AG LINK - September/October 2008

Search Underway for 2011 Farm Technology Days Host Farm

Are you interested in hosting one of the largest outdoor agriculture shows in the country? Marathon County has been given the opportunity to once again host Wisconsin Farm Technology Days. Previously known as Wisconsin Farm Progress Days, Marathon County hosted the show previously in 1974 at the Ken and Richard Leick Farm, Stratford, and in 1996 at Ross-Hart Farm, Edgar.

Marathon County will serve as hosts for the 2011 show and the Executive Committee is now seeking applicants for a host farm. Application forms are available now available on the Marathon County UW-Extension website, or call Marathon County UW-Extension (715) 261-1230 to have one mailed to you. Applications must be received at the Marathon County UW-Extension office by Tuesday, September 30.

The farmstead and major land owned must be located in Marathon County and a minimum of 400 to 450 acres is needed for the show. At least 160 acres of reasonably level land, in sod, will be used for Tent City, parking, and demonstration plot areas. Additional site selection criteria are now available on the Marathon County UW-Extension website. For more specifics, please contact Mike Wildeck, UW-Extension Dairy Agent, at (715) 261-1239.

Will Corn Make It to Maturity?

On August 19th and 20th, Lincoln and Marathon County Agricultural Development Agent, Tom Cadwallader, surveyed the corn crop in the two counties in order to determine if it could possibly reach maturity before the first normal killing frost date... Read more >>>

Farm Business Management Classes offered at NTC

Beginning in October, Farm Business Management classes will be offered at Northcentral Technical College (NTC) regional campuses. These classes are for farm owners, managers, renters, or workers with decision-making responsibilities. Classes will originate at the Medford and Antigo campuses and will be broadcasted ITV to the Phillips, Spencer and Wittenberg campuses. Highly qualified instructors provide group and one-on-one farm management, marketing and financial training in this program. Students will receive classroom instruction as well as individualized on-farm instruction each year.

The program has two different certificates – one for beginning farmers and one for advanced farmers. These classes run from October to March each year.

2008 Classes offered in Medford, Phillips and Spencer:
Introductory: Farm Business Analysis
Advanced: Advanced Livestock Nutrition

2008 Classes offered in Antigo and Wittenberg:
Introductory: Soil/Crop Management
Advanced: Advanced Farm Records and Business Management

Four other classes: Livestock Management, Agriculture Health and Safety, Advanced Nutrient Management and Farm Estate Planning will be offered in October 2009. The classes will rotate areas and the full four-class certificated can be completed in four years.

For more information, please contact Melissa Klein at (715) 803-1671 or (888) NTC-7144 Ext. 1671

Q & A Qualified Nutrient Management Plans

What is the difference between nutrient management and a qualified Nutrient Management Plan?
At the basic level, nutrient management is an accounting of nutrient needs of a crop and balancing of various sources of nutrients (soil, manure, legumes, commercial fertilizer, etc) used to meet these needs. A qualified Nutrient Management Plan is the document in which the accounting and balancing is detailed and tracked for farm operations. Like balancing a checkbook, this accounting ensures that nutrients aren’t over or under applied. This maximizes production and profits, and reduces the risk of nutrients negatively impacting the environment.

How is a qualified nutrient management plan different from existing fertilizer programs?
The biggest difference is that proven, standardized methods are required and used to do the accounting and balancing of various nutrients, and the product that results meets an established and accepted standard for quality…a qualified Nutrient Management Plan. As a result, the fertilizer programs of different farm operations will be on a “level playing field”. Because many variables in farm operations, such as weather, cropping systems, soil fertility levels and livestock numbers change over time, qualified Nutrient Management Plans require annual updating.

What is the importance of having and implementing a qualified Nutrient Management Plan?
Most importantly, it is a tool that can help a farm operation make sound management decisions that help maximize production and profit. But they also can help reduce the risk of nutrients negatively impacting the environment, and may provide some protection should a pollution event occur. The recommendations in a qualified nutrient management plan are considered accepted best-management practices. As such, if it can be documented that the plan is being followed, farm operations will be able to better justify their management decisions. Another important reason for implementing NMP is that Wisconsin law requires all farms applying nutrients have and implement a qualified Nutrient Management Plan. County ordinance also requires qualified Nutrient Management Plans for construction and management of manure storage facilities; and many government farm programs require a qualified
Nutrient Management plan to be eligible for participation.

Who can develop a qualified Nutrient Management Plan (qNMP)?
A qNMP may be developed by a certified professional or, farm operations may develop their own qNMP if they complete a DATCP-approved training course and the qNMP they develop meets the standard for quality (NRCS Standard 590). Which is better, developing one’s own qNMP or working with a certified professional? That’s up to the farm operation, but the best plan is one that can be easily understood and can be implemented.

Nutrient Management Training Begins With Update Sessions -- October 13, 14

Update Sessions Also Serve As Class #1 For 5-County Nutrient Management Training Series

Educators and conservation officials in a 5-county area are working together offer Nutrient Management Update Sessions in three locations, October 13 and 14. The free sessions are: Monday, October 13, 1:00-3:00 PM at Conference Rm #5, 212 River Drive, Wausau; Monday, October 13, 7:30-9:30 PM at Rm S-101/103 NTC, Spencer; and Tuesday, October 14, 7:30-9:30 PM at Rm M-110/112 NTC, Medford. Topics include current nutrient management regulations, related environmental issues, and producer compliance. Conservation officials will be on hand to give an overview of the regulations and their perspective on compliance. There will also be an overview of the DATCP-approved Nutrient Management Training Series being offered to producers in Marathon, Clark, Taylor, Lincoln, and Price Counties. Producers may be interested in taking the Nutrient Management Training Series to develop their first qualified Nutrient Management Plan (qNMP) or as a refresher to maintain “qualified” plan status. Those producers must attend one of the three Nutrient Management Update Sessions and register for a class, but you do not have to be taking the class to attend the free Update Session.

DATCP-approved classes to develop qNMPs will be offered in Abbotsford, Loyal, Thorp, Medford, Prentice, and Wausau in January and February 2009. The cost of the program is $130 and includes plan development using either SNAPPlus computer software or a manual option. The registration deadline is October 31. Participants receive... 1. a qualified plan that meets state requirements, and 2. information on cost-share opportunities that are available For a registration brochure and other details, call Scott Mickelsen, Northcentral Technical College at (715) 803-1387 or Mike Wildeck, Marathon County UW-Extension at (715) 261-1239. The registration brochure is available online.

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