Spring field activities have been accelerated because of the cool, wet start.  Ben Jarboe finds out about insects adding more pressure to the system. Dr. Emily Bick, UW-Entomologist says that alfalfa weevil seem to be a little delayed in their presence this spring. Bick says it's important that farmers don't lose sight on the threat the small insect can bring to an otherwise healthy alfalfa field.

It'll be another breezy day around Wisconsin which continues to help with drying field conditions.  Stu Muck says milder temperatures may be hard to notice with the breeze.

With those drier field conditions, more acres of corn have been planted.  Pam Jahnke finds out what worries Cooper Humphries, district sales manager with Wyffels Hybrids.  Humphries says his biggest concern is proper field preparation.  Humphries notes if sidewalls are compacted around that seed, it will cost yield in the end.  Paid for by Wyffels Hybrid.

Meet Jessica Moor from Wilson!  She's another candidate for the 79th Alice in Dairyland position.  Moor has dabbled in several different career areas, including completing a business administration degree at UW-River Falls.  She's currently a dental assistant, but ready to take on Alice's duties!

Good ideas were swirling on the UW-Madison campus Tuesday during the annual Dairy Innovation Hub's spring summit.  Chuck Nicholson, professor of supply chain management at Penn State University and a UW-Madison affiliate in the Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences presented on Tuesday.  He's completed a survey showing consumers would love a lactose-free ice cream option.  Nicholson says reducing lactose in ice cream is a  relatively simple process that involves adding a substance to the mix to break lactose down into its two component sugars. A study using a real-life auction revealed that lactose-intolerant consumers significantly value lactose-free ice cream over regular or reduced-lactose options. The study found that a person's specific degree of lactose tolerance is a major predictor of how much they value lactose-free dairy products. Despite the higher value placed on it by certain consumers, both local outlets like the UW Babcock store and national brands like Breyers currently price lactose-free ice cream the same as regular ice cream. Initial rough evaluations suggest that the increased costs of ingredients and labor to produce lactose-free ice cream are lower than the value consumers are willing to pay for it -- a valuable opportunity for ice cream manufacturers.