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2025 CAFO ANNUAL UPDATE

UW–Madison Division of Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are jointly hosting a series of seven in-person workshops for CAFO permit holders, key employees, livestock producers, their employees and agronomic and engineering consultants around Wisconsin in late January/early February.

Designed for producers and their key employees with (or considering) WPDES CAFO permits, their consultants, and agency staff, the workshops will focus on several themes:

What to expect during a DNR inspection
Nutrient management policy updates
Permitting process updates

In addition to DNR staff addressing these and other topics, each location will feature a farmer/agronomist panel focusing on nutrient management and real-life tips and strategies to avoid problems around the livestock production area.

The Darlington meeting location will be on Tuesday, February 4th from noon-4pm at the Multipurpose Building.

For more information, please see this printable flyer. To register please visit: https://go.wisc.edu/cafo2025

Wisconsin Forage Meeting

The Regional Crops & Soils, Dairy, and Livestock Educators for Grant, Green, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties will be hosting a FREE event for agricultural producers. Guest speaker Paul Mitchell, Extension Specialist and director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute, will be there to provide valuable information about forage insurance and risk management strategies in forage systems. Additional topics include fertilizing high-yield forages to achieve farm goals and maintain soil productivity, understanding the nutritional impacts of high mineral contents in forages on dairy cattle, and tackling seasonal challenges with alternative winter feeding strategies for beef.

Please register at https://go.wisc.edu/j26d5a by January 30th to be included in the lunch count.

To make requests for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational programs, contact Jackie McCarville at Jackie.mccarville@wisc.edu as early as possible preceding the scheduled program.

Farmers Market Vendor Information

Looking to become a Farmer’s Market Vendor? This NO-COST webinar series, focused on laying out the essential information and led by industry experts, will answer your questions and set you up for success in the coming year. You may click on the image to the left for a printable information sheet.

Wise Wisconsin Virtual Learning Series

The Wise Wisconsin Virtual Learning Series kicks off on February 5th! Check out this incredible lineup of classes! Click the image to the right for a printable information sheet.

Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference 2025

Register now for the Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference! This free, virtual, day-long event is for all those who care for Wisconsin’s children. Learn more and register here: https://go.wisc.edu/raisingwi

For more information, click for a printable flyer.

StrongBodies Classes

StrongBodies is starting up! It will be offered in-person and virtually this year! In-person will have an informational session January 14th at 1:00pm in Cuba City.

Virtual classes are from January 7th- March 27th! You can join anytime! Classes are twice a week!

Click for a printable version of the graphic to the right, or for an information sheet about the in-person classes in Cuba City.

Producing Quality Beef Workshop

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection, Wisconsin Beef Council, and UW Madison Division of Extension Livestock Program are hosting a series of workshops that will focus on producing quality beef in Wisconsin. Workshops will be from 10am to 3pm. Topics will include:

Live cattle evaluation and discussion with packer representatives – packer & sale barn managers
Impacts on value: shrink, mud, dirt, and fitness for transport
Meat quality defects – real examples from the packing plant
2022 National Beef Quality Audit Results
Quality and yield grades discussion and hands-on practicum
Pre-harvest factors that impact meat quality
Feeding and management practices to produce cattle the market seeks

Workshops are FREE, and lunch is provided. Pre-register at least 7 days in advance to ensure enough food and handouts for all. To register, go to https://bit.ly/3GSZtuJ or call the Wisconsin Beef Council at (800) 728-BEEF (2333) or 608-833-7177.

Pesticide Applicator Training Information

If your pesticide applicator certification is expiring, it’s time to start thinking about renewing your certification for next year. There are several options for completing the training/testing process. Please visit our Pesticide Applicator Training information page for details!

Badger Dairy Insight Series

Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension’s Dairy Program on the third Tuesday of each month from 11am-12 pm CST for the Badger Dairy Insight webinar series. New this year, we are switching our webinars to a monthly platform. We are featuring your local Extension Dairy Program Educators and UW Specialists as they present on current dairy topics. Take the opportunity to learn from and discuss with experts on the dates below. To learn more about Badger Dairy Insight and the Extension Dairy program please visit https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu

There is no charge to participate in the sessions, however pre-registration is required to allow access. Register online at go.wisc.edu/bdi2324

Extension Horticulture & Gardening Resources for You

Do you have a question relating to horticulture or gardening? Iowa County does not have a dedicated Horticulture Educator, but the UW-Madison Division of Extension does have an online form that you can fill out. Simply provide basic contact information and ask your question, and your inquiry will be responded to by an Extension staff member or a Master Gardener Volunteer in your area. You can even upload up to three photos to submit with your question!

Here is a link to the online submission page: Ask Your Gardening Question – Wisconsin Horticulture. Click for an instruction sheet that details how to fill out and submit the online form.

Extension Information Kiosk Now Available for Public Use

The Iowa County Extension Office is excited to announce the addition of an Information Kiosk to the lobby area of our office. This computer is available at no charge to the public for Extension-related use, including accessing the Extension Iowa County website, registering for 4-H or other 4H Online activities, signing up for ag programs, submitting questions to the “Ask Your Gardening Question” site, access to the UW-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, and much more!

We hope this will be a useful tool for those with limited or no Internet accessibility at home, allowing them to take advantage of Extension programming.