eCALS

The first 6 months of 2009 were perhaps the worst that U.S. dairy farmers have experienced for at least several generations, notes Ed Jesse, CALS emeritus professor and extension dairy marketing specialist, in a factsheet entitled Current Dairy Situation FAQs. Producers are squeezed between very low milk prices and very high feed prices, he points out. In nominal prices, the Wisconsin All-Milk price had its lowest half-year average since 2003. But in 2003 the state’s corn prices were averaging $2.35 per bushel. So far in 2009, they’ve been between $3 and $4. (more…)

MADISON — Wisconsin’s farms and agricultural businesses generate $59.16 billion in economic activity and provide jobs for 353,991 people, according to a recent study conducted by University of Wisconsin-Extension based on data for 2007.

The study shows that Wisconsin agriculture contributes in a significant way to the state’s economic base despite the acute financial pressures caused by low prices for several products including milk and cheese as well as high input costs. The study’s findings indicate agriculture’s economic activity increased 14.9 percent, up from $51.5 billion, from a similar study conducted in 2004 using data for 2000. (more…)

Milk prices paid to farmers were expected to have showed some slight improvement by now, but that hasn’t happened, says Bob Cropp, emeritus professor of agriculture and applied economics, in his July Dairy Situation and Outlook report. The good news is that milk production finally is on a trend below year-ago levels. This trend, along with a normal seasonal decline in milk production and seasonal strong fall dairy product sales, will slowly improve milk prices. But given expected milk prices, dairy farmers will continue to experience financial stress for the remainder of 2009 and into 2010, Cropp says.

Read Cropp’s July situation report and a variety of other dairy market information are posted online at the Understanding Dairy Markets website compiled by Brian Gould, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics.

Want to know who won the Biggest Weed Contest or when the agriculture safety demonstration is at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days? Follow the University of Wisconsin-Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources program area on Twitter at www.twitter.com/UWExtensionANRE. (more…)

The annual Wisconsin Turfgrass Industry/University of Wisconsin turfgrass field day will be held at the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Educational Facility in Verona, WI on Tuesday, July 21.  Activities begin at 9:00 a.m. with tours of key research projects, including growing grass in the shade, water harvesting for urban ecosystems, emerald ash borer, and sustainable turf management practices for golf courses and home lawns.  A catered lunch is included in the registration fee, and registrants may sign up for optional afternoon workshops including fertilization practices, weed control, and pest management.  Registration and additional information is available at http://www.wisconsinturfgrassassociation.org/ or by calling Audra Anderson at 608-845-6536.

Backyard Safari: Bugs, Dirt and Grass is the theme for one of this year’s Grandparent’s University programs sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association. Scheduled for July 16-17 at the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Educational Facility, grandparents and their children will have hands-on opportunities to learn about the amazing world of our backyard environments. Faculty and staff from Entomology, Horticulture, Plant Pathology and Soil Science will help students collect and learn about insects, feel and identify different soil types, learn how to grow grass, and use microscopes to see the microbial world of urban ecosystems. Students will also enjoy time-honored lawn games such as croquet and bocce ball, hone their golf putting skills, and play tennis with tennis phenomenon John Powless. While sold out for this year, please let us know if you’d enjoy this opportunity for next year by contacting Audra Anderson at 608-845-6536.

The financial stress dairy producers are currently facing will continue to push down milk production for most of 2010 and result in further improvement in milk prices, says emeritus professor Bob Cropp in his June 18 Dairy Situation and Outlook report. But, it could take until the second half of 2010 before prices get to a level for favorable returns to dairy producers. If production slows more than expected, domestic demand and/or exports improve more than expected, or some government action to improve prices is implemented, prices could improve much sooner and that would be very well received.

Cropp’s outlook reports and other dairy market information are available online on the Understanding Dairy Markets website, maintained by Brian Gould, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics.

The Youth Apprenticeship Program – Biotechnology is seeking faculty mentors for Dane County high school juniors and seniors who are dedicated to exploring careers in science. For over ten years, many CALS faculty have participated in this unique program that has students working in the lab throughout the entire year*. Student apprentices receive pay from the mentor for their work, high school credit, and college credit. Mentors get a young, enthusiastic lab employee who has demonstrated competency in basic lab skills prior to being hired. Before students are employed, they will have had a semester of hands-on laboratory training at the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTCI), a non-profit affiliate of Promega Corporation. The BTCI class continues throughout the student’s participation in the YAP-Biotechnology program. Mentors will have a chance to review student resumes and interview potential apprentices in Fall 2009, for work placement starting in Winter 2009-2010. (more…)

Gardens are a great place to grow healthier lifestyles, and the earlier you plant the seed, the better. That’s the idea behind GardenFit, a program that aims to get middle-school kids off the couch and into the garden, where they’ll get a workout and a new appreciation for fresh food. The idea was developed by Sam Dennis, assistant professor of landscape architecture, Dale Schoeller, professor of nutritional sciences, Alex Adams, associate professor in the department of family medicine, and Nathan Larson, education director at Community Groundworks at Troy Gardens, where the project will be centered. Dennis and Adams described the program in a segment aired recently on WMTV, Madison’s NBC affiliate.

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CALS is collaborating with the state’s dairy industry and the School of Business to provide managers and supervisors in dairy and related industries with world-class management skills training. The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association has announced the launch of the Management Skills Program for Dairy Professionals, a series of four, two-day training sessions held at the Fluno Center for Executive Education in Madison. Dairy manufacturers, dairy industry suppliers and dairy producers are invited to send personnel to earn a “Management Skills Certificate” from the Wisconsin School of Business. (more…)