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DATCP seeks public help tracking invasive spotted lanternfly

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State Ag officials are seeking the public’s help in tracking a new invasive species threat. Adult spotted lanternflies are active and laying egg masses in September and October.

While it has not yet been found in Wisconsin, the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is asking for help to monitor for the pest which has been found in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.

Adults are about one inch long and feature tan outer wings with black spots. The inner wings contain a mix of white, black, and red markings. They can be found feeding on hardwoods such as maple, cherry, willow, and apple. If you think you spot SLF in Wisconsin, report it right away at the DATCP website.

USDA natural disaster declaration for Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas counties

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Three additional counties in Wisconsin have been declared natural disaster areas due to drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas counties as primary natural disaster areas due to drought, according to a news release from the USDA’s Ashland office. Burnett, Iron, Price, Sawyer and Washburn counties are eligible as contiguous counties. All are in northwest Wisconsin.

The designation allows the USDA’s Farm Service Agency to extend emergency loans to meet recovery needs. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season ranging from “exceptional” to “severe” for eight or more consecutive weeks.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a disaster declaration for 18 southern Wisconsin counties because of drought conditions that started on July 4. The main counties identified were Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Jefferson and Sauk counties, with the surrounding counties also eligible under the declaration.

Dem Rebecca Cooke launches 3rd CD campaign

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A former Eau Claire small-business owner has launched a second campaign for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District. Democrat Rebecca Cooke’s announcement launches the 2024 race for a critical seat that could factor in Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the House.

Cooke is hoping to beat first term Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden. She finished second behind state Senator Brad Pfaff in last year’s Democratic primary. Pfaff lost the general election to Van Orden by some 12,000 votes. He blamed a lack of support from the national Democratic party for the loss.

Bill would address rural infrastructure repairs

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Rep. Tranel

A farmer who serves in the Wisconsin state Assembly says a road repair bill under consideration is a good start to fixing rural infrastructure. “Here, we find ourselves with some one-time money. I can’t think of a better use for it because the need is so great.”

Representative Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) testified this week that if the state doesn’t start now, it will never be able to upgrade rural infrastructure.

“We acknowledge that we are not going to be able to fix all 62,000 miles of town road at once, but there are some roads that make a lot of sense to invest in, and the way we decided to go about identifying those roads are roads that have a significant amount of economic activity.”))

Tranel said that some local roads and bridges can no longer handle the weight and wear of hauling ag and forestry products.

If passed and signed by Governor Tony Evers, the state would send $150 million of the projected state surplus to local governments to repair or upgrade restricted or damaged roads important to agriculture.

DNR asks you not to feed deer while snow is still on the ground

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Please don’t feed the deer this time of year.

DNR wildlife expert Amanda Kamps says trying to feed deer high-carbohydrate foods like corn could injure them right now, with the snowpack still on the ground. 

“Because they have their digestive system that’s naturally adapted to more that woody debris for the food that is readily available in the winter months.”

Kamps says you can help them out by providing more shelter like fallen trees and thicker vegetation. “It’s doing some of those other things that are actually more helpful to deer than providing them more of that artificial resource in the winter.”

Deer will naturally start to eat more nutrient-rich food once the weather clears and the snow melts. 

UW Madison based Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center receives funding renewal

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The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a UW–Madison based research center another five years of funding to develop sustainable alternative fuels.

“The mission of the Center is to make liquid transportation fuels and chemicals. Out of non food, crap material. It’s called lignocellulosic biomass. So we call them energy crops,” explains Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Director Tim Donohue.   

“We’re developing new crops that we’ll be able to use to make fuels and chemicals without the need for fertilizer and without the need of pesticide. Both of those are huge sources of co2 emissions.”

Donohue says the work can benefit Wisconsin agriculture. “Farmers who could use abundant corn stover and leftover soybean that’s not used to produce food now and converted into fuels and chemicals.”

The U.S. Department of Energy has The center was established in 2007 and is slated to receive $27.5 million this year, bringing the lifetime awards more than $410 million and making it the largest federally funded project in UW–Madison history. 

More than 100 participate in DNR wolf management plan listening session

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Over 100 people spoke at an online public listening session on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s wolf management plan on Tuesday night.

Lac Courte Oreilles tribal member Melissa Lewis said they are happy to see more areas made off-limits to hunting in the plan. “LCO supports the goal of ensuring a sustainable wolf population to achieve its ecological role on our landscape,” Lewis said.

But Crystal Huffman, a farmer from Shawano County, said she’s seen wolves on trail cams near her home and doesn’t want to see expansions of the no-hunting zones. “I oppose the creation of the buffer zones surrounding reservations. This takes away rights of private landowners. I also oppose the giving away wildlife management authority in these areas as well.”

Mike Brust of Wausau was upset that the session was online at all, rather than having in-person sessions. “The DNR wants to listen to a vegetarian sitting on her couch in California as much as a farmer in northern Wisconsin literally trying to save his farm.”

A number of tribal leaders spoke in favor of the changes, including the Menominee Tribe land management director Douglas Cox. “We’ll continue to protect it within our boundaries. Our tribal laws currently do not allow harvest of this animal and I don’t see us changing that.”

The DNR plans to expand buffer zones around tribal reservations that already do not allow the hunting of wolves, and move to an adaptive harvest goal rather than hard harvest quotas, the way the state currently handles deer and bear hunting.

The proposed plan would also get rid of hard numbers on a wolf quota and move to an adaptive management plan like those used for the deer and bear populations, and also adjusts wolf hunting boundaries to reflect where the wolves are currently living.

DNR hosts public listening session on wolf hunt this week

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Now’s your chance to make your views heard on the future of wolf management in Wisconsin.

A public listening session on Tuesday will go over the state’s current plan, and possible future wolf hunts. DNR large carnivore specialist Randy Johnson says getting the public’s input is vital. 

“We are in the midst of a public review and comment period for our draft wolf management plan. And so this is providing another opportunity for folks to share their thoughts with us.”

Johnson says that while a wolf hunt is currently not possible due to federal regulations, they need to be ready for one. “We want to make sure we have a good management plan in place to help guide that season. But again, it’s a management plan that is broader than just a wolf season.”

You have until noon on Monday to sign up on the DNR’s website to make a public statement, but you can also leave written comments. The hearing is Tuesday at 4 pm and you can watch it on the DNR’s YouTube page.

 

DNR seeks public comment on updated wolf management plan

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The Department of Natural Resources will be taking public comments on the future of the state’s wolf management plan next month.

DNR Large Carnivore Specialist Randy Johnson says that while wolves are currently under federal protection, a plan should be in place.

“As long as they are federally protected, the state has no authority to implement a wolf season one way or the other. However, again, if history is our teacher here, that status is likely to change at some point in the future.”

Johnson says it’s important to have everyone’s views before moving forward. “Wolves are controversial. A lot of folks have strong opinions. And so it’s important that folks have every opportunity to share their thoughts with us.”

You’ll have until the end of February to add your comments, and that live hearing will be on February 7th. You can find out more online at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/wolfmanagementplan

High wholesale prices to blame for rise in egg prices, says WGA president

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High egg prices across the county are due to high wholesale prices from producers.

Large egg companies have more than doubled the wholesale price of eggs over the last year.  Wisconsin Grocers Association president Brandon Scholz says those prices aren’t something a local grocer can easily absorb. 

“Grocers margins, especially in something that’s perishable, like dairy, eggs, produce meat, those sorts of things, you know, you got to sell it. And if you don’t, you can’t get your money back.”

Scholz says you should shop around to see if you can’t find better deals on locally produced eggs. “You’re gonna find some that are maybe private label that is priced lower than what you might find from a national brand, or maybe an organic product.”

Agriculture advocacy group Farm Action is calling for an FTC investigation into possible price fixing after reports that the company behind Eggland’s Best and Land o Lakes saw a 600 percent increase in profits on egg sales last year.