This newsletter is co-written by your local UW-Madison Extension Ag Educators, Beth McIlquham (livestock) and Anastasia Kurth (crops and soils). 

Notes from your Regional Livestock Educator - Beth McIlquham 

-Badger Dairy Camp: The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and the Dairy Innovation Hub are excited to announce the return of Badger Dairy Camp to the University of Wisconsin campus from July 9-12, 2026. The goal of this program is to educate youth about the breadth of areas that contribute to Wisconsin’s dairy industry and the higher education and career opportunities available. More information about the camp and applications are available at https://andysci.wisc.edu/badger-dairy-camp/.

-Disease Digest: To see HPAI updates in dairy herds in Wisconsin, check out the Extension Dairy webpage. To see HPAI updates in poultry flocks, visit the Extension Livestock webpage. There have been no cases of New World Screwworm in the U.S. in livestock, but more information can be found here. For information on Asian Longhorned Ticks, check out the recorded Beef Roundup Webinar session where Dr. Olds presented the latest information. For animal owners of all kinds, please evalutate your biosecurity protocols, including pest management.

Notes from your Regional Crops and Soils Educator - Anastasia Kurth

Happy planting season! Fields are busy despite recent cool temperatures. Be sure to check the weekly Ag Weather Outlook for Wisconsin as May brings variable weather. Several farms in Sauk County are participating in our statewide alfalfa Scissor Clip project. Educators go to fields weekly to take cuttings and submit samples to the lab for quality analysis. This helps track quality until the first, and notably most important, harvest. Educators are also looking for alfalfa weevil larvae - something to start scouting for now in alfalfa fields! UW collaborates with UMN to publish quality data in real time. Check out the Dashboard. As wheat and alfalfa are growing, so are weeds. Take note of what is emerging and determine if your chemistry is sufficient. 

Preliminary 2026 Custom Rates - Data is rolling in and there is still time to contribute to the survey! 

Be safe in the fields and happy planting! 

A camelina cover crop and a rye field - both growing quickly with early spring warmth. 

The Artificial Insemination Program features an interactive and fun approach to learning about breeding cattle.  Hands-on activities are used throughout the program to assist participants in learning about breeding their cattle. Registration is open to the first 15 paid participants only. 

Intestinal parasites in sheep can significantly impact the health and performance of a flock. From decreased production to a compromised immune system, sheep owners of all types can struggle with high parasite loads. Extension colleagues are excited to share this workshop with producers to equip them with tools and strategies to help curb intestinal parasites in their flocks. 

The Asian longhorned tick is an invasive species first positively identified in the United States in New Jersey in 2017. It has been rapidly expanding westward across the United States primarily as unwanted and undetected passengers on cattle and other livestock as they are moved around the country from areas where it is established. It has been identified in the adjacent states of Michigan, Illinois and Iowa within the past two years. 

Celebrate this tasty month by learning more about it! Beef quality is defined by quality grade and yield grade. Quality grade measures ‘how good’ the beef is. Yield grade measures ‘how much’ beef can be harvested from the carcass. The combination of quality grade and yield grade helps predict the taste and quantity of meat harvested from a carcass. Quality and yield grades can only be assigned by a USDA grader. 

Richland County Legacy Alliance - June Meeting Info

Date: Wednesday, June 10th

Time: 6 pm

Location: Richland County Courthouse - County Boardroom (3rd floor)

181 W. Seminary St. Richland Center, WI 53581

SAVE THE DATE! 

Arlington Agronomy Field Day - August 26, 2026

Weed Management Workshop - September 2, 2026 

Beth McIlquham 

Regional Livestock Educator

Email: beth.mcilquham@wisc.edu

Phone: (608) 632-0599

Anastasia Kurth

Regional Crops and Soils Educator

Email: anastasia.kurth@wisc.edu

Phone: 608-477-3018 (text or call) 

@SCWIcrops_AK

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Thank you! 

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Please make requests for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational programs as early as possible preceding the scheduled program, service, or activity. For communicative accommodations in languages other than English, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu.  For communicative accommodations based on a disability, please contact Heather Lipinski Stelljes at: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu for the public.