Division of Extension
In 2023, a grazing farmer network in northwestern Wisconsin was asked to identify the greatest needs for research. At the top of their list was the practice of winter bale grazing. We designed a research project that sought to answer some of their questions about the practice.
This fact sheet was designed to walk you through that decision-making process and assist you in selecting forage species that are compatible with your farm and complimentary to each other. While there are many great seed mixes that are commercially available, this resource is intended to empower farmers to develop an establishment plan that fits their objectives and design a seed mix that is tailored to their farm.
By following these guidelines, farmers growing, storing and feeding corn silage can minimize the risks posed by mycotoxins and ensure a healthier, more productive livestock feed supply.
Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice that integrates trees, forage, and livestock on the same site and manages the system to protect the environment. Like any agricultural system, silvopasture requires careful management to provide economic benefits and prevent ecological damage.
Silvopasture, the intentional, managed integration of trees with grazing systems, can provide a variety of benefits, including shade and emergency forage for livestock, carbon storage, and potential income from tree products. Establishing silvopasture by planting trees allows the farmer to control tree species and placement. It also offers climate benefits and may be eligible for technical and financial assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Wisconsin.
Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice that integrates trees, forage, and livestock on the same site and manages the system to protect the environment. If you have woodland on your farm and are interested in converting it to silvopasture, there are several important decisions you need to make. This way of establishing silvopasture is sometimes also called “silvopasture by subtraction”
This annually updated reference guide is one convenient source for management information on the key pests of corn, soybean, forages, small grains, and stored grains and provides targeted information for Wisconsin growers.
We talk quite a bit about on farm research results on Field Notes, so we thought it was high time to do an episode detailing the ins and outs of doing research on farms in Wisconsin. We dive into the details of asking the right question, trial design and logistics, and analysis with Ben Turzinski and Monica Schauer.
This guide offers the latest recommendations for disease, insect, and weed management in Wisconsin’s most common commercial vegetable crops. Also included are lime and fertilizer recommendations as well as insect identification information and keys.
In 2024, grain and silage performance trials were planted at 12 locations in four production zones: the southern, south central, north central, and northern zones. The purpose of these trials is to provide unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn for grain and silage available in Wisconsin.
The Herbicide Mitigation Strategy is one of the first phases of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) work plan to achieve compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and will set the tone for subsequent changes in the coming years. Moving forward, the herbicide strategy will be applied to all new herbicide active ingredient registrations and be considered during the herbicide registration review process. Outlined below are the key changes to the label and mitigation practice resources.
Using datasets from large numbers of farms, Dr. Jeff Hadachek created a model that allows farmers to input their own costs to see how their bottom line would be affected if they implemented specific conservation practices. Read more and access the tool here.
