AG LINK - November/December 2007

Pest Management Update Meetings Scheduled for Fall

Producers and agricultural professionals are invited to attend one of a series of Pest Management Meetings to be hosted by University of Wisconsin-Extension during November.

Topics will include weed and insect management and disease control. “We have many topics and issues to discuss as we review this year, especially with the changing and challenging pests and new traits and technologies,” said Chris Boerboom, weed scientist at UW-Madison/Extension.

Speakers at the meetings include Boerboom; Eileen Cullen, UW-Madison/Extension field crop entomologist; Mark Renz, UW-Madison/Extension weed scientist; and Paul Esker, UW-Madison/ Extension field crop plant pathologist. This meeting will provide four hours of pest management continuing education credits for certified crop advisors.

All sessions start at 10 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. Registration and coffee begins at 9:30 a.m. for all sessions. The registration fee is $30. This fee covers the cost of the information packet and the noon meal. The information packet will contain the 2008 Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops bulletin, with weed, insect and disease control recommendations for corn, soybean, small grains and forages, as well as other pest management reference materials. Additional copies of the information packet will be available for purchase at $15 each.

Organizers request participants to pre-register with the host agent at least one week before the meeting they wish to attend. For people in North Central Wisconsin the sites that are the closest are:

• Nov. 6, Bloomer, contact Jerry Clark, (715) 726-7950
• Nov. 7, Marshfield, contact Matt Lippert, (715) 421-8440
• Nov. 13, Green Bay, contact Mark Hagedorn, (920) 391-4612

2005-2007 Livestock Compensation Program (LCP)

The 2005-2007 Livestock Compensation Program provides monetary assistance to eligible livestock owners or those who lease livestock for feed losses that occurred between January 1, 2005 and February 28, 2007. This assistance is not required to be used for any specific purpose. The program is available as part of the bill passed for crop production losses in 2005 and 2006. The LCP is based upon the number of livestock, feed that was harvested and then physically lost and grazing losses. Crop production losses will be offered at a later date.

Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) applicants will need to gather the following data when applying for the LCP. Call the Marathon County Farm Service Agency office at (715) 848-2330 for an appointment.

• Acres pastured during the chosen disaster year (2005 or 2006), separated into “improved“ and“unimproved” acres.
• Dates pastures were grazed (field by field), especially if acres were also mechanically harvested during the normal grazing period.
• The normal numbers of days the pastures are grazed during the growing season.
• Certify the percent of grazing loss sustained during the chosen disaster year
• Be able to indicate on a map the location of the pastures.
• Copies of pasture leases and other documentation may also be required by your local FSA County Committee.

These are some of the categories for livestock owned or cash leased as of May 15th in 2005 or 2006.

Adult Beef Cows and Bulls, non Adult Beef
(500 pounds to maturity)
Adult Dairy Cows and Bulls, Non Adult Dairy
(500 lb to maturity)
Buffalo and Beefalo Adult Cows and Bulls, Non Adult Buffalo and Beefalo (500 lb to maturity), Sheep, Goats, Elk and Poultry

If feed was lost due to the disaster, ie. bales destroyed in a flood or corn grain ruined when a tornado blew over the bin, documentation must be submitted to verify the feed destroyed and for feed purchased during the disaster year to replace the feed lost.

Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers Class is Filling Up

If you or someone you know would like to own and operate a grass-based dairy or livestock farm, the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers is a great place to get started. Since the UW-Madison - Farm and Industry Short Course based School began in 1995 one third of its approximately 200 graduates have gone on to start their own farms. In November of 2006 the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers took the next step in its development and was taught at the University of Wisconsin- Marathon County campus in Wausau. The one thing that all of the students who took the class in Wausau say they found the most valuable was getting to meet others with their same passion for farming.

The 16 week course will begin on Thursday, November 15, meet once a week on Thursday from 11:00 AM until 1:15 PM (except for holiday breaks and field trips) and finish on March 27, 2008. The curriculum covers a variety of topics from farm selection, design and remodeling to animal and grass management to business planning and arrangements. Tuition and fees for the course will range from a $240 base fee to $700 depending on how many credits a student would like to earn. Although the deadline for applications is November 1, 2007, applications will be accepted right up to the beginning of class (space permitting). For more information about the UWMarathon County class or to get an application contact Tom Cadwallader at (715) 536-0304 or (715) 261-1240. You can also learn more about the School and its history by checking out their website at http://www.cias.wisc.edu/dairysch.html.

“Returning to the Farm” Workshops Help Farm Families Plan For Farm Succession

Families looking toward the future of their farming operations have many issues to consider, including the creation of a management succession plan. Returning to the Farm workshops help farm families plan for a son, daughter or partner to return to the farm and eventually take over the farm business.

University of Wisconsin-Extension, UW-Center for Dairy Profitability, and UW-Madison and UW-River Falls will host two workshop series beginning in December. The first workshop series begins in December on the UW-Madison campus. The three sessions will be Saturdays, December 1, 2007, January 12, and March 1, 2008 at the J.F. Friedrick Center. Families are expected to participate in all three sessions. The second workshop series will be held at UW-River Falls. The first session is Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, 2008; and the second session will be on February 15 and 16, 2008.

Returning to the Farm is open to all farm families who want to learn more about planning for farm succession. At the end of the last session of each series, families will have completed the framework of a working succession plan.

Through this program, students and their families will:

• Determine if an existing operation is large enough to support an additional partner.
• Uncover alternatives for the transfer of farm assets.
• Recognize personalities and learn to work with each individual's strengths.
• Write long- and short-term business and family goals.
• Learn how to address major issues that can lead to failure in a multiple generation farm business.
• Hear the current issues and information on the tax implications of farm transfer.
• Understand the tools of estate planning and business succession planning.
• Receive business succession and estate planning resources.

The early bird registration fee for both the UW-Madison and the UW-River Falls programs is $250 per farming unit-up to four people per farm. An additional $75 per person is charged if you have more than four people attending from your group. The fee includes materials, meeting room costs, refreshment breaks and lunches. The price of the program after the early bird deadline $300 per farming unit.

The UW-Madison program’s early bird registration deadline is November 1. The UW-River Falls program early bird registration deadline is December 1.

Overnight accommodations for the Madison program are available. A block of rooms has been reserved for the Friday nights before each Madison workshop at the J.F. Friedrick Hotel and Conference Center, UW-Madison for $81plus tax per night for single occupancy ($10 per night per additional person). Room reservations can be made by calling (608) 231-1341, refer to code FARM-NOV.

Overnight accommodations for the River Falls program are also available. A block of rooms has been reserved for the Friday nights of each session at The Country Inn and Super 8 in River Falls. Please refer to the Returning to the Farm program when making reservations.

For more information about the UW-Madison Returning to the Farm program and registration contact Joy Kirkpatrick, UW Center for Dairy Profitability Outreach Specialist at (608) 263- 3485 or by email joy.kirkpatrick@ces.uwex.edu

For more information about the UW-River Falls Returning to the Farm program contact Gregg Hadley, Assistant Professor and Farm Management Specialist, UW-River Falls at (715) 425-3188 or by email gregg.hadley@uwrf.edu

Returning to the Farm is offered to Wisconsin residents through UW-Extension and the UW Center for Dairy Profitability. The program is partially funded by a Dairy Industry Revitalization grant.

2008 Agronomy Update Meeting -- January 8, Wausau

The UW-Department of Agronomy will offer Crop Production and Management Meetings at eight locations during 2008. Joe Lauer, Dan Undersander and Shawn Conley will present the latest information on hybrid/variety performance, an analysis and discussion of last year's growing season, and updated recommendations for field crop production.

The registration fee is $25 per participant (includes meal and materials) and pre-registration is preferred. A $5 “walk-in” fee will be charged to those who have not preregistered. Additional information packets will be available for $17 each. The Wausau meeting will be held at the Best Western Midway Motor Lodge on January 8, beginning with lunch at noon and the program to follow at 1 pm. To register contact Mike Wildeck at (715) 261-1230 or check the Ag Calendar for a registration form.

Certified Crop Advisor CEU credits have been requested (2.5 hours in Crop Management). The information to be provided and discussion topics for the day will include:

• 2007 Wisconsin Hybrid Corn Performance Trials -Grain and Silage (A3653)
• 2007 Wisconsin Soybean Variety Test Results (A3654)
• 2007 Perennial Forage Variety Update for Wisconsin (A1525)
• Small grain varieties for grain and forage in Wisconsin -2006 (A3397)
• Extension publications
• Agronomy Advice articles
• Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association updates

Discussion Topics

• Corn
  • Using the Bt-CR transgene on the farm
  • Continuous corn? Or rotate in 2008?
  • To spray or not to spray - Will foliar fungicides be routine in the new corn production economics?
• Soybeans
  • Spraying fungicides in soybean
  • Soybean variety selection in the bio-fuels era
• Forages
  • Alfalfa seeding year stress on future yields
  • RFV v. RFQ changes in the spring
  • Selecting grass varieties
• Small Grains
  • Management strategies that maximize wheat yield.