WiscoAg News

If you even think back about ten years ago, then you could get away without having the internet. But now if you wanna have success and also be efficient when it comes to farming, you need it at your fingertips. According to a survey, almost half of farmers use the internet for business....that seems low though. We need reliable internet in the country to help out on the farm, but there's one problem. Some companies don't think it's worth it to provide internet out in BFE because they th...

Inside Look at the County Fair: Manitowoc County

August 19, 2019 09:00 - 3 minutes - 3.36 MB

I didn't have to go too far from home to see what these guys were bringing to the fair this year. Erika and Toby are showing with the Liberty Go-Getters 4-H Club, and Deisel's showing for Valders FFA . Erika's bringing her Winter heifer this year, Lady. She talked about what her favorite part of the fair is and I couldn't agree more! Now Toby's got his hands full with a Summer yearling this year. He was talking about the whole process of how they pick out which heifers they're ...

How stressed are you?

August 16, 2019 09:00 - 4 minutes - 4.2 MB

Dennis Pfrimmer, Capital Area Counseling Service CEO, he was talking about how important it is to take care of your stress There's nothing wrong with going to talk to someone about everything and see if they can help. That doesn't have to be a counselor, it could just be a friend or something too. Just try to talk to SOMEONE. Mental health is so important and we're finally starting to fight back on the stigma that it's "bad" or "embarrassing" to talk with a counselor. We're definitely he...

Farmer of the Month: Darren Vandehei

August 15, 2019 09:00 - 3 minutes - 3.5 MB

farmer of the month

Brown County Fair Makes History

August 14, 2019 09:00 - 4 minutes - 4.21 MB

We all have either heard or seen something about industrial hemp in Wisconsin being brought back in the last couple years. Farmers aren't the only ones hopping on the hemp train, so are the exhibitors at the Brown County Fair ! Yesterday anyone who entered their hemp project got judged on a variety of different things. This is the first time the fair has let anyone bring in hemp. Not only was it the fair's first time, but also the first time in all of Wisconsin that this has b...

Reppin' for Wisconsin!

August 13, 2019 09:00 - 3 minutes - 3.49 MB

We should for sure be proud to be in a state that puts so much emphasis on agriculture. For example, - Wisconsin killed it at the American Cheese Society Competition out in Virginia, taking home 28% of all the awards! - Another reason to be proud is the people that show at the state fair; they work so hard! - We get to host the Farm Aid concert this year! - Wisconsin had 11 out of the 25 counties in the U.S.A. with the most dairy farms. - Also, it had four of the top 25 counti...

Inside Look at the County Fair: Brown County Fair

August 12, 2019 09:00 - 3 minutes - 3.51 MB

I had a good time hanging out with these guys, mostly because I've known them forever, and they're part of the same 4-H Club as I was. These guys started showing with the Morrison 4-H Club when they were four years old! So basically, they're pros by now. Haillee's showing three animals this year. She's bringing her pig, Plutonium, and her chicken, Ellie. My favorite part is finding out what these guys name their animals every year because it's always something different. For example on...

Inside Look at the County Fair: Oconto County

August 12, 2019 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.8 MB

This is Lillian and Sean McDowell. The past few 4-H kids that we've talked to had lots of animals that they were bringing to the fair. Some had chickens, some had pigs, others had calves, one even had guinea pigs! But not these guys, they have a TON of projects...I'm not kidding, a ton. I'm not even sure where to start. Lillian showed me some of the projects she's making for the fair. Their mom taught them both how to sew (something I fail terribly at), so she made a dress. She also...

Mysterious Deaths

August 09, 2019 09:00 - 58 seconds - 953 KB

This story is really strange and very eerie. Authorities are looking for a reason as to why five bulls were found dead and mutilated on a farm in Oregon. The farmer said that it just looked like they fell over and died because there were no signs of a struggle. We know that's not what happened because there were parts of the bulls that were missing. The parts looked to be cut off with a sharp object. That right there tells us that at least one person is behind this. If anyone has any...

Door-Kewaunee Demo Farms Project: Just Like Planting Grass

August 08, 2019 19:11 - 3 minutes - 3.67 MB

Aaron talked about what conservation methods they're doing at the farm and if no-till is really worth it or not. Also, he mentioned what he sees other farmers doing and what his end game is when it comes to helping out the land.

Should fake "milk" be banned just like margarine was?

August 08, 2019 09:00 - 4 minutes - 4.23 MB

Yup, sure thing, it was. That was a long time ago, but they were trying to protect the dairy industry. They wanted people to buy ACTUAL butter. So is there a chance we might do the same thing in the state with imitation milks? It honestly could happen.

We're Losing Way Too Much

August 07, 2019 09:00 - 6 minutes - 6.21 MB

Farmland is under attack and we need to do something about it before it's too late. John Piotti, he's the President and CEO of American Farmland Trust, he was talking about the issue of losing land. He said that we've lost 31 million acres of U.S. farmland in the past 20 years. One thing he mentioned that could help conserve some of the important land is to use agriculture conservation easements. These could be used for the really special land that some states use to grow certain cro...

Farm-worker Appreciation Day

August 06, 2019 09:00 - 3 minutes - 3.26 MB

Happy Farm-worker Appreciation Day! Today's all about the people that keep the farm running everyday. Jim Knight talked about how you need to have a good environment for you employees if you want them to stick around.

New disease threatening horses in the Midwest?

August 05, 2019 09:00 - 1 minute - 1.6 MB

A six week old foal had to be put down the other day because it tested positive for "Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy". Don't ask us to tell you how to sound it out...we have no idea. Let's just call it EHM. The foal was put down because it's neurological symptoms kept getting worse. EHM is very contagious, but not to humans. Horses can catch it through just about anything; touching noses with another horse, contaminated tack, feed or water buckets, brushes, even people's hands...

The selfless act of a Fair Showman.

August 02, 2019 09:00 - 2 minutes - 2.16 MB

This just makes your heart full because it helps to reassure you that there really are great people in this world. Tenley Walker, was sadly diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer just 25 days before graduating high school. She said that it started out as just headaches, but turned out to be worse news than expected. She was involved in FFA and the fair, but this year she wasn't able to show because she started chemo and radiation. Meet her good friend Grant Goodell, he also...

You'll never guess what killed almost 160,000 chickens on one farm.

August 01, 2019 09:00 - 2 minutes - 2.65 MB

Pasture chicken farmer, Will Harris, he just finally won his case that's been going on for over year, all because of his chickens. Ever since he expanded his farm, he's been seeing more and more bald eagles coming after his chickens. He said that in the winter, the eagles would come after about 100 chickens each day. He's lost about 160,000 chickens to bald eagle attacks.

Ice cream facts you probably didn't know.

July 31, 2019 09:00 - 1 minute - 1.11 MB

This is the last day of Ice Cream Month :( Which also means Summer is two-thirds of the way done... Not to depress anyone, but that's the way it goes. So in honor of Ice Cream Month, we came up with some random facts for you! Ice cream was brought to America in the 1700's and was mainly eaten by rich people. The ice cream sundae was created in the 1880's. After vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry were created, the next flavor was Rocky Road! National Ice Cream Month was s...

When a small town comes together.

July 30, 2019 16:25 - 1 minute - 1.06 MB

Sadly, Yockey isn't able to work in the fields anymore. One thing about being a farmer though is that no matter what's going on in your life, the work has to get done somehow. Luckily, Yockey has some really great neighbors. The other day 60 neighbors came out to help harvest his 1,200 acres of wheat. They got the job done in record time. Now that's just one less thing that he has to worry about. This is one more reason to love small towns. They all seem to come together when someone...

These guys aren't just in the country anymore.

July 30, 2019 09:00 - 3 minutes - 3.25 MB

It shouldn't be a surprise to us that we're seeing more and more wildlife in town. Cities are slowly moving into the country, where these animals live. When we invade their habitat, of course we're going to see them more often. That's just the way it goes. Dr. Jennifer Federico talked a little more on seeing a coyote at your house and what to do with your pets.

Inside Look at the County Fair: Winnebago County

July 29, 2019 09:00 - 3 minutes - 3.47 MB

It's an understatement if we say these guys have been busy this Summer. They're showing basically everything they can this year. Everything from goats, to horses, even guinea pigs. Theresa's showing guinea pigs this year and not gonna lie, they're pretty cute. Look at it's face! One cool thing for Theresa is that this year she's bringing horses to the fair for the first time! She talked about what the hardest part of training them is, along with what the judges are looking for in a hor...

Agriculture is more than just driving tractors.

July 25, 2019 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.8 MB

One of the most useful events going on at Farm Tech Days was the Ag Career Day for the kids. So what happened was they had kids from all over Wisconsin come out to the event and do an ag career scavenger hunt. The kids ended up going to different booths throughout Farm Tech Days so that they could see a sample of all the careers possible within agriculture. We caught up with one of the organizers of Ag Career Day, Peter Curran. While interviewing him, we talked with Tina Douglas, an Ag ...

Sunset on the Farm

July 24, 2019 19:36 - 3 minutes - 3.58 MB

Brickstead Dairy is hosting the third annual Sunset on the Farm on August 8th. We talked with Dan Brick about the event and what to expect this year. The whole point of having something like this on the farm is to showcase the GOOD things that farmers are doing to help out water quality and the environment in general. Dan commented on why farmers always get played out to be these "bad" people who ruin the environment. The sad part is that there could be a thousand good stories about ...

Farm Tech Days Kick Off

July 24, 2019 19:16 - 3 minutes - 3.54 MB

We talked with Brad Walter, one of the hosts of Farm Tech Days this year. His parents hosted 35 years ago, but this is his first go at it. He shared why he's so excited about it this years event and what all goes into getting ready for something this large! This year they're expecting 40,000 people to visit the farm by Thursday. FYI: If you can go, we suggest you do. There's plenty of things to look at, even if you aren't a farmer. Plus, they have a tent with baby beef cattle. Soooo, t...

Saved by a Cow

July 22, 2019 15:45 - 4 minutes - 4.28 MB

When Troy was five years old, he had an atrial septal defect and needed a hole in his heart patched up. The doctors at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin fixed it up with a piece of a cow heart. Now Troy helps to encourage other kids that are at the hospital so they aren't too scared. He's definitely a brave little man. Make sure to check out the interview for his story and the advice he gives other kids going through rough times.

Inside Look at the County Fair: Outagamie County

July 22, 2019 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.92 MB

These three are showing at the Outagamie County Fair this week and honestly, they're gonna do great! They're no stranger to showing chickens. They've been showing for awhile now and show at more than just the county fair. The best part of the interview was asking them what their favorite part of the fair is and they just talked more about the chickens! You can tell how passionate they are about their projects. But the work they put into the fair doesn't stop with the chickens. ...

Farmer of the Month: Big Plans for the Future

July 19, 2019 09:00 - 4 minutes - 4.47 MB

Kayla Coehoorn's our July Farmer of the Month. She's very deserving, just like a lot of farmers out there. The whole family gets involved on the farm, which keeps it very family based. Kayla and her husband just recently had a little baby girl (the future farmhand), and she's more than excited to teach her about the farm! One of the coolest things about Kayla is that she opens up the farm to the local schools for farm tours. She realizes how important it is to make sure these kids know a...

Dairy Helping the Kids

July 18, 2019 09:00 - 7 minutes - 7.24 MB

We talked with Laurie Fischer, one of the founding members of Dairy Cares. The group helps out Children's Hospital of Wisconsin because they've all been impacted by the great things the hospital does. Laurie's family has especially become very familiar with Children's Hospital. Check out her story!

Dairy Princess behind a farmer love triangle that ended in murder is being released.

July 17, 2019 09:00 - 2 minutes - 2.44 MB

Yes, there was a Lifetime movie made out of this story. The love triangle that ended terribly. Lori Esker is being released from a correctional facility in Racine County. Esker was convicted in 1990 of first degree intentional homicide in the death of Lisa Cihaski....all because of a boy. (Bill Buss) Once you find out all of the facts, you'll be pretty mind blown. According to the court testimony: - Bill, Lisa, and Lori all went to the same high school - Bill dated Lisa and t...

Fox Demo Farms Project: Are you doing the right thing?

July 16, 2019 21:01 - 4 minutes - 3.73 MB

Knee high by the Fourth of July is impossible if you didn't get it planted by the Fourth. There's still some farmers out there that JUST planted their corn. We talked with Derek VandeHey, he was out in the fields, not planting corn, but planting alfalfa. You could probably say he's getting ahead of things so he doesn't have to plant next Spring. He told us that some farmers are still planting corn and he explained why that's just a bad idea. Every farmer has their own way of doing th...

Farm Tech Days

July 16, 2019 12:16 - 2 minutes - 1.89 MB

Jefferson County's getting ready for the visitors next week. This year the big ag event of the Summer will be July 23rd to the 25th at Walter Grain Farms in Johnson Creek, WI. We talked with Sarah Walter about the event and how the farm has evolved. The farm has went from a hog farm, veal farm, and others! Their story is pretty cool. They already hosted Farm Tech Days 35 years ago, before it was called Farm Tech Days. Sarah talked about how different things used to be with Far...

Inside Look at the County Fair: Fond du Lac County

July 12, 2019 16:04 - 3 minutes - 3.64 MB

Meet Klair and Colton Grinstead, their from Armstrong 4-H in Fond du Lac County. These guys were definitely prepared for the fair, which comes up July 17th - 21st. So it's a good thing they're ready! They both stayed really busy this Summer between training cattle and walking pigs. This year Klair's showing three pigs and one heifer, while Colton's showing two pigs and two heifers. I'd say their hands are pretty full. Colton told us that they spend about three hours a day outside with ...

Fox Demo Farms Project: Comparison

July 11, 2019 16:17 - 8 minutes - 7.99 MB

We talked with Matt VanWychen, he's a part of VanWychen Farms out in Kaukauna. Matt talked about their practices and how they do both conventional and no-till fields. They do this so that they can compare and contrast the differences in the fields when it comes to money and other factors. When you work the fields both ways, you can see the differences and then decide what's best for your farm. He also gave some advice to people that still question hopping on the no-till farming train.

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