Mike Ballweg, Agriculture Agent Educational programs and field days were held in partnership with the Sheboygan River Progressive Farmers where farmers and industry agronomists learned about using cover crops, planting green, and no-tilling to improve water quality and soil health. An established 51,000 lbs. of phosphors may have been prevented from leaving farm fields due […]

Mike Ballweg, Agriculture Agent Monitoring the quality of alfalfa growth and development is important each year and 2021 was no exception. The yearly weather variations result in optimal harvest dates ranging anywhere from May 18th to June 10th depending on the annual growing conditions. Alfalfa quality may be reduced by 3-5 points per day in […]

Mike Ballweg, Agriculture Agent Being a Master Gardener is about becoming a volunteer with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension to help educate the public about horticulture, gardening and natural resources. Master Gardener Volunteers work in tandem with Extension staff to deliver meaningful community programs to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. There […]

Mike Ballweg, Agriculture Agent A field day for farmers, industry agronomists, and agency personnel where they learned about best practices for terminating cover crops that normally do not overwinter in WI. Terminating cover crops in a timely manner prevents a seed bank of these species that may become competitive against the desired grain crop thereby […]

Mike Ballweg and Extension Colleagues from across Wisconsin developed and implemented a series of webinars called Focus on Forage. This series addressed forage production practices that improve dairy’s economic vitality while enhancing environmental stewardship. Forage crops are the backbone of Wisconsin’s $45.6 billion dairy industry, representing 16.4% of Wisconsin’s total, and generating 154,000 jobs. The […]

Approximately 90 area farmers and industry agronomists attended the virtual 2021 Agronomy Day to learn about cropping systems research to improve crop profitability while protecting and improving our soil and water natural resources. This long-standing educational program was well received despite its virtual format. UW-Madison Extension faculty presenting at the 2021 Agronomy Day program included: […]

Eastern Wisconsin dairy farmers have experienced severe alfalfa winter losses the past several years. As a result, dairy and livestock farmers are looking for alternative forages to grow when traditional forage crops fail. In response, Extension, The Sheboygan County Forage Council, other Local Forage Councils from across Wisconsin, and the Midwest Forage Association, teamed up […]

Due to face-to-face educational programming being canceled in March of 2020, Extension Educators from across Wisconsin developed a new virtual platform for delivering timely agronomic topics. That platform was called Badger Crop Connect. Mike Ballweg, Extension Crop and Soils Agriculture Agent – Sheboygan County, provided statewide leadership for launching this new and innovative program.   The […]

Mike Ballweg, in cooperation with Dr. Matt Ruark, UW-Madison Soil Science Department, and Steve Hoffman, InDepth Agronomy, has recently engaged in a new on-farm cover crop research study. The objective of the study is to better understand how to cover crop management influences crop yields, nutrient management, soil health, and water quality. This three-year study […]

For details open the brochure. Pesticide Applicator Training Brochure