Two regional crops educators with UW-Madison Extension in Wisconsin combining our skills, knowledge, and experience to help farmers and agronomists develop research-based solutions to issues facing agriculture in Wisconsin.
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Two regional crops educators with UW-Madison Extension in Wisconsin combining our skills, knowledge, and experience to help farmers and agronomists develop research-based solutions to issues facing agriculture in Wisconsin.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this fourth episode of the BMPs of NMPs, Hava Blair and Andrea Topper join host Landon Baumgartner to unpack how Wisconsin’s diverse soils and sensitive land features shape farming practices. They explore the unique challenges of regions like the Driftless Area, Central Sands, and Silurian bedrock zones, and explain common restrictions such as setbacks near water bodies, wells, and wetlands. The discussion highlights differences between 590 farms and CAFO operations, and introduces SnapPlus, Wisconsin’s free nutrient management planning software that helps farmers visualize soil types, sensitive features, and regulatory requirements on their own fields.
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In the second episode of the BMPs of NMPs, Daniel Smith of UW-Madison Extension's Nutrient and Pest Management program and Sara Walling of Clean Wisconsin talk about the current and future status of of Wisconsin's 590 Nutrient Management Standard, adoption of these practices throughout the state, and our history of using the best available science to ensure farm profitability and sustainability. Looking beyond 2026, we discuss how a mix of nitrogen loss reduction, rural public health, and continued emphasis on phosphorus surface runoff will continue to motivate the future of conservation, leaning into Wisconsin’s unique investments in research, technology, programming, and tools that support them all.
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This is a special series from Field Notes produced with the help of the Nutrient and Pest Management (NPM) team at UW-Madison Extension and guest-hosted by Landon Baumgartner (Southwest Regional Outreach Specialist for NPM). Across six episodes, we dive into the fundamentals and best management practices (BMPs) of Nutrient Management Planning (NMP) in Wisconsin, so we couldn't help by calling the series the BMPs of NMPs.
On this first episode, Andrea Topper (DATCP Nutrient Management Outreach Specialist), and Chris Clark (Northeast Regional Outreach Specialist for the Nutrient and Pest Management Program), bring diverse perspectives on nutrient management from across the state. Whether you're new to nutrient management or looking to refresh your understanding, this episode offers a grounded, accessible entry point into the topic—perfect for farmers, educators, and conservation professionals alike.
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Before dairy, wheat was king in Wisconsin. Between 1840 and 1880, the state was largest wheat producer in United States, providing a full sixth of the nation's supply. Today, wheat is 5% of total grain crop (corn, soy, wheat) acres in the state. While there are benefits to having wheat in the rotation and a healthy local market for straw, a higher potential for dockages due to quality standards than corn or soy can be a deterrent for farmers. We talk with Charlie Hammer a farmer near Beaver Dam and independent crop consultant Bill Stangel of Soil Solutions Consulting about how they manage their significant wheat acreage in Dodge County to keep DON levels low and test weight high to meet grade and push yields.
Photo taken by Richard Hurd and under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
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Excess water, drought, and water quality are frequent topics in Wisconsin’s agricultural community. We sit down with Mallika Nocco, assistant professor and extension specialist in agrohydrology from UW-Madison to discuss water conservation: What is it, why does it matter for Wisconsin farmers, and what are practical ways we can implement it on the landscape? Listen in now to hear all about it.
Photo: University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms
Follow Up Resources
UW-Madison Extension Ag Water Quality: https://agwater.extension.wisc.edu/
UW-Madison Extension Crop Irrigation:
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/cropirrigation/
Find Your Local NRCS Service Center:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/wisconsin
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Much time has been spent on the environmental benefits of conservation agriculture. But, do practices like reduced tillage and cover crops pencil out for farmers, and how do we figure that out? In the second episode of this two-fer on the economics of conservation, we talk with Jake Kaderly, who works as a crop consultant under the name Kaderly Ag and farms 330 acres in Green County, for the farmer's take on how he pencils out conservation practices.
Jake's farm was profiled in an American Farmland Trust Soil Health Case Study that runs some of these numbers and is referred to in the episode. You can find the report here.
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Much time has been spent on the environmental benefits of conservation agriculture. But, do practices like reduced tillage and cover crops pencil out for farmers, and how do we figure that out? In the first episode of this two-fer on the economics of conservation, we talk with Jeff Hadachek, Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor of Ag Economics at UW-Madison, to get the economist's take on why economics is a useful tool when talking about conservation practices and adoption.
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Heard about the Haney test and want to learn more about how it might be used in Wisconsin? Listen in while we chat with leading UW researchers and outreach specialists Chris Bandura, John Jones, and Andrew Stammer on this topic. We dive in deep discussing how the Haney test can be used practically on-farm, how it calculates fertility recommendations differently than other soil tests, and what that means for Wisconsin cropping systems.
Photo by Chris Clark
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Wisconsin infrastructure for grain markets and the ability to drop off grains at the nearest elevator incentivizes corn and soybean (and wheat to a lesser extent) rotations. Breaking outside that box and finding alternative grain markets can yield dividends in price premiums and extended crop rotations enhancing farm resilience to drops in commodity prices and other external shocks. We talk with Willie Hughes, an organic and conventional grain farmer in Rock County, and Alyssa Hartman of the Artisan Grain Collaborative about how they navigate finding, complying with and knitting together these differentiated markets.
Photo taken by Willie Hughes
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