kevin Jarek, University of Wisconsin Division of Extension Crops and Soils educator for Outagamie County. “In my 25 years with Extension, this is unbelievable.”
Includes interview with Natasha Paris, Regional crops educator, UW-Madison Extension.
Written by John Shutske, a professor of biological systems and engineering and also an Extension specialist at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Among the recipients are Luiz Ferraretto, UW-Madison Dairy Nutrition Extension Specialist, Department of Animal and Dairy Science, and PJ Leisch, Extension Entomologist, Director, Insect Diagnostic Lab.
The goal is to make large-scale solar and wind projects work for all involved, said Sherrie Gruder, sustainable design specialist and energy strategist for UW-Extension, who is overseeing the initiative. Gruder said the grant will help local governments and residents “have a voice in making the projects work well for the values and the goals of the communities in our state.”
UW-Madison Extension Entomologist PJ Liesch spends much of his time identifying and confirming insect sightings. This spring has brought him a number of unusual observations, including a scorpion.
The application window is open now for another round of By Youth for Youth funding thanks to the city of Madison, UW Extension and United Way of Dane County securing a climate specific grant. Any youth climate-focused projects can apply for a grant of up to $5,000.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the creation of a new central location for information and resources related to the spongy moth. The Spongy Moth Resource Center is part of a combined effort by the DNR, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.
Jackie McCarville is a regional dairy educator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension in southwestern Wisconsin. She also feels like concern around avian flu has died down, especially as many farms begin work in their fields this spring.
“But I think it’s still in the back of a lot of minds: what happens if it does get into Wisconsin?” McCarville said. “What considerations should we be looking at? It’s a great time to look at your biosecurity plan to see what you can do to protect your farm.”
Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, said much of the national dairy industry has been opposed to doing more testing for the virus on farms. He said the number of avian flu tests in cattle across the country has actually declined since the federal order requiring them went into place.
The UW-Extension office said it depends on the lawn. Lawns that are solely turfgrass will provide few resources for pollinators. But lawns that have low-growing plants like dandelions will provide nectar and pollen.
Do pollinators actually benefit from an unmowed lawn? Sometimes. It depends on the lawn, according to experts from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Lawns with turfgrass don’t provide as many resources for pollinators compared with a yard containing an abundance of low-growing flowering plants. Adding more flowering plants, shrubs and trees to your yard can increase benefits to pollinators.
Trees often send out new growth later in the spring. Heat and drought stress can also kill trees, especially new plantings with a limited root system. Serviceberries are susceptible to fireblight that can quickly kill a plant. The University of Wisconsin Madison has a helpful factsheet on this disease.
“Any habitat that provides more flowers is going to be a benefit to pollinators. That being said, if your lawn is all grass with no flowers at all, not mowing for the month of May is not going to have any impact on pollinators,” said Hannah Gaines-Day, research scientist at UW-Madison’s department of entomology. “So, if you’re participating just to participate but you have no flowers, then the pollinators are not going to see a benefit.”
Authored by Matt Lippert, the dairy educator for Wood and Clark County with the UW-Madison Division of Extension.
Tahnee Aguirre, a financial security educator for UW-Madison Extension, which provided the rent education and financial literacy classes, said the women already had the tenacity and intelligence to be successful. Now they have a vision.
“Now that they see it and know what they need to do to make it happen, they have a better chance to achieve their goals,” Aguirre said. “Their opportunities are endless.”
The University of Wisconsin Division of Extension Dairy Program Area educators have created an HPAI factsheet with pertinent information and helpful resources outlining key action steps to help dairy farmers protect their animals from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
