Happy New Year! We hope your holiday season was filled with fun memories! 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 

-Beef Quality Assurance (BQA): Certification expires every three years. If you were certified in 2021 or 2022, it may be time to think about getting re-certfied. Online and in-person trainings are provided. Note that in-person trainings require registration. Richland Center will have an in-person training on February 10. More information can be found at https://go.wisc.edu/jmhp50. If you are unsure of your certification status, please visit www.bqa.org/contact-us or call (303) 850-3473. 

-Producing Quality Beef Workshop: On December 3, Richland Center was host to one of four statewide workshops that will occur this winter focusing on tips and management practices for producing high-quality beef animals. Thanks to our partners and attendees, it was a success! An extra special thank you to Andy and his amazing team at Richland Center Equity Coop for hosting at the sale barn. Visit the WI Beef Council website for more information on other workshops like this one. 

-Disease Digest: By now, most people have heard of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1. It has been found in poultry flocks in Burnett, Barron, and Kenosha counties in the last month. For animal owners of all kinds, evaluate your biosecurity protocols to see if they are working for you. More information about biosecurity can be found here. With any other questions, feel free to reach out. My contact information can be found at the bottom of the newsletter. 

Notes from your Regional Crops and Soils Educator - Anastasia Kurth

Welcome to 2025! The new year is off to a chilly but dry start. There are so many indoor learning opportunities coming up this month and next. Please take advantage of the nearby events; I hope to see you there. Wishing you, your family, and your friends a safe, happy, and healthy year ahead! 

-Nutrient Management Farmer Education: Upcoming classes in February will cover plan creation and the SnapPlus program. Classes held at 181 Seminary St., Richland Center. If you are interested in attending, please contact 608-647-2100.

-Private Pesticide Applicator Training: Seats are filling fast for upcoming trainings! See the flyer below for training and testing information. Please note that Richland County is not offering a date this year, but you may attend either event in Sauk or Juneau Counties. 

-Interested in doing on-farm research? Extension is always looking for farmers willing to try new things! Whether you are curious, have a recurring issue, or just want to try something different, let me know. We can design a simple trial to test your ideas.  

 -Producer-led watershed groups are great ways to connect, learn, and obtain funding for conservation practices. Richland County does not have a group, but it would be highly beneficial to explore the opportunity. Please reach out if you have interest! We are looking for several interested producers in 2025 to start an informal group to see where the opportunity can take us. 

-Please take this quick survey to help the future of Extension programming in Richland County and surrounding areas! Take survey

Locations And Dates: 2025 CAFO Update
Engineering technical sessions: 9:30-11:30am
Tuesday Jan. 28 | Green Bay | Tundra Lodge
Tuesday Feb. 11 | Mauston | Outdoors Forever 
Clubhouse
Permit holder / consultant sessions
Tuesday, Jan. 28 | Noon-4pm | Green Bay
Tundra Lodge
865 Lombardi Ave, Green Bay
Wednesday, Jan. 29 | Noon - 4 p.m. | Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac County Highway Dept. 
1820 S. Hickory, Fond du Lac
Thursday, Jan. 30 | 8 a.m. - Noon | Manitowoc
Farm Wisconsin
7001 Gass Lake Rd, Manitowoc
Tuesday, Feb. 4 | Noon - 4 p.m. | Darlington
Multipurpose Building 
11974 Ames Rd, Darlington
Wednesday, Feb. 5 | 8 am– Noon | Jefferson
Jefferson County Highway Dept. 
1425 S. Wisconsin Drive, Jefferson
Tuesday, Feb. 11 | Noon - 4 p.m. | Mauston
Outdoors Forever Clubhouse
W4890 Cty Rd N, Mautson
Wednesday, Feb. 12 | 8 a.m. - Noon | Eau Claire
29 Pines Conference Center 
5872 33rd Ave, Eau Claire

Register at this link: https://go.wisc.edu/CAFO2025

Find out which varieties stood out in 2024.

Building Your Farm's ICE Box

A new workshop series from the UW-Madison Division of Extension can help farms organize their important documents and financial information to ensure the continuity and stability of the business in the face of emergencies. Having these documents in order can also help farm owners be better prepared for their estate planning meetings with service providers.

Register HERE by January 8th! 

A virtual class where participants will learn from UW-Madison Extension specialists and educators on topics such as business options, marketing, cow-calf nutrition, veterinary skills, herd reproduction, and more.

This series will help small ruminant farmers learn new things and get useful tips. The webinars will happen on the fourth Thursday of each month from January to April. Experts will share practical advice, research updates, and the latest trends.

On January 23-24, beef producers from the Driftless Region will gather in Dubuque, IA to network, learn, and have fun while listening to experts share the latest technologies and advances in the beef industry.

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

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Thank you! 

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. 

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.