DECEMBER 2025

As we wrap up 2025 - the team at Extension would like to wish you a safe and restful holiday season. We look forward to providing programs that support your farm's success in 2026!

USING CEREAL RYE COVER CROP TO BOOST WEED CONTROL IN SOYBEANS

As the 2025 harvest wraps up across Wisconsin, it’s a good time to reflect on this year’s weed management successes and challenges and begin planning for 2026; starting with how cereal rye cover crops may fit into your system.

Cereal rye (aka winter rye) continues to gain traction among Wisconsin and Midwest farmers as a soil conservation crop that can also play a big role in weed management. The WiscWeeds research program, in collaboration with colleagues at UW-Madison and across the United States, has been evaluating how to make fall planted cereal rye a reliable partner in integrated weed management programs, particularly for managing troublesome weeds like waterhemp and giant ragweed.

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DRONE USE IN AGRICULTURE SURVEY

The UW-Madison Division of Extension Crops and Soils Program is looking for feedback on the current use of drones on farms in WI. This survey will help us provide the most relevant and useful outreach on drone use for WI farmers. Please provide your insight on drone technology through this brief survey. Survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Click the button below to proceed.

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HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR DAIRY'S DATA?

Data is increasingly collected and used on dairy farms to monitor performance and support decision-making. But for data to provide truly valuable insights, it must be high quality. As the saying goes, “Garbage in, Garbage Out”, or maybe more fittingly, “Quality In, Quality Out”!

Learn more about dirty & clean data, pillars of quality data and practical tips to prevent entering dirty data. This is a great way to kick off a "clean" 2026 to ensure you are capturing better data that you can use.

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HEIFER RAISING SURVEY

Raising dairy calves and replacement heifers is a major expense for Wisconsin dairies; tracking these costs and benchmarking against peers supports better management decisions. Periodically, Wisconsin Extension Educators have collected farm level data to track these costs. Extension is currently seeking this information and needs your help. If you are interested in having a dairy educator reach out to you, please provide your contact information by clicking the button below.

RESPOND TO THE SURVEY

SIGN UP FOR THE BOVI-NOTICIAS NEWSLETTER

Bovi-Noticias provides relevant, practical insights for dairy farm workers, managers & owners and provides the "why" behind practices to encourage implementation and enhance engagement of dairy teams. This bilingual newlsetter delivers accessible, research based information in both English & Spanish to serve as a resouce for dairy farm managers to improve communication and foster problem solving on farm.

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AG LAND PRICING & CONTRACTS RESOURCES

Accessing farmland requires many farmers to navigate pricing, contracts, and plans for the farm’s future. The UW-Madison Division of Extension strives to help you navigate this challenge by providing research-based data and information to aid in decision-making for your farm. Explore the links on this page to learn more about farmland sale values, ag land lease rates and contracts, custom rates and equipment rentals, and other issues impacting Wisconsin farmland.

AG LAND PRICING & CONTRACTS PAGE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

BEEF ROUNDUP WEBINAR SERIES - 7-8 PM

DECEMBER 11, 2025 - Handling Facilities
- Dr. Ron Gill - Texas A&M Extension
JANUARY 15, 2026 - Unlocking the Full Potential of Growth Enhancing Technologies
- Dr. Jessica Sperber - University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension
FEBRUARY 19, 2026 - Asian Longhonred Tick Updates
- Dr. Cassandra Olds - Kansas State Extension
MARCH 19, 2026 - Key Considerations for Rebuilding Your Cow Herd
- Dr. Randie Culbertson - Iowa State Extension

UPCOMING BADGER DAIRY INSIGHT WEBINAR - 11 A.M. - NOON

DECEMBER 16, 2025 - Dairy Right Way, Right Time: A Guide to Cull Dairy Cattle Management

JANUARY 20, 2026 - From Field to Feed: What we Know about High Oleic Soybeans

An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.

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