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Flooding and storms damaged your crops but you still have the need for feed over the winter months ahead. Or you’ve had a good growing season and find yourself with some extra hay, forages or corn that you’d like to sell. Making the connections between these two situations is the purpose behind the Farmer to […]
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As you start to clean up after being hit by floodwaters and storm damage, you also start to add up the cost of these damages. Stress also adds up as individuals try to keep track of additional expenses and perhaps lost wages for time away from work due to flooding and clean up. A few […]
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Rain events during August produced localized flooding affecting numerous corn fields. Recent high winds combined with saturated soils have resulted in lodged corn. All this is occurring at the dent growth stage (R5) as we head into corn silage harvest season. Heavy silage harvest equipment can further damage soils by causing compaction which could influence […]
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The phone has been ringing off the hook over the past week. In fact, this morning I had to dump my voicemail as it wouldn’t take any more messages. Why is that? For those of you who have been traveling the southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois countryside, you know why. Holy tar spot, Batman! Tar […]
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PDF Version Key Facts Whenever possible, wait for drier soil conditions before entering fields. Reduce axles loads and lower equipment tire pressures. Keep axle widths similar when purchasing equipment. Manage equipment traffic patterns to minimize tire tracks. Rutting may not indicate that deep tillage or subsoiling is needed. Surface tillage alone may be sufficient to […]
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The Flood’s Over – Now What? When flooding has occurred, food safety begins. Never take a chance with food that may have been contaminated. Food-borne bacteria often cannot be detected by taste, smell or appearance. If in doubt – throw it out! Flood water often contains sewage from municipal systems, septic tanks, lagoons and pastures. […]
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Plant roots, like people, need oxygen for respiration. That’s why a flood can stress a plant and even, if roots are submerged long enough, kill it. “Effects of Flooding on Woody Landscape Plants” by Laura Jull, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, UW Department of Horticulture, provides information on immediate and long-term care of trees and […]
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Because of the high stress levels in farm communities, people who work in agriculture experience higher reported rates of depression and suicide. The following checklist provided by the National Institute of Mental Health lists some common symptoms depression. To help decide whether you or people you care about need support and treatment for depression, please […]
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The website www.farmers.gov/recover is a great resource for producers who have internet access. Producers can work through a few questions about their losses and be informed of the programs they may qualify for. In addition, the website tells them what they need to bring to their local FSA office and what forms they will have […]
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Severe flooding over the weekend has many low-lying soybean fields underwater. As the water dissipates yield potential and replant questions will arise. Flooding can be divided into either water-logging, where only the roots are flooded, or complete submergence where the entire plants are under water (VanToai et al., 2001). Water-logging is more common than complete […]
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Recent rains have caused flooding and ponding in many cornfields. Growers are concerned about corn growth and development and any yield effects that might occur from short periods of flooding. Many crop fields were completely destroyed, while others were left with varying degrees of damage. Before making any decisions about your fields, you should document […]
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Dusty conditions are common on farms when working with grain, hay, silage and other products. Recent wet conditions from excess rain and flooding often makes these issues worse especially as products begin to grow mold and deteriorate. In addition, even during normal times, in the fall, Wisconsin producers work feverishly to get crops harvested before […]
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