Millions of dollars have been dedicated to expanding broadband access to rural Wisconsin, but many residents are saying "where is it?".

Sue Dierksen, Volunteer Advocate for AARP of WI, is one of those waiting on broadband.  She lives in Lincoln County and struggles everyday to communicate and stay connected.

She speaks with Pam Jahnke about efforts to work with legislators for high speed internet and cell phone service in rural areas, and why expansion of broadband is such an important issue in Wisconsin?

Dierksen also explains why broadband is so critically important for older Wisconsinites living in rural areas?

Millions of dollars have been dedicated to expanding broadband access to rural Wisconsin, but many residents are saying "where is it?".
Sue Dierksen, Volunteer Advocate for <a href="https://states.aarp.org/wisconsin/?cmp=RDRCT-ICM-WELCOMEKIT-STATES-WI">AARP of W</a>I, is one of those waiting on broadband.  She lives in Lincoln County and struggles everyday to communicate and stay connected.
She speaks with Pam Jahnke about efforts to work with legislators for high speed internet and cell phone service in rural areas, and why expansion of broadband is such an important issue in Wisconsin?
Dierksen also explains why broadband is so critically important for older Wisconsinites living in rural areas?

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Daily audio and podcasts from the Mid-West Farm Report Madison!

Daily audio and podcasts from the Mid-West Farm Report Madison!

Ugh Broadband - Where Is It?  Sue Dierksen - AARP

It’s already started – the back-and-forth weather in a Wisconsin winter that could bring balmy humidity one day and ice the next. The question we’re asking today is how can the environment where you keep your young animals better help you protect them from diseases when we get temperature swings? Eric Rooker with Dairy Doctors works with dairy calves in east central Wisconsin - his customer’s herds range from 30-head to 3,000. He has five considerations for producers this season: 1) know if you have a problem 2) increase calories 3) deep and clean bedding 4) immune modulation and 5) air quality preservation.

It’s already started – the back-and-forth weather in a Wisconsin winter that could bring balmy humidity one day and ice the next. The question we’re asking today is how can the environment where you keep your young animals better help you protect them from diseases when we get temperature swings? Eric Rooker with Dairy Doctors works with dairy calves in east central Wisconsin - his customer’s herds range from 30-head to 3,000. He has five considerations for producers this season: 1) know if you have a problem 2) increase calories 3) deep and clean bedding 4) immune modulation and 5) air quality preservation.

5 Calf Considerations This Winter

Sitting down for a hot meal with loved ones is a luxury that most of us have every day. But for Wisconsin’s rural seniors who may be homebound, isolated, and unable to prepare their own food… the story is different. Ronda James is the nutrition program director at the Aging and Disability Resource Center in Central Wisconsin. They serve Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, and Wood counties with the Meals on Wheels program. 
Just last year, their small team and 350+ volunteers delivered 145,000 meals to more than 1,300 residents. Unfortunately, James says their costs have gone up about 30 percent as the demand for the program also grows. She says Wisconsin's older population (60+) has skyrocketed in the past decade. Nearly a third of that entire population is rural. James says the Meals on Wheels program would not exist without volunteers. Delivery routes sometimes creep up to 60 miles in total. That's 30 miles from a "city center" such as Merrill, Antigo, or Wisconsin Rapids. Marathon County is the largest geographic county in Wisconsin, so it's hard to reach the farthest corners of the county with volunteers because it takes 80-100 miles in a day, James says. We also hear from volunteer Tony Omernik who says the work is worth it.

Sitting down for a hot meal with loved ones is a luxury that most of us have every day. But for Wisconsin’s rural seniors who may be homebound, isolated, and unable to prepare their own food… the story is different. Ronda James is the nutrition program director at the Aging and Disability Resource Center in Central Wisconsin. They serve Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, and Wood counties with the Meals on Wheels program.  Just last year, their small team and 350+ volunteers delivered 145,000 meals to more than 1,300 residents. Unfortunately, James says their costs have gone up about 30 percent as the demand for the program also grows. She says Wisconsin's older population (60+) has skyrocketed in the past decade. Nearly a third of that entire population is rural. James says the Meals on Wheels program would not exist without volunteers. Delivery routes sometimes creep up to 60 miles in total. That's 30 miles from a "city center" such as Merrill, Antigo, or Wisconsin Rapids. Marathon County is the largest geographic county in Wisconsin, so it's hard to reach the farthest corners of the county with volunteers because it takes 80-100 miles in a day, James says. We also hear from volunteer Tony Omernik who says the work is worth it.

Rural Meals On Wheels Feels The Pinch As Demand Rises

With new USDA regulations requiring electronic I.D. ear tags for some cattle, it has led to some farmers looking for the best option. There is a tag that was created that meets these standards and even detects signs of sickness in cattle before it occurs. The tag can also detect when a cow is in heat and sends an alert to your phone. Gerard Griffioen, the owner of CowManager explains what gave him the idea for this type of tag and how this small tag is able to do so much all from the cow's ear.

With new USDA regulations requiring electronic I.D. ear tags for some cattle, it has led to some farmers looking for the best option. There is a tag that was created that meets these standards and even detects signs of sickness in cattle before it occurs. The tag can also detect when a cow is in heat and sends an alert to your phone. Gerard Griffioen, the owner of CowManager explains what gave him the idea for this type of tag and how this small tag is able to do so much all from the cow's ear.

Ugh Broadband - Where Is It? Sue Dierksen - AARP

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MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

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