AG LINK - September/October 2009

Northcentral WI Fall Dairy Tour: Energy Efficiency on Dairy Farms

Our host farm for this fall’s Dairy Tour will be Hans Jr. and Katie Breitenmoser’s Golden Dawn Dairy on beautiful Snow Hill 4 miles southwest of Merrill, Wisconsin. Hans and Katie have always had an eye on conserving energy to both manage costs and reduce their impact on the environment. Working with the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Program and Wisconsin Public Service, Inc., this 370 cow, second generation, parlor-freestall dairy farm has implemented many energy saving practices over the years, ranging for milk plate coolers to low cost lighting. While installing energy efficient lighting from Orion, they were also able to capitalize on implementing long day lighting in the dairy barn. Bringing energy savings to their home, the Breitenmoser’s recently installed new insulation and a new roof to take advantage of more energy savings.

Representatives from UW-Extension, Focus on Energy, WI Public Service, PPA (Partnership for Progressive Agriculture), Lincoln County NRCS, Farm Stop (IBA) of Antigo, and Dairy Services Inc. will be available to answer questions throughout the tour, lunch and program.

Directions: (From Merrill) Take Hwy “K” (Bus 51) south 1 mile to Joe Snow Rd. Go West 4 miles just past Snow Hill Rd. to farm on left. (From Wausau) Go north of Fleet Farm on Hwy “K” 12 miles to Joe Snow Rd, go West 4 miles past Snow Hill Rd to farm on left.

For more information call the Marathon County UW-Extension office at (715) 261-1230 or visit our Ag calendar >>>

The Basics of “Cap and Trade”

An Agribusiness Breakfast Seminar
7:30 to 9:00 AM on Tuesday morning October, 13, 2009
Room E101 Northcentral Technical College

The term “Cap and Trade”, or emissions trading, has been in the news a lot in the recent past as a potential climate control strategy for the United States and other countries around the world. It is a concept that has been around for over forty years that combines restrictions on polluting emissions with some marketplace incentives. As with many of the energy and pollution control strategies that are being talked about it is easy to twist facts around to suit different perspectives. Because of that this Agribusiness Breakfast Seminar will look at the basic principles of the emissions trading schemes that are being considered, who may gain and who may pay depending on how they are set up and what implementing one of them might mean to the farm and forest industries in Wisconsin and the northcentral region of the state.

The speaker for the seminar is Dr. Pat Walsh, an environmental and energy specialist with the University of Wisconsin- Extension. Dr. Walsh is an attorney and engineer with extensive experience in environmental and energy policy. He was formerly the assistant dean and statewide program leader for Community, Natural Resources and Economic Development programs for University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. The cost for the seminar is $10 if reservations are made by October 6 and $15 at the door. PPA members are eligible to register for $5 in advance or $10 at the door. To make reservations contact Cathy Newby at 715.803.1861. The Agribusiness Breakfast Seminar is being sponsored by the Partnership for Progressive Agriculture (PPA), Northcentral Technical College and UW-Extension.

2009/10 Nutrient Management Classes

Popular Program Kicks Off With “Open Houses” – October 6 & 7

Educators and conservation officials in a 5-county area are once again working together to offer Nutrient Management education at various locations in north central Wisconsin. To kick off the 2009/10 training, a free “Open House” will be made available: October 6, 1-3 pm at the Northcentral Technical College (NTC) Wausau campus; October 7, 1-3 pm at the NTC Medford campus; and October 7, 7-9 pm at the NTC Spencer campus. This is a key opportunity to receive essential information on soil sampling needs for this fall, updates on recent changes in nutrient management regulations, and address questions that producers have on nutrient management compliance or the training series.

Last year’s training series included 90 producers in Marathon, Lincoln, Clark, Taylor, and Price Counties. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP)-approved Nutrient Management Training Series is for livestock and crop producers interested in developing their first qualified Nutrient Management Plan (qNMP) or as a refresher to maintain “qualified planner” status. Each participant completing last year’s training and filing a qNMP received reimbursement for their class enrollment fee. Trainers are hoping to again provide this opportunity to producers through grant funds.

DATCP-approved classes to develop qNMPs will be offered in Abbotsford, Spencer, Thorp, Medford, and Wausau in January and February, 2010. The class will cover plan development and implementation, using SNAP-Plus computer software or a manual option. Upon completion of the class, producers will have a qualified plan that meets state requirements, as well as available cost-share opportunities. The cost of the program is $130 per farm.

For more information on the Open House program, Marathon County producers may contact Kirk Langfoss, Marathon County Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Department at (715) 261-2008, or Mike Wildeck, Marathon County UW-Extension at (715) 261-1239. A registration brochure for the classes (beginning January 2010) will be available at the“Open House” locations. This collaborative program is sponsored by the County Conservation Departments, UW-Extension, and Northcentral Technical College offices in Marathon, Clark, Lincoln, Taylor, and Price Counties.

Get Your Soil Tested

Do you know if the needed nutrients to grow your crops exist in your soil? A soil test will determine what nutrients exist in your field. A test will also give recommendations needed to improve your field as well as the present pH level of your soil. For best crop production, the nutrients in the soil should meet the plants’ need along with its desired pH level. By doing a soil test, you’ll know exactly what you need to do and won’t have to guess on how much fertilizer or lime you’ll need to apply.

Crops require a certain amount of nutrients to be most productive. The primary nutrients needed for best crop production are: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In a field where there are low amount of the required nutrients, production of that crop will not grow as it should. Add too much, on the other hand, money will go to waste because the required amount has been reached.

It is recommended that a soil test should be done in the fall rather than early spring. Studies have shown that tested pH, phosphorus and potassium levels will slightly be higher in the early spring than in the fall. By testing in the fall, you will also have enough time to receive your recommendations and apply nutrients if any are needed. Take into consideration that after samples are sent to the laboratory, allow about two weeks for the test results. A soil test should be done once every 4 years and avoid doing a test after applying fertilizer. The cost of a soil test is about $15 per sample which also includes shipping and handling.

Extension offices have names of different private soil testing laboratories but the two University of Wisconsin laboratories are UW Soil and Forage Analysis Lab, 8396 Yellowstone Drive, Marshfield WI 54449, (715) 387-2532 or UW Soil and Plant Analysis Lab 8452 Mineral Point Road, Verona, WI 53593 (608) 262-4364. For more information about soil sampling or how to gather soil samples yourself for testing, you can visit the UW-Extension Learning Store for “Sampling Soils for Testing” (A2100) >>>

World Dairy Expo, ABS Global and Farm Trip

If you are planning to attend the 2009 World Dairy Expo in Madison, let Northcentral Technical College (NTC) do the driving for you. NTC will be offering a charter bus on Friday, October 2 traveling to the World Dairy Expo. In addition to visiting the Expo a tour of ABS Global and a farm are in the works.

At the Expo the National Guernsey Show and the Grand International Red and White Show and International Holstein Show, heifers, will take place that day. Free educational seminars and virtual farm tours are scheduled on the grounds. Attendees can visit the trade show to find the latest technologies, equipment, and genetic research among other things.

The bus will leave from Northcentral Technical College, Wausau Campus, promptly at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, October 2. It will return at approximately 8 p.m. Cost for the bus is $35. This includes the $8 entry ticket for the Expo. Interested individuals should contact Melissa Klein, Agriculture Coordinator at Northcentral Technical College 715.803.1671 or klein@ntc.edu. Participants must be pre-registered. Deadline to register is September 25.

Farm Business Management Courses Offered

Northcentral Technical College will be offering two Farm Business Management Courses at the Wausau, Medford, Spencer and Phillips Campuses. These courses are intended for students involved in production agriculture.

Farm Business Analysis 100190185
This course studies the basic farm business management concepts. General principles involved in the organization, operation, and decision making of the farm business. Students will study the farm management planning cycle and develop an understanding of its relationship to: family and farm business goal setting, cash and enterprise accounting principles, and tax planning. Participants will discuss the traits of successful employees and management styles.

Wausau Campus, Tuesdays 10 am to 1:50 pm, October 20 through December 15

Livestock Management 10090106
Students will receive a general overview of animal science. Topics include animal health, animal environments, anatomy and physiology, genetics and reproduction, nutrition, and disease control.

Medford, Spencer and Phillips Campuses, Saturdays 9 am to 12:50 pm, October 17 through December 12

Students will meet at the specified campus on class dates and instructors will arrange to meet with students at their farms. These courses fulfill the training requirements of the FSA loan programs. To register for this course call 888.NTC.7144. For more information contact Melissa Klein, Agriculture Coordinator at 888.NTC.7144 ext 1671.

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