Tom Odeen handles crop insurance for M & I Bank, he says that new Standard Reinsurance Agreement with USDA will mean some changes but most producers will not really notice any difference. He also talks about some deadlines coming up and the need to utilize crop insurance.
Changes with SRA and crop insurance
July 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Opportunities for careers in agriculture
July 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This show is right in the back yard of one of the premier agriculture colleges in the country. Dale Gallenberg is Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. He says enrollment at the college is strong and the opportunities are there for those interested in a career in agriculture. He says that even though we have an increasing urban population, the need for agriculture is going to grow.
Time for Wisconsin Farm Technology Days
July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Wisconsin Farm Technology Days this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Pierce County. When Roger and Beverly Peterson were selected as the host farm a few years ago, it was an 80-cow dairy operation. Since that time, a couple of their children decided they wanted to come back on the farm and the decision was made to expand. Within the last year, they built a free stall and milking parlor operation with 250 in the herd. Roger says it was a tough decision at this point of his life but it has worked out well and it is great to have the kids back on the farm.
AUDIO: Roger Peterson talks about his family and their farm
Visit the Pierce County Farm Technology Days website here:
The County Extension Agent is key
July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Since Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is the property of the University of Wisconsin Extension that means the county extension agent is always heavily involved as Executive Secretary for the show. This year that job belongs to Greg Andrews. He has been in Pierce County for over 25 years and has seen a lot of changes during that time. Like other areas, there has been a lot of modernization and consolidation in farms but the sprawl from the Twin Cities has prompted growth of small, hobby farms as well. Another big influence in the area is the University of Wisconsin River Falls especially the college of agriculture.
He is excited to have the show in Pierce County, the first time ever and welcomes the chance to show off agriculture in his county. The fact that tent city will have one of the biggest footprints ever is evidence of the strong support for the show from the area.
AUDIO: Greg Andrews talks about Pierce County
Visit the Pierce County Farm Technology Days website here:
Bringing the show to Pierce County for the first time
July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
One of the unique features of Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is the fact it is a travelling show, it moves around to a different host county each year. The show is bid at least three-years in advance which means at all times there are three separate county committees operating at various stages. Mel Pittman is Chair of the Pierce County Executive Committee and like those before him, he cannot say enough about the army of volunteers that step up to make a show successful. He says it has also been a complete pleasure to work with the Petersons as the host family.
AUDIO: Pittman talks about his county, his committee and the show
Visit the Pierce County Farm Technology Days website
Brad Peterson..host family/field demonstrations
July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Brad Peterson will be a very busy guy this week, not only is he part of the host Peterson Family Farm, he is also heading-up the field demonstrations. Brad is one of the reasons the farm recently expanded, he was an agronomist with Land O’Lakes for about five years and then decided he wanted to come back on the farm. The expansion has meant big changes on the farm going to a free stall, milking parlor, bunker silos and different management style.
As for the field demonstrations, there will be about 70 acres of wheat grain for harvest, they will be making hay including bagging and wrapping and new this year, an “equipment walk-around time” in the field during the noon hour. There will also be tiling demonstrations each day.
AUDIO: Brad Peterson talks about the farm and the show
WFTD Daily Schedule here:
Another big show from Mills Fleet Farm
July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Five years ago, Mills Fleet Farm did an expansive display at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The display was such a hit, the company decided to do it every year. Mark Stelzl puts the show together each year and he has a lot lined up again this year. This year they will feature three horse hitches, the Meyer Farms ten-horse Belgian pyramid hitch, the Preifert Percheron Texas Thunder six-horse hitch and the Milk Buds.
Once again there will be horse trainers: Lynn Palm on Tuesday, Mike Richardson on Wednesday and John Lyons on Thursday.
There will be continuous entertainment in both arenas along with more than 50 vendors within the display showing off the various products available at Mills Fleet Farm.
AUDIO: Mark Stelzl talks about the display
The daily arena schedule here:
WFTD will offer tours for non-farmers
July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Each year Wisconsin Farm Technology Days tries to attract non-farmers to the show but the reality is, a lot of what is on display is quite foreign to those not involved in agriculture. Last year, Jay Richardson ran, a farmer from Spring Valley ran into just such a situation at Crave Brothers Farm. “A gentleman walked up to me and asked what is that piece of equipment? I explained what it was and he was tickled to death, it was just like I made his day by taking 30 seconds to explain something to him.” But that got Richardson thinking and so this year he and a group of farmers from around the state and Minnesota will offer “courtesy tours” of tent city to the non-farm attendees
The tours are free, they will be set up in the Applied Technologies tent, all they have to do is walk up and once they have eight to twelve people, they’ll do a tour. Richardson says the ultimate goal is to build relationships between farmers and non-farmers.
Glenn Thompson’s last show
July 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The end of the 2009 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days on Thursday marked the end of Glenn Thompson’s tenure as General Manager of the show. After 18 years, Thompson is retiring. The former U.W. Extension agent says the thing he treasures most is the people he has come to know, “I’ve been blessed with fine cooperators over the years.”
The shows are bid at least three years in advance and that means Thompson was usually working with three county committees at the same time and each one is at a different stage of the process. He enjoyed watching those committees evolve. “Every county has tremendous teamwork and great leadership that develops over the early months but they never really gel until about a year before the show, then everything seems to come together.” He says when they start to joke and kid each other, that’s when they are a team.
Thompson can’t say enough about the U.W. Extension agents in the counties he has worked with because in each case, they are the Executive Secretary of the show. They must take the lead role and provide the initial leadership. He says the best ones get things going and then let the volunteers take over, “and in most cases, that really happens.” Thompson was the Extension Agent in Sheboygan County when they hosted the show in 1975.
The host families are also a crucial part of this show. “They are very supportive people otherwise they would not have raised their hand and said I’ll do this.” He has seen a lot of changes in the show over the years but the biggest difference he sees is in the host farms. “Going from a one-or-two-person family farm to a multi-family farm and it is still a family farm. The Crave Brothers are a prime example of this.”
On a personal note, I have known Glenn from both the media standpoint and as a member of the Clark County Executive Committee for the 2005 show. From the media standpoint, I remember when he took the job 18 years ago; he has always been straightforward and readily accessible to us. He always made us feel that we are an important part of the success of each show. Glenn always had time to talk to us.
My real appreciation for Glenn came as a member of the Clark County Executive Committee. It was over that three-year period that I came to fully understand just what this guy does, how he is dealing with three different county committees, usually in opposite corners of the state at the same time. In so many ways he was like the father who knew the kids would eventually grow into what was expected of them.
I hope he has many years of enjoyable retirement and I hope to see him many more times in the future. By the way Glenn, I still haven’t seen a picture of you in a Clark County shirt!
WFTD a big success
July 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Despite a rain delay on Wednesday, Wisconsin Farm Technology Days wrapped up a very successful run in Dodge County yesterday. Preliminary numbers show nearly 80,000 people attended the show this year with Wednesday being the biggest day as more than 28,000 went through the gates.
As expected, the Crave Brothers dairy operation was a big draw as more than 30,000 took the tram-tour of the farm over the three days.
Dodge County Executive Committee chair Dave Frohling commended the volunteers and the Craves for making the show such a success, “its obvious people take pride in agriculture and their community.”
Next year the show moves to western Wisconsin, Pierce County hosted by the Roger and Bev Peterson family near River Falls.
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