University of Wisconsin-Madison
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
People involved in agriculture across Wisconsin suspect that weather patterns across the Badger State have been changing over the last 50 years. Dr. Ed Hopkins, Assistant Wisconsin State Climatologist, examined the weather data from the last 50 years to examine that hunch and offers the following summary. Afternoon maximum temperatures around the state during summer […]
Extension Sheboygan County partnered with Adell Coop, Country Visions Coop, Dinamica Generale, and the Sheboygan County Forage Council to hold the 2020 Corn Silage Dry Down Days. Thus far, more than 100 Sheboygan County cornfields have been analyzed for whole plant moistures. Because of varied planting dates, hybrid differences, and the impact of Lake Michigan […]
Mike Ballweg, Agriculture Agent Mike Ballweg provided leadership, within the Extension Crops and Soils Program, to develop a series of Zoom informational virtual meetings (Badger Crop Connect) for farmers, agronomists, crop consultants, educators, and other agricultural professionals to learn about a wide range of timely agronomic topics during the 2020 growing season. Since face-to-face meetings […]
Farmers grow approximately 1.25 million acres of alfalfa and mixed hay annually to feed Wisconsin’s 1.26 million dairy cows. Sheboygan County’s share of that total is 40,000 acres of alfalfa and mixed hay and about 26,000 cows. Maximizing the quality and quantity of alfalfa is essential for profitable dairy farming. First crop alfalfa represents approximately […]
Mike Ballweg, Agriculture Agent Family-owned farms, food processors, and agriculture-related businesses generate thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of economic activity in Sheboygan County while contributing to local income and tax revenues. THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COUNTY Sheboygan County is a […]
Mike Ballweg, Agriculture Agent Provided leadership for developing and delivering, via zoom and YouTube, Growing and Feeding Alternative Forages, on Friday, April 3rd, to farmers and ag-professionals across Wisconsin. Forage shortages continue to challenge dairy farmers especially in Eastern WI and negatively impact farm profitability during the market disruptions of Covid-19. 100% of the poll […]
