A Wisconsin dairy producer critical of the increased processor make allowances wants to know where the money is going. Mike Yager milks 275 Holsteins and grows feed crops near Mineral Point. He says the prices paid to farmers dropped but consumer prices for dairy products didn’t. “I want to see the difference, you know, in…… read more
Category Archives: Ag News
Yields exceed expectations, create challenges for Wisconsin farmer
A Wisconsin farmer says excellent yields have some farmers struggling to find enough grain storage. Andy Bensend farms between Dallas and Prairie Farm and tells Brownfield combines are rolling now. “Moistures are a little bit higher than we’d like to see for this time of the year but we’re basically in the low 20s. Yields…… read more
Wisconsin continues to seek animal program funding solution
Wisconsin’s Ag Secretary says he’s optimistic that a funding solution can be found to support animal health and inspection programs under rules ATCP-10 and ATCP-12. Ag Secretary Randy Romanski tells Brownfield with the proposed fees scaled back to existing levels plus 18 years of adjustment for inflation, it still looks like a large fee increase…… read more
Little change in bill language to reopen government
A Wisconsin Congressman says the spending bill he and other House members will vote on has no major changes and could have been passed in September. Republican Derrick Van Orden represents the Third Congressional District. He tells Brownfield, “It’s the same one with a different date. Now, what they’ve added are ag appropriations, which I’m…… read more
Livestock marketer welcomes Wisconsin’s smaller animal service fee increase
A livestock marketer is pleased Wisconsin is backing away from a huge animal service fee increase. Curt Larson with Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association tells Brownfield the original plan to raise fees on animal health services, livestock dealers, truckers, and sales barns was too high, and absorbing a 55 to 60 percent increase to make…… read more
Economist urges farmers to study 2026 safety net updates
An ag economist says farmers will want to learn just what changes in the USDA safety net programs means for their operation. University of Wisconsin economist Paul Mitchell tells Brownfield his team is analyzing the changes made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and other polices so they can make recommendations to farmers early…… read more
Revised Wisconsin animal fee plan leaves big funding gap
Wisconsin’s administration backed away from large fee increases for animal health programs and services, but that means something else must be done to fund them. It’s been eighteen years since the fees were adjusted in June of 2007. The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection says increasing fees to the rate of inflation over…… read more
Wisconsin proposes big revisions to animal health fee plan
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is backing away from a proposal that could increase animal health program fees. The department says they received more than 500 comments on the proposed fees. Tim Fiocchi with Wisconsin Farm Bureau tells Brownfield all of the comments from farmers, livestock dealers, truckers, and sales barns were in opposition. …… read more
Harvest better than expected for Wisconsin farmer
A southern Wisconsin farmer says yields are good and harvesting is going smoothly. Steve Duwe raises corn and soybeans near Johnson Creek, between Madison and Milwaukee. He tells Brownfield soybeans topped the 70 bushel per acre mark. “Soybeans? It was the highest yield I’ve ever had for soybeans by almost ten bushels, and corn, we…… read more
Wisconsin considering a school margarine ban
New legislation has been introduced in Wisconsin that would require school districts to serve real butter in school meal programs. State Senator Howard Marklein is the Senate author of the bill. He says, “Representative Todd Novak and I have drafted a bill, and it’s being circulated right now, which basically says that you can’t serve…… read more