Peninsula Pride Farms: Take a chance on cover crops
Dairy Business Association
BRUSSELS, Wis. – Mike Vandenhouten was blunt in telling farmers at a Peninsula Pride Farms field event it was time to make a change and improve the area’s soil health.
“There comes a time when you have to take a chance and quit doing things the way we have traditionally been doing it. I think there is a better way to do it and this is an excellent opportunity for me to give it a try. I have some reservations, but we will see what happens,” Vandenhouten said about planting oats as a cover crop last fall and no-till planting this spring.
Virtual Crop Scout School now offered
The 2021 Virtual Crop Scout School for corn, soybeans, small grains and alfalfa is available now and free to the general public.
Michigan State University Extension teamed up with crop protection specialists at 11 Midwest universities to offer a Virtual Crop Scout School. The school consists of 22 webinars covering general scouting, agronomics, disease, insects and weeds for corn, soybean, small grains and alfalfa. The webinars range from 20-30 minutes, and many include downloadable slides. This is an excellent opportunity to brush up on scouting and identification skills before the pest season starts.
The Crop Protection Network (CPN) is a multi-state and international partnership of university and provincial Extension specialists and public and private professionals that provides unbiased research-based information. Their goal is to communicate relevant information to farmers and agricultural personnel to help with decisions related to prote
Jefferson Co. Soil Builders explore new management practices
Gloria Hafemeister
MILFORD – The new Jefferson County Soil Builders group is working to implement best management practices to reduce soil erosion and phosphorus runoff, increase soil organic matter and improve soil health.
The farmer-led coalition shared their ideas during the organization’s first field day last week, highlighting successful conservation and farming practices.
Jamie Patton was the guest speaker for the organization’s field day hosted by several farms near Milford. Patton, a senior outreach specialist with the University of Wisconsin‒Madison & Extension Nutrient and Pest Management Program, compared the differences in soil due to the varied management practices.
Smart lake gardening: Planning your nearshore garden
Extending your lakefront garden into the water opens an exciting new opportunity to enhance your property’s beauty and function.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” – Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden. Photo by Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension.
Extending your lakefront garden into the water opens an exciting new opportunity to enhance your property’s beauty and function. Elegant bulrush with pondweeds growing below create interest while providing safe shelter for many of the lakes’ fish, birds and other animals. Placing logs that extend from the shoreline edge out into the lake improves habitat further while also providing an attractive feature from both land and water. The water in front of your shoreline does not need to end your gardening; in fact, it might be one of your most important gardens.