The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute will hold its annual Advanced Organic Vegetable Production Workshop Feb. 4-7 at East Troy, Wis. This workshop is designed to help experienced fresh market vegetable growers make the transition to organic production, expand their existing organic operations, or start a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enterprise.

The National Science Foundation has awarded $10 million to a team of researchers, headed by UW-Madison geneticist John Doebley, to study the molecular and functional diversity of the maize (corn) genome. The five-year Plant Genome Research Program grant will fund research at six institutions: UW-Madison, Cornell University, University of California-Irvine, North Carolina State University, University of Missouri-Columbia, and Cold Spring Harbor Lab. The grant runs through December 2008.

At this time of year, most people are aware that some holiday plants, such as mistletoe and poinsettia, can be toxic. In addition, wintertime is the season for poisonings from a variety of toxins, especially in rural settings, says Donna Lotzer, poison education coordinator at the UW Hospital Poison Prevention and Education Center.

The 2004 Wisconsin Dairy Field Representatives Conference will be held Feb. 10-11 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, Madison, Wis.

Innovative agricultural producers know that alternative crops and value-added products can give them an edge in the marketplace. Effective business planning is crucial to the […]

Matthew Schluesner of Ridgeland has been elected president of the Farm and Industry Short Course class for the 2003-2004 school year. Also elected were Andy McWilliams of Janesville, vice- president; Megan Lundy of Jefferson, secretary; and Steven Grebel of Beaver Dam, treasurer. Ag Student Council representatives are Ryan Schleis of Kewaunee and Jesse Dvorachek, Reedsville.

How would you like to spend three days with successful vegetable growers learning from their experience? What varieties do they grow? How do they manage weeds and insect pests? What are their marketing strategies? The answers to these and other questions await you at the 2004 Wisconsin School for Beginning Market Growers.

Organic food sales in the United States have grown 20 percent or more annually for the past decade and remain strong. A new report details the growth of organic agriculture in Wisconsin and the nation, and encourages state investment in this value-added marketing strategy.

A new resource CD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides a wealth of production and marketing information for fresh market vegetable growers. The

A team of 4-H dairy cattle judges from Wisconsin took first place with the high team overall score at the 35th All American Dairy Show Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, Sept. 22 at Harrisburg, Pa. Joe Sarbacker of Verona was second high individual overall and 4th in Brown Swiss.