AG LINK - November/December 2009

Wisconsin School for Beginning Farmers

If you or someone you know would like to own and operate a grass-based dairy or livestock farm a great place to start is the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers (WSBDF) offered at NTC in Wausau through a combination of distance education and local instructors beginning November 12th. This will be the fourth year that the class will be held in North Central Wisconsin. Students who have taken the class locally have found the classes that are taught by a combination of local grazing specialists, graziers, nearby graduates of the school farming in the area, and speakers joining the students by interactive video from the classroom in Madison to be extremely valuable. Not only did the students have access to the same high quality experience as those attending the course in Madison, all developed an outline of their first business plans and several have developed complete plans preparing them to approach potential investors with their ideas. The cost for the course is $199. For more information about the course or to get an application contact Melissa Klein at 705-803-1671. You can also learn more about the School and its history by checking out their website at http://www.cias.wisc.edu/dairysch.html.

Dairy Robotic Technology Seminar

Using a robot to milk your dairy cattle was unheard of 20 years ago. Now it is becoming more popular as people are trying to decrease their labor. Doug Reinemamm, Milking Equipment Specialist for UW—Extension, will give a presentation on robotic milking. We will also have industry representatives and producers with robotic milking experience. The Partnership for Progressive Agriculture along with Northcentral Technical College and University of Wisconsin - Extension will host a seminar on Dairy Robotic Technology. This meeting is targeted to agri-business people, but everyone is welcome to attend.

• When: December 11, 2009
• Where: Northcentral Technical College, Wausau Campus

Breakfast will be served at 7:30 with the presentation at 8 - 9:30 am. Program details are being made at this time. Check the Agriculture Calendar for updates. For more information or to sign up for this seminar contact Melissa Klein, Agriculture Coordinator, 715.803.1671.

Agriculture Center of Excellence

Plans to purchase property that will be the future home to the Agriculture Center of Excellence for Northcentral Technical College (NTC) are underway. This site is four miles northeast of the NTC’s Wausau Campus. The 110 acre property also has woodlands and wetlands. The dairy will consist of both grazing and confinement herd with a total of 50 lactating cows. It will be a showcase site with milking parlor and cattle facilities, biological grazing system, renewables, natural resources, environmental stewardship and the future of agriculture. Educational partners in the initiative are Northcentral Technical College, UW-Marathon County, UW Extension—Marathon County, and Marathon County Government. NTC students will be able to participate in all aspects of the operation from managing cattle to analyzing the financial information. The Dairyland State Academy will purchase the property and turn ownership over to NTC. For more information visit dairylandacademy.org >>>

Cap & Trade Seminar Recap

Over 25 people attended the Cap and Trade Seminar on October 13 and learned the potential costs and benefits of carbon trade legislation for Northcentral Wisconsin. Dr. Pat Walsh, an environmental and energy specialist with the University of Wisconsin Extension shared information on the concept. If you missed the seminar, but would like to know more about this issue visit www.epa.gov/airmarkt/resource/docs/tools.pdf (1.05 MB). The seminar was sponsored by the Partnership for Progressive Agriculture (PPA), Northcentral Technical College and UW—Extension.

“Taking Charge in Challenging Times” Workshops Set for December

Wisconsin dairy farm families are feeling the impact of the U.S. dairy industry being hit hard by events in the global economy. Low milk prices are causing a ripple effect on agribusinesses and communities statewide. As a result, many dairy owners, families and businesses in rural communities may be facing a financial crisis. University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Farm Center – WDATCP invite dairy producers, lenders and community leaders to an informational meeting addressing several timely issues. Participants will learn about the national and global influences affecting dairy markets, financial and legal options available to producers, preparing for negotiations with lenders and creditors, decision-making and communication strategies, and tax strategies for producers during tough financial times.

Nine workshops will be held throughout Wisconsin from mid November through mid December with two being held in the Marathon County area; one on December 9th in Marshfield at the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station and the other on December 10th in Abbotsford at the Abbotsford Public Library Community Room. All of the workshops will run from 1 – 4 p.m., are free and request advanced registrations. For the Marshfield site contact the Wood County Extension Office at 715-421-8440, and for the Abbotsford site contact the Clark County Extension Office at 715-743-5121. For more information on these or any of the other workshops that scheduled across the state you can contact Joy Kirkpatrick at the UW-Center for Dairy Profitability at 608-263-3485.

FSA Loan Briefing

The Wisconsin livestock industry has been hit hard with many things, including low prices. Compound this with global economic problems, and we’ve seen credit to farmers virtually dry up in the past several months. FSA loan officers will discuss the basics of the agency’s direct and guaranteed farm loans and how the agency can respond to the credit needs of livestock and other farmers. This briefing is for Ag suppliers, veterinarians, lenders, technical college and extension professionals, accountants, attorneys, farmers and the public. Sessions are available at Plover AmericInn on November 4 at 8 am, Colby VFW on November 5 at 8 am and Merrill AmericInn on November 6 at 8 am. For more information contact FSA at 715.743.3164. Additional briefings are being held throughout Wisconsin .Go to www.fsa.usda.gov/wi for a complete list of other locations.

2010 Nutrient Management Classes

Northcentral Technical College, along with UW-Extension and County Conservation Departments from Marathon, Clark, Taylor, and Lincoln Counties are once again offering Nutrient Management Classes. This class will cover plan implementation using nutrient management computer software. Upon completion of the class, producers will have a qualified plan that meets the state requirements, as well as available cost-share opportunities.

Classes are offered at:

• Abbotsford: Mondays January 11 - February 15 (no class Monday February 1) 1-3 pm, Abbotsford City Hall
• Abbotsford: Mondays January 11 - February 15 (no class Monday February 1) 7:30-9:30 pm, Abbotsford City Hall
• Wausau: Tuesdays January 12 - January 26, 10 am - 3 pm, Wausau NTC Campus—WLS 138
• Spencer: Wednesdays January 13 - 27, 10 am - 3 pm, Spencer NTC Campus—Room S115
• Greenwood: Thursdays January 14 - February 11, 7:30 - 9:30 pm, Greenwood Adult Developmental Services (ADS)
• Medford: Thursdays January 14 - January 28 10 am - 3 pm, Medford NTC Campus—Room M110

Cost for the course is $130 per farm. For more information visit the Nutrient Management page or contact Melissa Klein at 715.803.1671 or email klein@ntc.edu.

NTC Ag Student Survey Results

industry. Of all the participants 73 percent of students took agriculture classes in high school. Those enrolled in an FFA program was 60 percent. Half (50 percent) were raised on a farm. The other 50 percent worked on a farm. It was interesting to see that 100 percent have related work experience to agriculture. In this small sample, agriculture programming and work experience are both important during high school. If we wanted to guess a bit we might see this interest carry through to these current students being employed on a farm, or in the agriculture industry at some point in their life after graduation.

On another note 37 percent of agriculture graduates in Iowa returned to the farm. Sixty-seven percent of the agriculture graduates in Iowa worked in agriculture related businesses. This was a compilation of percentages from Calmar, Iowa over the last 4 to 5 years. An agriculture experience is very important to the whole industry and it appears that students in high school and college value work experience as well and that experience is carried with them through high school, college, and to the workplace.

2010 Marathon County Outstanding Young Farmer Nominations Wanted

It is that time of year again to nominate people for the 2010 Marathon County Outstanding Young Farmer Award. To be eligible applicants should be age 37 or less on January 1 of 2010. Any type of farming enterprise is eligible, but at least two-thirds of the applicants gross income must be derived from farming. The applicant can be the farm owner, operator or manager involved in a farm business. The judging criteria is on progress in agriculture career (50 percent), soil and water conservation (25 percent), and community activities (25 percent). Recipients will be recognized at the Farm City Dinner on March 5, 2010. One local candidate/couple will be selected to complete at the State Young Farmer Competition in January 2011. To obtain a nomination form, please contact Melissa Klein at 715.803.1671 or email klein@ntc.edu. Nominations are due December 18, 2009. This event is sponsored by the Marathon County Agriculture Society in cooperation with the Partnership for Progressive Agriculture, Northcentral Technical College and University of Wisconsin Extension— Marathon County. For a list of past recipients, visit our Ag Awards page >>>

Marathon County Century Farms

Anniversaries are times for celebration. Is your farm celebrating 100 years of continuous family ownership? Any family in Marathon County whose farm is celebrating 100 years of continuous family ownership is encouraged to apply for a Century Farm Award. The award is sponsored by the Marathon County Agricultural Society in cooperation with the Partnership for Progressive Agriculture and Marathon County UW-Extension. Recipients of the Century Farm award and their farm businesses are recognized for this outstanding accomplishment, at the annual Farm City Dinner on March 5, 2010. Proof of continuous family ownership, such as a copy of an abstract of title, is required. For more details and an application visit the Ag Awards page, or contact Melissa Klein at 715.803.1671. Applications must be received no later than January 15, 2010.

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