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 

-Internship Opportunity!: The UW Lancaster Ag Research Station will be having two summer internships available to students this year. The positions will focus on the beef and grazing areas at the Station. These positions are hands on learning opportunities for students to learn about research and production during the summer. One position is for Southwest Technical College students only and the other position is for students from any school. 

-Show Pig Symposium: The Show Pig Symposium will be held on Saturday, February 21 at the Arlington Research Station Public Events Building. Topics to be discussed include show pig nutrition, vet client patient relationships (VCPR), acheiving the 'WOW' factor and more! For more information and registration, visit the Wisconsin Pork Association website. 

-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, tune in to the Beef Roundup Webinar Series. For animal owners of all kinds, please evalutate your biosecurity protocols, including pest management.

Notes from your Regional Crops and Soils Educator - Anastasia Kurth

Brrrr....January was a cold month. Wisconsin received some of its coldest windchills since 2019 and certain areas of the state set new low windchill records. Let's think warm thoughts going into February! As we are still in the winter months, there is plenty of training and events going on. Please share these events with friends and family who may not be on this mailing list. As always, reach out with any questions you have as you plan for the 2026 cropping season.     

If you are in need of new certification or recertification as a private applicator to apply restricted use pesticides, class registration is available. Classes are only being held in Sauk County this year. See the flyer below for dates and details. The first class is coming up this month. Call with questions. 

As we are in the heart of nutrient management planning season, check out the new Wisconsin Nutrient Management Workbook. This is a great place to organize farm information before meeting with your planner or writing your own plan. The Richland County Nutrient Management Farmer Education course will be held on March 20th. Contact Kori with questions: 608-647-2100

Cover crops poking through snowy ground and an image from a recent workshop. 

Workshops for Wisconsin farmers who are direct marketing beef, or considering it, will be held in four regional locations in the coming months. The workshops are offered by the Wisconsin Beef Council and are being held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors, UW-Madison Division of Extension, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. This will be an opportunity to network with fellow beef producers who are direct marketing, as well as the processors who play a key role in getting beef to consumers.

Beef producers are invited to attend a series of free educational webinars this winter. The Beef Roundup Webinar Series will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension featuring Extension specialists and industry experts from across the country covering timely topics relevant to today’s beef producers.

Four Winds Farm will host a full‑day Sheep Lambing Workshop on March 28 in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. This immersive, hands‑on learning experience is designed for both new and experienced shepherds seeking to improve their lambing knowledge, confidence, and on‑farm success.

Dairy farmers, consultants, students, and service providers are invited to attend an innovative conference on robotic and advanced milking technologies. This event will feature expert presentations from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota, and Iowa State University Extension, focusing on the profitability, labor efficiency, and herd health impacts of these technologies.

What issues are you seeing in the field with alfalfa weevil and other pests?

Link to register for Manure 101: Manure 101 – Extension Brown County

Link to register for Planter Clinic: Juneau County Precision Ag. Planter Clinic

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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