As a corn producer, now that you have ordered your seed and are making planting plans, there is one more thing you might want to consider – discussing your plans with your farming neighbors. With the advent of genetically engineered (sometimes called “GMO,” for Genetically Modified Organism) corn and the growth of the markets for certified organic grains, or non-GMO grain, farmers’ corn planting decisions may impact those of their neighbors, because of pollen drift.

Do your friends and family applaud your priceless sense of humor? Or do they roll their eyes in complete denial of your talent? Either way, here’s your chance to show off your cleverness, wit, and knowledge of farming, and possibly win a cash prize.

Calling all youth exhibitors! Halter up Bessie, and get ready to show Wisconsin your “herd” work. The themes for the 2002 Wisconsin Junior State Fair dairy show have been selected.

California, the cheesehead state?

Farmers may be able to suppress certain types of foliar diseases of snap beans and cucumbers by using composted paper mill residuals, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Farmers in Wisconsin may soon have a powerful new tool to help them make decisions about fertilizer that increase their yields and control runoff, thanks to University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers who are studying how to maximize information from agricultural modeling systems.

Despite the hard work, long hours and stresses associated with farming, most women on Wisconsin dairy farms were positive about their quality of life, according to a new University of Wisconsin-Madison study published in late November.

Registration is still open for the Midwest Dairy Herd Health Conference, Nov. 13-14 at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in Eau Claire. The conference is designed for dairy farmers interested in improving the health of their cows and features a slate of nationally known educators and a tour of Five Star Dairy LLC in Elk Mound. The University of Wisconsin-Extension Dairy Team and the UW-Madison Department of Dairy Science (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) sponsor the program. Interested participants should register by October. 30.

Agricultural lands do more than produce crops – they help to raise families, provide wildlife habitat, create small-business opportunities and jobs, support rural economies, and provide natural beauty that draws visitors to Wisconsin.

The steering committee for the Discovery Farms program met for the first time July 20 to devise a strategy for selecting the first group of commercial farms to be included in the research program.