Canada thistle is a big headache for livestock producers managing pastures. Animals won’t eat this spiny, tough plant, reducing productivity of pastures and livestock. Despite being on Wisconsin’s noxious weed list and a target for serious control for many years, it is still a significant, widespread problem.

Organic food sales in the U.S. have grown 20% or more annually for the past decade and remain strong. A new report details the growth […]

To take maximum advantage of pasture growth, dairy farmers using rotational grazing often have a short (less than 3 month) spring calving window as a goal. But this is difficult to achieve. CIAS-supported research on a Wisconsin grazing farm shows that the Ovsynch breeding program, while successful on confinement dairy farms, can be problematic on grazing dairy farms.

If you follow practices that build and maintain soil organic matter, especially through the addition of organic amendments, you will improve the quality of your […]

Composting is controlled decomposition, the natural breakdown process of organic residues. Composting transforms raw organic waste materials into biologically stable, humic substances that make excellent […]

Sooty blotch and flyspeck are fungal diseases that can reduce the economic value of fresh market apples. While these diseases don’t affect yield or quality below the surface, they can badly discolor apple skin. These diseases are especially serious for growers using integrated pest management (IPM) and organic practices.

Is kura clover a good legume choice in rotationally grazed pastures? A study conducted at the UW Lancaster Agricultural Research Station says yes, with excellent beef production on kura clover/grass pastures. Kura’s persistence and leafy growth led to higher Holstein steer growth rates on kura/grass pastures than red clover/grass pastures.

Despite volatile milk prices, hundreds of new farmers get started in dairying each year. Compared to other types of livestock farming, dairying can provide a higher income per animal, monthly paychecks, and, in many areas, more markets.

You don’t need to take over a family farm, or even grow up on a farm, to be a successful dairy farmer in Wisconsin. You […]

Dairy farmers can reduce their purchased inputs without cutting into their profits. An ongoing twelve-year study of two forage rotations similar to those found on […]