Category: Extension

Despite winter’s grasp, spring will soon arrive! Prepare for it by attending the 13th annual “Spring into Gardening” conference hosted by Racine County and Kenosha County Division of Extension. The line-up of speakers includes local plant experts, University of Wisconsin specialists and Master Gardeners.

This the 18th year they have offered this service, but they said this year is particularly important. This is the first year that the 2017 federal tax law will impact people’s returns.

George Koepp, the agriculture agent for Columbia County’s UW-Extension, said having federal farming agencies on furlough put farmers in a tough position to sign up for crop loans or tariff refunds.

Customers at the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry are seeing healthier food options on the pantry’s shelves. Together with the UW-Extension-Oneida County office, the RAFP is promoting a healthier diet and improved nutrition with the “Food Drive 5” program which encourages choosing food that is higher in protein, fruit, colorful vegetables, soups and whole grains.

As many farmers struggle to make ends meet, a workshop series from Trempealeau County’s UW-Extension is aimed at helping both longtime and new farmers find ways to make their farm as profitable as possible.

“When we get drastically below zero like this, it’s really hard. So for any of those animals that have been out-wintered, most of the farmers have either brought them in or tried to find them some sort of shelter to keep them warm and protected from the windbreaks,” said Heather Schlesser, an Ag Educator in Marathon County with the UW-Madison Division of Extension.

Some of the biggest concerns for livestock owners are maintaining dry bedding and supplying enough food, said Alana Voss, agriculture educator for the University of Wisconsin-Extension in Sauk and Juneau counties.

Farther north, those attending the 34th annual Superior Days — put on by the University of Wisconsin-Extension in mid-February — plan to lobby the state to increase reimbursement through the state’s Medicaid program.

Polluted well water has been an issue in Wisconsin for decades, according to Kevin Masarik, a groundwater specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and UW-Extension.

This was the second time the German Butchers’ Association, American Association of Meat Processors and UW-Madison’s Extension meat science program have worked together to hold this off-site competition in conjunction with the main competition in Frankfurt.

Richard Halopka, a crops and soils agent with University of Wisconsin-Extension in Clark County, said he doesn’t believe there’s a hay shortage in Wisconsin, but rather the hay available is lower quality than people would like to purchase. Halopka said the biggest price increases have been for low quality hay.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Biological Systems and Engineering Doug Reinnemann said about 300 farms in the state are using an automatic robotic milking system and the number is “growing steady” among smaller farms — usually about 200 to 500 cows.

In Wisconsin, the program is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who aid UW-Extension educators by helping people in the community better understand horticulture and their environment.

In early November, 15 individuals completed the 2018 UW-Extension Master Gardener Level 1 training course offered by the UW-Extension Horticulture Program in Racine and Kenosha Counties.

The University of Wisconsin-Extension in Barron and Polk counties has hired Becky Schley as a new agricultural educator. She will serve the two northwestern Wisconsin counties from a main office in Barron, Wisconsin.

The onset of colder conditions is the best time to take preventive measures to keep small animals — such as bats, mice and small rodents — from getting into homes, said Jamie Nack, wildlife outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

The curriculum is developed at University of Wisconsin-Extension and delivered in partnership with more than 50 host organizations like nature centers. It’s customized to explore natural history, flora and fauna. Courses in southern Wisconsin may focus on prairie habitats, while those in the northern part of the state may spend more time learning about different types of forests.

James Anderson, the UW-Extension Douglas County department head, hosted a discussion in May with agencies involved in the April 26 explosion, fire and evacuation. He said the document outlines that discussion, which focused on “What was supposed to happen? What worked well? What could be improved?”

Eau Claire County’s UW-Extension says the purchase may help Wisconsin milk producers, who have been struggling with low prices and recent tariffs from export markets like Mexico and China, get back on their feet.

Quoted: “This is a year of transition. A lot of work is happening behind the scenes. But it should be invisible to our listeners and viewers,” says Purcell. “Over the next year, we are figuring out how to move [public media] under the UW-Madison umbrella. In a sense, we’re coming home. But in a sense, we’ve never left.”

Farmers market vendors and consumers are on the rise according to a new survey released by the University of Wisconsin- Extension Office.

Ryan Sterry, St. Croix County UW-Extension agriculture agent, said the Johnson farm is unique in that they grew their business “in steps” to bring in the next generation, and they have dabbled in registered Holstein genetics, with bragging rights to some high-ranking genomic animals.