Extension Regional Ag Update

August 2023

Pasture Managment

This year has been difficult to manage pastures, especially during the drought. A few things to think about while going into the fall.

If you have been lucky to start getting some rain is fall stockpiling (grazing into the fall) an opportunity to save from feeding winter storage now.
Are there cover crops that can be grazed? Check with your insurance agent. Also check in with FSA if you have participated in cover crop programs.
What do you have for winter storage? Is that enough? Make sure you are getting it tested to make sure it will have enough energy and protein for the whole winter.
Prices animals are high at the moment. If you are feeling short still, there is an opportunity to not be spending money on high hay prices, but could be sacrificing future profits by culling animals.

Try not to push your pastures too far to give you the fastest green up in the spring.

Learn More Here

Badger Crop Connect Webinars

The Badger Crop Connect series provides agronomists, crop consultants and farmers timely crop updates for Wisconsin. They are offered on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. (April – October 2023). CEU’s are available by topic for each presentation. You can also watch/listen to all the webinars that you missed below.

Badger Connect Series

Corn Silage Harvest

Expect variability with this year’s corn silage harvest due to several factors. Some fields experienced delayed emergence, resulting in a crop that will be of variable maturity within fields. Most notably, the dry growing conditions and isolated rains led to variable plant height depending on the field. Finally, some areas received hail damage leading to decreased grain yield and corn silage quality within field.

A few timely reminders as the choppers gear up this Fall:

Harvest at the optimal moisture. Harvesting too wet (<30% Dry Matter (DM)) can lead to seepage losses, while too dry (>40% DM) will reduce digestibility and also packing issues in storage.
Watch kernel milk line. While milk line may not be the most accurate indicator of moisture, it is still worth monitoring as an indicator of when to start checking whole plant moisture levels, and to ensure harvest before black layer.
Strive for a ¾” theoretical length of cut if using a kernel processor.
Adjust the kernel processor as field conditions change. Periodically check that the processor is adequately processing kernels, and not leaving whole or nicked kernels behind. Lab testing, a phone app, or shaker box can be used to measure kernel processing. A water tub can also be used (placed chopped corn in the water to sperate kernels from the forage portion).

How to guide for using the water method

Badger Dairy Insight begins September 19th

Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension’s Dairy Program on the third Tuesday of each month from 11am-12 pm CST as we bring to you the Badger Dairy Insight webinar series. This year, we’re excited to introduce our monthly platform, showcasing your very own local Extension Dairy Educators and distinguished UW Specialists. Delve into the latest developments and research findings in the world of dairy as our experts provide captivating presentations. Mark your calendars with the dates below and seize the opportunity to both learn from and engage in insightful dairy discussions. There is no charge to participate in the sessions, however pre-registration is required to allow access.

Fall 2023 Topics

September 19: Fresh cows: fetching the cow and blood money
Ryan Pralle, Assistant Professor in the School of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will talk about two projects he is currently working on. The first topic will be on a novel blood panel developed that will predict high liver triglyceride status in multiparous cows as a proxy for fatty liver. His second topic will be on the impact of early lactation milking frequency (3x vs 6x) on multiparous dairy cow production and health from cows at the UW-Platteville farm utilizing Lely robotic milkers. He will discuss the differences in productivity, possibly nutrient partitioning, and surprising lack of habituation/training on the high frequency cows to high voluntary visits after they stopped fetching intensively.

October 17: Manure Processing Systems

November 21: Moving cows without the cows: new options for interactive employee training

Becoming the Employer of Choice: A new course for farm managers looking to improve their farm’s employee engagement

The UW-Madison Division of Extension has developed a new online course titled “Becoming the Employer of Choice.” This four-week course is designed for farm managers from farms of all scales. The course is a mixture of self-study and instructor-led discussions with a class of other farm managers from similar disciplines. By taking the course you will develop leadership skills to attract and retain talented employees on the farm.

Reliable farm workers perform essential daily tasks and are crucial for keeping a farm running. This is why it is of the utmost importance for farm managers to develop a positive work culture that will attract and retain reliable employees.

This course addresses topics such as:

Cultivating a positive work environment
Delivering effective feedback
Understanding what motivates employees
Managing conflict
Effectively sharing your farm vision

The course will take place online with both self-paced lessons and live-virtual discussions to talk through common farm scenarios. The cost of the course is $299 which will include access to the course, placement in a class of fellow farm managers from similar disciplines, and access to the course instructor for guided discussions and Q&A.

To sign up for the next available course, please fill out the below intake form so that we can place you in a class of similar farm sizes and disciplines. Once the intake form is complete, expect a follow-up email within 7 days of submission that will include the next steps.

Intake Form

Dairy Spanish Webinar El “Break” Info-Lechero

Dates announced: Sept 20 and 27, Oct 4 and 11, 2023

To help Wisconsin Spanish dairy workers and the Spanish dairy industry to get the most current and updated research information, UW-Madison Division of Extension has developed the Dairy Spanish Webinar El “Break” Info-Lechero. This Webinar, delivered in Spanish, is an update on different dairy topics covering reproduction, colostrum management, Fresh cows’ management, and milk quality and more.

For More Information

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