A woman wearing a protective face mask standing in front of a tractor that holds recently harvested potatoes.

Managing a farm during COVID-19 – resources for farm employers and employees

The COVID-19 pandemic has become much more serious and has brought the need for business health, safety and continuity planning to the forefront. UW-Madison Extension provides resources for farm employers to communicate with employees and family members regarding plans to keep them safe, healthy, and working.

End of Year Considerations and 2020 Tax Planning for Farmers

As 2020 approaches an end, cash basis farmers may need to seek trusted advice for year-end considerations. Various financial factors contributed to a year that saw many challenges including a world-wide pandemic. Farmers have several tools available to assist with managing their tax liability, however some of these tools need to be taken advantage of prior to December 31, 2020.

Cow College 2021 offered as a webinar series

Cow College 2021 meetings and tours have moved to a virtual format. Learn about robotic milking, heifer inventory management and farm tours with feed and crops updates.

PPP Loan Forgiveness– Live webinar offered Dec. 11th on what farmers need to know

It’s year-end financial and tax planning time for a many Wisconsin farms, which means gathering all the receipts and documentation needed for the accountant or tax preparer. Farms that obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan through an independent lender, administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), may also find this to be a good time to review the application steps for PPP loan forgiveness. Farmers with questions about making forgiveness applications can join a live web meeting on Friday, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m.

Heart of the Farm – Women in Agriculture ‘Coffee Chat’ features self-care tips for the holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Unfortunately, it doesn’t always feel that way. The second online session of the Heart of the Farm -Women in Agriculture online Coffee Chats will be featuring some quick self-care tips to take care of both your mind and body during the holidays.

UW-Madison Extension presents farm viability webinar for farm succession professionals

Farmers may be “On the Fence” in this current economic climate. “On the Fence” means they are not sure which direction their business should be moving. Should they move forward and push through short-term cash flow issues? Or are they in need of protecting their equity for themselves or future generations? The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension is partnering with the Wisconsin Farm Succession Professionals Network (WiFSPN) to present a webinar that will focus on how to help farm clientele evaluate their farm’s long-term viability.

Communicating with those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing during COVID-19

Learn basic communications strategies for interacting more comfortably and providing accommodations to ensure effective communication.

Extension winter programming goes online with Farm Ready Research webinar series

Beginning in December 2020 and continuing through April 2021, Extension experts will host webinars throughout the week on topics ranging from determining cost of production to preventing on-farm injuries to navigating your farm business. Visit go.wisc.edu/FarmReadyResearch to see the full list of topics and to register for sessions.

University of Wisconsin-Madison demographers part of research team to win national excellence award for rural population research

UW-Madison Applied Population Laboratory’s Katherine Curtis, Daniel Veroff, and Malia Jones are part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institution research team that was recently awarded the National Excellence in Multistate Research Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This prestigious and highly competitive award recognizes scientists who conduct exemplary research and outreach efforts across multiple states and in doing so enhance the visibility of USDA multistate programs.

New Wisconsin partnerships focus on farmer health and well-being

Ongoing economic conditions continue to take a toll on Wisconsin’s rural communities. These conditions have led to many concerns about the high levels of farm stress, health concerns, and increased suicide risk. UW-Madison Extension is working with partners to provide education, resources, and support to mitigate farm stress and reduce suicide risk in rural communities.