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 

-Seasons Greetings: Happy Holidays to everyone! Thank you to everyone who reads this newsletter, attended a workshop, or said hi at a local pasture walk. I appreciate your support of this position and Extension. I hope to see you in the coming year!

-Beef Quality Assurance (BQA): There is one in-person BQA training scheduled for early 2026 in Eau Claire, WI. Registration and more information can be found on the Wisconsin Beef Council website. If you still need BQA certification, it can be completed at any time on the BQA website. 

-Disease Digest: The UW-Madison Extension Livestock team has created a webpage that houses resources and information on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. 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

Happy Holiday Season! As field work has wound down for the season, most corn is off the field and winter wheat has emerged (beneath our layer of snow!). Reminder to follow winter spreading restrictions as you apply manure. Soil temperatures in the upper 4" have cooled into the 30s with the winter chill setting in. This recent snow will help mitigate some of the drought conditions we have seen. December marks the start of conference season. Take this opportunity to learn something new! I hope to see you at an event over the winter! 

If you are in need of new certification or recertification to apply restricted use pesticides, class registration is now available. Nearby classes are in Sauk County this year. See the flyer below for dates and details. Reach out with any questions!   

As we approach 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.  

A corn plot being harvested! 

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.

Kalahari, Wisconsin Dells

We want to find out how much it costs you to raise dairy heifers! The first step is simple. Just submit your contact information and a dairy educator will reach out to you. You have valuable feedback and we want it!

Your insights will help us tailor our services to better meet the needs of Wisconsin dairy farmers.

The fourteenth annual event will be held Jan. 22-23, 2026, at the Grand River Convention Center in Dubuque, Iowa. Past participants in this conference have said the program would increase their economic return by more than $10 per animal managed, testifying to the value of attending the conference.

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) 

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Thank you! 

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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.