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 

-Goodbye!: My last day with Extension will be on July 9. I am thankful for all the connections I've made in this role! In mid-July I will be starting a full-time position with Wisconsin Beef Council. If you need anything before then, reach out! I will still be interacting with many beef producers in my new role, so I am sure I will see many producers out and about. Thank you for your support of Extension and agriculture!

-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. New World Screwworm is present in Texas and New Mexico. For more information and confirmed detections, check out the USDA website. 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

July is off to a warm and humid start. Crops in the region are looking good as we get this boost of heat and some rainfall. Make sure you are paying attention to herbicide labels as soybeans begin to flower and R1 is a critical stage. A reminder to check the weekly Ag Weather Outlook for Wisconsin for past, current, and future conditions.

Scout your fields! 

Current pests to be looking for: potato leafhopper in alfalfa, true armyworm, Japanese beetles, stalk borer, and European corn borer in corn.  

Current diseases to be looking for: tar spot in corn (confirmed in 5 nearby states), white mold in soybean - beginning at R1 (conditions have not been completely conducive to disease i.e. canopy closure, and warm temperatures are decreasing this risk). No reports of Southern Rust have been made so far. Have a fungicide plan if any of these diseases warrant treatment. 

If you are seeing something in the field you would like to report or need help identifying, contact the Extension office.  

Happy Independence Day! 

Left: watering system on the Mott farm (pasture walk held 6/30). Right: rye standing tall (almost 6'!) in a Juneau County field.  

The Great River Graziers group has begun their pasture walks for the year! Check out their schedule to see the next date and location. 

Join UW-Madison Extension for a cow–calf workshop on Thursday, July 23 in Viroqua. This workshop will discuss best management practices surrounding handling facilities, pregnancy checking, culling decisions, weed control. A meal will be graciously provided by Western Wisconsin Beef Producers.

Crossbreeding is overlooked as a tool that has many benefits for beef producers to improve herd productivity. A well-planned crossbreeding program leads to improvements in both the calf crop and the lifetime of momma cows compared to straight bred cows.

Grazing cattle sounds so simple. The forage grows, the cattle eat the forage, and it all ends with a “happily ever after.” Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it sounds. To maximize cattle performance while grazing, producers must pay attention to the forage itself and how it can affect the grazing animals.

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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