COW97 Ag News from Brownfield

Portage County, Wisconsin is considering an operational ordinance to regulate new large farms. County Board Chair Ray Reser tells Brownfield an operational ordinance would create a licensing structure for farms over 1,000 animal units that would have guidelines for fire codes, waste management, public health and safety, and natural resource protection. “It’s sort of a… ... Continue Reading

The former Executive Director of the Wisconsin FFA Alumni and Supporters has passed away. Cheryl Steinbach served the organization for more than seven years after retiring from the Granton School District, where she spent 28 of her 30 years as an agriculture instructor. Steinbach is a past recipient of the Outstanding Service Citation from the… ... Continue Reading

A group of Wisconsin lawmakers have re-introduced a bill that would create a farm implement lemon law. If passed, implements of husbandry that don’t conform to the warranty and have been back for repairs at least four times or out of service at least thirty days would make the farmer eligible for a replacement or… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin Farm Bureau president Brad Olson says his organization is being recognized during the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Antonio. “We took both awards today at the event, and so a good day for Wisconsin.” Wisconsin Farm Bureau won the Pinnacle Award and the New Horizon Award Saturday. The post Wisconsin Farm Bureau wins… ... Continue Reading

A Wisconsin Congressman has renewed his efforts to get more milk on the military menu.  Former Navy Seal and 3rd District Republican Derrick Van Orden’s first bill of the 119th Congress is the Strengthening Service Members with Milk Act.  If passed, the Secretary of Defense would be required to provide fluid or powdered milk to… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin has gained another seat on the House Committee on Agriculture.  Newly-elected Republican Tony Wied from DePere represents Wisconsin’s 8th District.  He was welcomed to the committee during Thursday’s House Ag Committee organization meeting by Chairman Glenn GT Thompson. Wied joins 3rd District Republican Derrick Van Orden on the committee.  Before Van Orden joined the… ... Continue Reading

A livestock economist says tight supplies will force more beef imports in 2025. Brenda Boetel with the University of Wisconsin River Falls tells Brownfield says the U.S. imported almost 4.4 billion pounds of beef in 2024. “That’s about an 18-19 percent increase over 2023 and we really expect in 2025 we’ll probably continue to increase… ... Continue Reading

The State of Wisconsin is backing a nitrogen optimization pilot program, and some of the early research is helping farmers plan for 2025. Matt Ruark with the University of Wisconsin says field experiments will continue as the second year of the study begins.  He tells Brownfield his team is working with farmers around the state… ... Continue Reading

A major potato processor has chosen Grand Forks, North Dakota as the site for a new plant to make frozen potato products. In a statement, Agristo says it chose the North Dakota as its first U.S. location for their high-quality potato farming, availability of potatoes, and sufficient market scale for its private label products. The… ... Continue Reading

U.S. hay production was up in 2024. The USDA says total production of 122.462 million tons was 3% larger than 2023, with a decline in harvested area to 49.39 million acres more than canceled out by a rise in average yield to 2.48 tons per acre. That included 49.84 million tons of alfalfa and mixtures,… ... Continue Reading

The president of the Illinois Hemp Growers Association says the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill means their industry can continue to flourish under current federal regulations. Rachel Berry says the hemp industry is closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations of a new five-year bill. “There are talks of changing the farm bill and making things… ... Continue Reading

U.S. farmers planted more winter wheat. The USDA says all major types saw higher acreage on some expectations for improved export demand, along with continued solid domestic demand. The total of 34.115 million acres was up 2% on the year, including a 1% rise for hard red winter wheat in the southern and central Plains… ... Continue Reading

The USDA says 2024 soybean production topped 2023. The crop of 4.366 billion bushels was up 5% on the year, with an average yield of 50.7 bushels per acre on harvested area of 86.05 million acres. In 2023, production was 4.162 billion bushels with an average yield of 50.6 bushels per acre on harvested area… ... Continue Reading

An abnormally dry start to winter in the Upper Midwest could soon give way to wetter conditions. Bret Walts with BAMWX says the western half of the country has been warmer than the eastern half, which favors a southern storm track. “But what happens as we work into I would say mid-January and beyond, the… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin has a new Fairest of the Fairs. Megan Salentine from Kewaunee County was selected from a group of 33 county and district Fairest of the Fairs to serve as ambassador for the Wisconsin Association of Fairs.  Salentine is the daughter of Jenny and Josh Salentine of Luxemburg and is a student at St. Norbert… ... Continue Reading

December was warm and dry for Wisconsin. The USDA says average statewide temperatures were nearly 5 degrees above normal, while precipitation was just under usual levels, with some farmers reporting concerns about the effects of low snow cover on fall planted crops. Fieldwork during the month included the application of fertilizer and manure. The USDA’s… ... Continue Reading

A biofuel advocacy group is looking to maintain momentum for biodiesel and renewable diesel demand. Jeff Earl with Clean Fuels Alliance America says 2024 was a record year for the industry, and the groundwork is laid for future success. “We’ve got some new states that are going to look at some renewable fuel policies, Wisconsin,… ... Continue Reading

A Wisconsin dairy cooperative board has selected a new chief executive officer.  Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery’s board elevated Kevin Pieh from chief financial officer to CEO, a post Pieh has been serving on an interim basis since early September. Pieh has been with Ellsworth Creamery since 2022.  Before that, he worked with Land O Lakes and… ... Continue Reading

The change in the weather has cattle producers taking a few extra precautions. Jared Geiser from Chilton, Wisconsin tells Brownfield producers need to keep the calories coming to give cattle the energy they need. “(They have) a little fermentation tank built right into them that can really create a lot of heat, so if we… ... Continue Reading

Wisconsin’s ag secretary says the word that describes the agriculture community in 2024 is resilience.  Randy Romanski tells Brownfield despite tough conditions, farmers continued to produce. “When you look at this last year weather wise, it was dry, it was very wet, and it was dry again and farmers got a crop in the ground… ... Continue Reading