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 

-Noontime Beef Roundup: The final topic for the 2025 Noontime Beef Roundup will be on March 13 at 12:00 PM via Zoom. Adam Hartfiel and I will be discussing direct marketing. The discussion will begin with talking about beef quality, then we will chat about strategies to produce high quality beef. Wrapping up the discussion, we discuss why these things matter when it comes to connecting with consumers. For more information and to register, visit https://go.wisc.edu/4e791d

-2025 Small Ruminant Webinar Series: There are still two discussions left in the 2025 Small Ruminant Webinar series. On March 27, there will be a panel of entrepreneurs talking about their experiences with sheep products and services. Then on April 24, Dr. Cody Gifford from University of Wyoming will discuss lamb carcass quality. For more information and to register, visit https://go.wisc.edu/srw25

-Disease Digest: To see where H5N1 is affecting livestock in the U.S., use this interactive map. For a tighter focus on how it is affecting Wisconsin's poultry, check out this map. For animal owners of all kinds, please evalutate your biosecurity protocols. If you need help or need some biosecurity tips and tricks, please contact Beth at (608) 632-0599 or at beth.mcilquham@wisc.edu. 

Notes from your Regional Crops and Soils Educator - Anastasia Kurth

The common weather idiom we hear is that 'March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb.' As we start the month, our weather has been fairly mild. We are abnormally dry with an overall lack of snowfall for the season so far. This area is slated to get rain (or possibly some snow) this week that will help this deficit; however, frost depths can impact infiltration of this precipitation. If we continue to stay dry, field season could start earlier. We will play the waiting game to see what the weather holds. If you are thinking about frost seeding, our temperature trends are favorable. Reminder to check the Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast if you are spreading manure. Have a great month!  

-Private Pesticide Applicator Training: Due to an increased demand, another class and testing date was opened in Sauk County (Baraboo) on March 25th. Click here to register or call the Sauk County Extension Office 608-355-3250.

-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.  

Extension Professors have opportunities available. Want to know about slug pest pressure on your field? Have a soybean field that you would like scouted for pest pressure? The Bick and Conley Labs have opportunities for this growing season. Help advance research and get data to perfect your field practices. Ask for more information. 

 -Producer-led watershed groups are great ways to connect, learn, and obtain funding for conservation practices. Mark your calendars for an informational meeting on April 2nd! More information to come. 

Thinking about Farm Succession?

You know you should make plans for the future of the farm, but maybe you’re not sure where to start. 

In this workshop, Joy Kirkpatrick and Kelly Wilfert, both Extension Farm Management Outreach Specialists, will provide a framework to help farms to identify legal risks in farm succession and estate planning and to begin those first conversations around succession planning.

This workshop will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2025 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at the Richland Campus, 1100 Highway 14 West, in Melvill Hall (administration building) the Pippin Center.

This workshop is free; however, space is limited, so we would appreciate registrations. We will accommodate walk-ins on the day of the workshop where possible. Please register online at Intro to Farm Succession & Estate Planning Workshop Registration.

If you prefer to register by phone or need assistance with the form, please contact the Richland County Extension Office at 608-647-6148.

For more information, contact joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu 608-263-3485 or kelly.wilfert@wisc.edu 608-263-5798. If you need an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu or call 608-263-3485.

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 to equip producers with tools and strategies to help curb intestinal parasites in their flocks.

There are three stages to the birthing process, or parturition: dilation of the cervix, delivery of the calf, and delivery of the placenta. Knowing the normal birth process will help you decide whether or not to intervene.

One of the most exciting times for sheep and goat producers is the arrival of baby lambs and goats. Adequate nutrition and proper preparation can ensure the health and safety of dams and their offspring.

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.