Category Archives: Grassfed Animal Agriculture

Kudos Gene Schriefer!

Matt and Beth Mueller, who farm east of Lancaster, discuss cover crops with Gene Schriefer (right), the Iowa County UW Extension agriculture agent, at a field day at Lancaster Research Station. David Tenenbaum, University Communications

The Driftless’ Own Gene Schriefer is promoted to head Wisconsin’s Farm Service Agency, the Biden Administration announced yesterday. For those of you who may not know Gene, he, his wife and son raise lamb and grass-fed beef from a farm outside of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Since 2009, he has served as a Senior Outreach Specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension and Agriculture Educator in Iowa County. He engages with farmers and faculty on sustainability, soil health, regenerative agriculture, regional food systems, and climate change. Prior to his current Extension role, Gene was a regional grazing specialist with Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development, working with producers in nine counties. He has also served as an Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent in Rusk and Columbia Counties. Gene earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Purdue University in Agriculture Education and Farm Management. His current work with the Grasslands 2.0 project has been invaluable.

Gene’s straightforward approach, curiosity, and his social networking skills will serve Wisconsin well at FSA. As he takes this important state-wide position that links Wisconsin farmers to federal farming programs, we look forward to his perspective on high-leverage ways to strengthen and transform Wisconsin agriculture.

#DairyTogether, globally

Wisconsin Farmers Union has been organizing monthly conference calls to discuss oversupply in the dairy industry. Next week’s Dairy Together Call will be a special webinar brought to you by the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS). 

CIAS is glad to virtually bring Torsten Hemme from the International Farm Comparison Network in to the Dairy Together conversation. The webinar will allow Dr. Hemme to share some of his work looking at different supply management policies in countries facing oversupply and allow for questions from participants.

The International Farm Comparison Network engages researchers from more than 100 countries and 140 agribusiness companies to better understand the global market. It has published an annual report since 2000 covering milk production trends, dairy farm structure dynamics, regional developments and typical farms data, and policy comparison.

This webinar will allow us to broaden our understanding of dairy supply management from a global perspective. Please join us on Wednesday, April 15th at 12 PM Central for this presentation and discussion. Join the #DairyTogether email list at https://www.dairytogether.com/ to learn more. Look out for an email next week with a link to join us on Zoom. 

2020 Midwest Organic Pork Conference

March 13 -14, 2020
Hotel Julien
Dubuque, Iowa

https://www.midwestorganicporkconference.org

The only conference in the United States dedicated to presenting the best resources and information available to help expand opportunities for organic and niche pork production and distribution. 

The event includes a session on hazelnut-finished pork.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN– use the link above for more information, to register or exhibit.

Reserve your hotel room now!  
Call the Hotel Julien at 800.798.7098 or 563.556.4200

Summer events in-person and on-line

Looking to learn about agriculture, food, and our food system? There are a number of events this summer if you want to get out in the field or join on-line.

July 3rd – The UN Committee on Food Security launched the HLPE Report on “Agroecological and other innovative approaches” in Rome. The recorded webcast of the 3 hour event is available here.
The full report in English will be available by mid-July, while the other language versions will be available in September. The link to the summary and recommendations document (in English) is available here: http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe/en/

July 30th, 2019 10am Establishing Pollinator Habitat on Organic Farms — Karin Jokela, Farm Bill Pollinator Conservation Planner, Minnesota, Xerxes Society and Caleb Langworthy Organic Specialist, Conservation Education, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service

The National Organic Program regulations require farmers to maintain or improve the natural resources of the operation including wildlife.  This presents an opportunity for conservation agents to work with producers to address the lack of pollinator habitat.  This webinar will address required practices on organic farms, NRCS practices/enhancements that meet those requirements. It will also address evaluation tools, initiatives, site preparation, success stories and resources to successfully work with organic farmers to establish pollinator habitat.

Registration link for summer webinars: Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone at 

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/213746573

August 7-8, 2019 Innovations in the Food System: Shaping the Future of Food – a workshop

On August 7 and 8, the National Academies of Sciences Food Forum will host a workshop that will explore current innovations in the food system. Workshop presenters will discuss the dimensions of food systems and how to utilize innovations to meet the needs of small and large supply chains to support decision-making. The workshop will include discussions on issues related to safety and sustainability, economic and social challenges and opportunities, innovative case examples, and strategies in reducing food waste. Register to attend in-person or via webcast. Register to attend in person or via webcast. For more information, visit the Academies’ website.

  • When: Wednesday, August 7 (8:30 am – 4:30 pm) and Thursday, August 8 (8:30 am – 12:00 pm)
  • Where: The National Academies of Sciences Building, Lecture Room (2101 Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20418)
  • Watch: This event will be webcast live
  • Learn more and sign up here: bit.ly/foodsystemff

Thursday August 8, 2019, Establishing Pollinator Habitat on Organic Farms with Karin Jokela, Xerces Society; Kaitlyn O’Connor, Prairie Moon Nursery, Blue Fruit Farm Tour

Free Training for NRCS agents, county conservationists, technical service providers.

  • When: 10am to 3pm
  • Where: Wiscoy Community Center, 31783 Bur Oak Lane, Winona, MN and the farm tour at Blue Fruit Farm, 31762 Wiscoy Ridge Road, Winona, MN
  • To register or with questions: mosesorganic.org/nrcs, and questions to Caleb@mosesorganic.org

Thursday August 15, Wisconsin Farmers Union summer conference: American Agriculture, Where Are We Headed? A look at the future of our family farms, food systems, watersheds, and rural towns and why we must address anti-trust in agriculture. Bill Baer, former head of the federal Department of Justice Anti-Trust Division and past Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission.

  • Where: Wisconsin Farmers Union Kamp Kenwood, 19161 79th Avenue, Chippewa Falls, WI
  • When: 10 am to 2pm
  • Other details: There will be a pie contest for bakers and Acorn Day Camp for children 7+yrs for $15/child.
  • To register: RSVP to WFU at 715-723-5561 or www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com/events

August 23rd, 2019 10 am, Working with Small Organic Farming Operations,KaYing Vang, Soil Conservationist NRCS and Valerie Dantoin, Instructor in Organic Agriculture, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Organic farming systems are diverse in both their production and scale. The 2017 Census of Agriculture shows 45.8% of organic farms in MN, WI and IA are under 100 acres.  A 2017 Oregon Tilth survey of farmers who participated in the EQIP Organic Initiative showed that 79% of respondents farmed less than 100 acres; 86.7% of those respondents said that concern for the environment was a motivation for them to farm organically. This webinar will provide NRCS field staff insight into working with producers on small farms to address natural resource concerns. 

Registration link for summer webinars: Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone at 

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/213746573

Livestock Compass is Live!

Our new spreadsheet tool designed to help livestock producers calculate their cost of production and marketing…and then make strategic management decisions to improve farm profits…is now available.

Eventually, Livestock Compass will be housed at a new CompassToolbox.com website but that has not been built yet! For now it is available at www.veggiecompass.com

Jim Munsch and John Hendrickson will be doing a training on this tool at the Southern Sustainable Ag Working Group Conference in 2019. Would your group like a training on the tool?

Poultry producers: please respond to this processing needs survey

A group of Southwest Wisconsin poultry producers is exploring the feasibility of locating a USDA poultry processing facility in Southwest Wisconsin.  They define poultry loosely to include chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, guinea hens, and rabbits.  Now they are working on assessing the potential demand for such a facility.  They have developed a survey for farmers in southwestern Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa, and northern Illinois to figure out if and how they might use such a processing plant.

The deadline to fill out the survey is November 30th.  Farmers can fill the survey out on-line or print out a paper survey and mail it in.  Below are links to the electronic survey, to a press release with more information about the project, and to the paper survey.

For more information please contact the project coordinators at driftlesspoultrycooperative@gmail.com, and they also have a facebook page.

Iowa County Farm Tour and Gulf Seafood Monday October 9, 2017

Join Iowa County’s Uplands Farmer-led watershed group for a cover crops farm tour and seafood lunch

  • 9am         Fazenda Boa Terra produce farm (Lidia Dungue and John Middleton) 6580 State Rd  23, Spring Green
  • 10:15am   Walk to Michael Dollans’ inter-seeded cover crops, State Rd 23
  • 11:15am    Uplands Cheese dairy farm (Scott and Illana Mericka and Andy and Caitlin Hatch), 5023 State Rd 23 N, Dodgeville

The farm tour will be followed by lunch at Uplands Cheese Farm.

Come discuss cover crop practices for fresh market produce, grain and dairy systems. See no-till drilling irrigation, manure management, and other strategies to conserve soil and nutrients. Then enjoy brats and seafood caught by fishermen in the Gulf – whose challenges with nutrient build-up and biological die-off in the Gulf Dead Zone we seek to help through out conservation practices.

There is no fee, but please RSVP by Thursday, October 5 at http://bit.ly/covercroptourlunch or contacting Margaret Krome, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (608) 283-1440, mkrome@sbcglobal.net or Gene Schriefer, Iowa County Extension (608) 930-9850.

Co-sponsored by: MFAI, Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, Iowa County Farm Bureau, Iowa County Land Conservation Department, The McKnight Foundation, MOSES, Organic Valley, Savanna Institute, Southwest Badger RC&D, UW Extension, DATCP, UW-CIAS

 

Making More From Milk!

Have you ever thought about adding value to the milk you produce on your farm? This May, join with other farmers to learn about value-added dairy, including visits to retails that specialize in specialty cheeses, and visits to farms that are making cheese and ice cream from their milk. Cow, sheep and goat milk dairies and cheese makers are featured, especially those producing artisan and raw milk cheeses from grass-fed animals.

This is three full days of on-site expert introduction to value-added dairy. The event fee of $695 includes:

  • 3 farm visits,
  • 3 processor visits,
  • 5 retailer visits,
  • 5 seminars with industry experts,
  • 3 lunches,
  • ground transportation to visits,
  • Translation to Spanish.

There are also optional cheese making opportunities on Thursday May 4.

  • Option one – make cheese with an award-winning cheese maker in a small factory setting. $425.
  • Option two – make cottage cheese with professionals from the University of Wisconsin. $525.

The event runs Monday May 1 at 8 am to Wednesday May 3 at 3:30. Seminars are offered in Madison, WI and tours are concentrated in the Fox Valley.

Register at https://fs3.formsite.com/8onTH0/form1/index.html

For more details on the program, go to http://globalcow.com/making-more-from-milk/

Contact Karen@globaldairyoutreach.com to register. 866-267-2879

Pasture Pork Production: Healthy Food, Healthy Farms, Healthy Communities

Saturday, April 1, 2017

9 a.m. —3 p.m.

Iowa County Health & HumanServices Building
303 West Chapel Street
Dodgeville, WI
Registration—$25.00 due March 24th

PasturePork brochure and registration form

If you are thinking of raising pigs on pasture, you don’t want to miss this event! Brought to you by Iowa County Extension educator Gene Schriefer, featuring Greg Gunthorp, Jonny Hunter, Kelly Maynard.

Schedule:

9:00 Registration
9:30 Opening Introductions
9:45 Key Note—Greg Gunthorp
10:30 Breeding Systems—Gene Schriefer
11:15 Producing Pigs on Pasture that Consumers Will Pay For— Greg Gunthorp
12:00 Lunch—
1:00 The (r)evolution of the local food scene and demand for pork— Jonny Hunter
2:00 Stronger Together – Creating a Cooperative—Kelly Maynard
3:00 Adjourn & Networking

Questions?  Call the Iowa County Extension office at Tel: (608)930-9850