Nearly a century ago, the Wisconsin legislature mandated a soil testing facility for Wisconsin farmers. Since its inception, the Soil and Plant Analysis Lab has been evaluating soil fertility, helping farmers throughout the state to determine plant nutrient needs. Over the years the lab has added plant analyses and lawn and garden soil testing, allowing producers to optimize nutrient applications and homeowners to pinpoint their lawns’ fertilizer requirements. The lab still analyzes soils and plants for farmers and homeowners, but it now offers analytical services for campus researchers as well — ion chromatography, HPLC fluorescence, and a host of other tests that legislators never dreamed of back in 1913.

Moo-ve over Barry Alvarez . . . the Badger Dairy Camp is herding them in! Applications are streaming in for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s 6th Annual Badger Dairy Camp, a youth dairy camp for ages 12-18 that runs from June 10 through June 12.

Youth dairy experts from Dane and Wood counties captured top honors at this year’s State 4-H Dairy Bowl, held Feb. 7 in Portage.

The Farm and Industry Short Course Dairy Judging Team took second place overall among ten teams competing at the Southwestern Exposition dairy cattle judging contest, held Jan. 18 at Fort Worth, Texas.

A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison dairy cattle judges was high team overall at the 2004 Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show -Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, Jan. 18 at Fort Worth, Texas. The Badger team placed first in oral reasons, Holsteins, Guernseys and Jerseys, and third in Brown Swiss. Eight teams competed.

This year’s Service to Agriculture Award was presented to Art Nesbitt of Fort Atkinson, Wis. Nesbitt was recognized for his years of service to the dairy industry in Wisconsin as well as nationally.

Henry L. Ahlgren, emeritus professor of agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died Jan. 22, 2004 at Attic Angel Place in Middleton, Wis. He was 95 years old.

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Nominations are being sought for 2004 Wisconsin Junior State Fair dairy themes. Please submit suggestions to Ted Halbach, University of Wisconsin-Madison extension dairy youth specialist, by March 1, 2004. Last year’s dairy themes were “From Our Place to the Dairy Case” and “Celebrating Family Farms Past, Present and Future.”