Sheep and wool enthusiasts are bound for the Jefferson Co Fair Park this weekend for the annual WI Sheep & Wool Festival.  Hedger Becker is a relative newcomer to the event, but has been engaged with the industry for years.  She explains to Pam Jahnke how rapidly interest in fiber arts has energized this event.  Attendees from Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison have already caused many fiber art sessions to already be booked solid.  Sheep breeds continue to maintain their place in the show, as do the herding dog demonstrations.  Becker says that the demographics of attendees keeps telling the story of how sheep fit in a families plans.  They don't require a lot of land, and offer kids a great "first time" hands-on learning experience.  The show offers a fair-like atmosphere with world class information.  The event runs Friday through Sunday in Jefferson.

Rain has already been falling in some areas of Wisconsin this morning.  Stu Muck says this is a pattern that will repeat itself through the rest of this week.  Temperatures will stay on the moderate side.

Corn silage harvest has begun in certain areas of the state John Osterhaus, president of the WI Custom Operators Association says yields so far have been so-so.  Expectations are changing from one field to the next because of rain patterns that missed some of the state.

Corn fields may not look so hot, but many gardens look fabulous this year.  Wrapping your mind around trying to save all that goodness is a challenge for some gardeners.  Marissa DeGroot, Marketing & Operations Coordinator at Vitruvian Farms & Pickle Party Coordinator says a "pickle party" for family and friends has turned into a teaching tool.  She tells Kiley Allan that teaching food preservation techniques—including water bath canning, drying mushrooms, and lacto-fermenting—in a fun, social environment draws people in. While modern year-round produce availability has made food preservation a "lost skill," hosting a group event helps overcome barriers like lack of knowledge, equipment, or confidence through shared effort and accountability.  DeGroot says this isn't limited to people with gardens.  She's finding shoppers at farmer's markets buying in bulk, or people using "seconds" to fill their freezer and pantry by pickling and preserving the nutritious produce that's available now.