World Pork Expo provides pork producers the information they need to best manage their operations. National Pork Producers Council President Elect Randy Spronk says this year’s Pork Expo has plenty of information for producers utilize. As Spronk look ahead to the remainder of 2012 – he says things look pretty good for the pork industry.
President elect says pork industry looks bright
June 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Assessing the Chevy Volt
March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The WPS Farm Show has always provided a showcase for the latest in technology and this year is no exception. One of the new technologies is the Chevy Volt, WPS has partnered with the Electric Power Research Institute to assess the new car through 2013. The car is at the show where Carrie Rouse is talking to people and answering questions. “The electric charge will take you 35 to 40 miles per charge in warmer temperatures, in the winter we get about 25 miles per charge then the gasoline generator will kick in and take you another 300-plus miles.” The car has a 1.4 liter motor and Rouse says people have been impressed with the take-off, “It goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 9 seconds.”
It takes 8 to 10 hours to charge the car on 120-volt, about half the time on a 240-volt source. One of the things WPS wants to assess is just how much their electrical system needs to grow to meet the need if-and-when electric cars become more popular.
Wisconsin farmers are in pretty good financial shape
March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Overall, the mood is quite optimistic at the WPS Farm Show this year, dairy producers had a very good year in 2011 and while milk prices will not be as good this year, producers are in good financial shape. Larry Johnson is Regional Vice President with GreenStone Farm Credit Services, he says a lot of debt was paid down over the past year and most farmers “are in pretty good financial health going into this year”. As for credit availability, “money is available for anybody right now.”
A big factor this year is increasing land prices; Johnson says no one knows for sure if this is a bubble although we are not seeing the size of increases in Wisconsin we have witnessed in neighboring states like Iowa. Another big factor in Wisconsin is dairy producers are looking at land more from a feed production and manure management aspect than from just a cash crop basis. That tends to make prices more realistic.
With dairy futures indicating lower milk prices through 2012, many financial advisors are steering their producers toward more risk management utilizing the tools available to secure their milk price, their inputs and their margins.
Johnson is also optimistic about the future of dairying in Wisconsin as he has seen the next generation coming into operations. “The average age of our farmers over the past ten years has remained the same which means we are getting those younger farmers in.”
AUDIO:Johnson talks about the year ahead 6:50 mp3
Milk or grains, market volatility has become the “norm”
March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
There is no doubt one of the most discussed items at the WPS Farm Show this year is the ag economy. Volatility is the predominant factor in dairy markets, grain markets and the U.S. and world economy. Mark Ludtke with Stewart- Peterson says on the diary side, there is a lot of milk being produced across the country and while demand has been good, it’s hard to keep pace with the increased production.
On the grain side, “We have a unique year here,” says Ludtke. We have low stocks going into the year but all indications are farmers are going to plant early and plant a lot of corn this year which would indicate large ending stocks. “However, we’ve always got the weather issue, that’s a real wildcard especially when we are working with thin stocks like we have right now.”
Another wildcard is the still unresolved issues in the European economy. Ludtke says if that credit market falls apart it would have a ripple effect around the world, “and it could really create some issues for our grain markets and our milk markets here.”
China presents another “unknown” this year, Ludtke says while it is a very important market, “the concern that I keep hearing is that they might be a net-import country by the end of this year.” He says if that happens, what does it do to their buying power if they are not exporting as much as they are importing? “They may not have all of the cash available that they have had over the past few years to sustain things in the world economy as they have.”
Ludtke talks about the markets 6:00 mp3
This year’s WFTD toy has quite a story
March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The next major farm show in Wisconsin will be Farm Technology Days. This year the show will be July 17, 18 and 19 north of New London in Outagamie County. Two neighboring farms will host the show this year, Sugar Creek Farm and Heideman Farms. General Manager Ron Schuler says the two differ in that Heideman Farms milks 75 cows and crops 850 acres and are custom harvesters. Sugar Creek Farm is a 1,200-cow freestall operation with a double 20 milking parlor on 1,700 acres.
While the show will have many of the usual features, tent city, field demonstrations etc., there are always some things unique to the show and the area. One such unique item this year is the Farm Technology Days toy; it is a 1/16th scale model of the 1974 self-propelled 6644 Fox Forage Harvester. Advanced orders for the harvester can be placed at the Outagamie Farm Technology Days booth at the WPS Farm Show this week or on their website found here.
The WPS Farm Show today through Thursday
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The WPS Farm Show this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the E.A.A. Grounds in Oshkosh. Rob Juneau heads-up the show for WPS he says they have around 475 exhibitors at the show this year filling four large hangars plus the outdoor area. This is the tenth year that the show has been at the E.A.A. Grounds, a move that has allowed the show to grow dramatically.
There are educational seminars at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day plus a kid’s pedal tractor pull on Wednesday and an FFA silent auction all three days.
The show runs 9 to 4 Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 to 3 on Thursday. There is a per-car parking fee on the grounds but admission to the show is free.
AUDIO: Juneau talks about the show 6:40 mp3
Visit the WPS Farm Show website for schedules, maps etc here:
The benefits of 4-wire electrical on your farm
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
One of the most popular displays at the WPS Farm Show each year is the WPS booth. Cory Kuchta is Ag Market Leader for WPS and he says this year they are featuring the benefits of a 4-wire system on a farm. Kuchta says there is nothing wrong with a properly-functioning 3-wire system but they are susceptible to problems making the 4-wire system a good insurance plan.
He says a lot has changed in the dairy industry in the 15 years he has been doing this and that is what makes this farm show so successful in that it features the newest technology and the latest answers for today’s producer. The WPS Farm Show runs Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 to 4 and Thursday from 9 to 3 at the E.A.A. Grounds in Oshkosh.
Renewable energy options for your farm
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
One of the features of the WPS Farm Show is educational seminars offered each day at the show. On Tuesday afternoon, Jenny Heinzen with Midwest Renewable Energy Association will talk about “Renewable Energy Options for Your Farm”. Heinzen says she will talk about all different types of small-scale renewable projects for the farm including solar, wind, geothermal and others. She will be talking about the cost and payback time for various systems. Heinzen’s seminar is Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m.
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