The small community of Blair, WI was rocked when a cheese plant that's been there for decades said it was changing.  Sarah Schmidt, communications coordinator for Associated Milk Producers Incorporated(AMPI) tells Jill Welke that the lure of the cottage cheese market became too much for their board of directors.  In March, some 86 employees will be laid off while they transition the award winning cheddar plant into a top notch cottage cheese manufacturer.  Schmidt says while some may question whether the cottage cheese phase has peaked, their numbers show it's just growing.  Those same employees will largely be welcomed back to the "new" plant when it reopens in 2027.

More spring-like weather for Wisconsin today with possible 50's by the weekend.  That's the news that Stu Muck delivers.

We've heard time and time again that with technology today, it's almost impossible for a human to be able to execute deals as quickly as a computer.  Same thing goes if you're involved in an auction.  Ashley Huhn from the Steffes Group tells Pam Jahnke about their Price App and what it offers anyone who downloads it.  Huhn says by having this tool, you'll never miss a bid and be in the action as long as you want.


The WI Ag Tourism Association has nominated 7 of its members from across the state for the Governor's Tourism Awards to be presented in March.  Pam Jahnke runs down the nominees.

Wisconsin's wine making industry may seem to be in its infancy, but it's far more advanced than you think.  Take it from a California wine expert.  Kiley Allan introduces us to Zoran  Ljepovic, lecturer at UC Davis and a renowned wine maker.  He says while California wines cannot be directly applied to Wisconsin, there are some shared lessons. In Wisconsin's cool climate, a 10–20% loss of vines due to cold snaps is considered an expected cost of doing business, whereas a 3–5% loss in a region like Napa would be seen as a major crisis.  Ljepovic says he'd encouraged Wisconsin winemakers to move away from trying to replicate king varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and instead embrace and market local, specialized cultivars (such as Marquette) that thrive in the region.  The wine expert also says beyond the technical challenges, he views wine as a historical and social art form intended to bring people together, noting that any wine, regardless of the grape, is worth enjoying if it is well-crafted.

The small community of Blair, WI was rocked when a cheese plant that's been there for decades said it was changing.&nbsp; Sarah Schmidt, communications coordinator for Associated Milk Producers Incorporated(AMPI) tells Jill Welke that the lure of the cottage cheese market became too much for their board of directors.&nbsp; In March, some 86 employees will be laid off while they transition the award winning cheddar plant into a top notch cottage cheese manufacturer.&nbsp; Schmidt says while some may question whether the cottage cheese phase has peaked, their numbers show it's just growing.&nbsp; Those same employees will largely be welcomed back to the "new" plant when it reopens in 2027.
More spring-like weather for Wisconsin today with possible 50's by the weekend.&nbsp; That's the news that Stu Muck delivers.
We've heard time and time again that with technology today, it's almost impossible for a human to be able to execute deals as quickly as a computer.&nbsp; Same thing goes if you're involved in an auction.&nbsp; Ashley Huhn from the Steffes Group tells Pam Jahnke about their Price App and what it offers anyone who downloads it.&nbsp; Huhn says by having this tool, you'll never miss a bid and be in the action as long as you want.
 The WI Ag Tourism Association has nominated 7 of its members from across the state for the Governor's Tourism Awards to be presented in March.&nbsp; Pam Jahnke runs down the nominees.
Wisconsin's wine making industry may seem to be in its infancy, but it's far more advanced than you think.&nbsp; Take it from a California wine expert.&nbsp; Kiley Allan introduces us to Zoran &nbsp;Ljepovic, lecturer at UC Davis and a renowned wine maker.&nbsp; He says while California wines cannot be directly applied to Wisconsin, there are some shared lessons. In Wisconsin's cool climate, a 10&ndash;20% loss of vines due to cold snaps is considered an expected cost of doing business, whereas a 3&ndash;5% loss in a region like Napa would be seen as a major crisis.&nbsp; Ljepovic says he'd encouraged Wisconsin winemakers to move away from trying to replicate king varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and instead embrace and market local, specialized cultivars (such as Marquette) that thrive in the region.&nbsp; The wine expert also says beyond the technical challenges, he views wine as a historical and social art form intended to bring people together, noting that any wine, regardless of the grape, is worth enjoying if it is well-crafted.

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!