Agriculture

Series: Wisconsin's Diverse Waves Of Immigration

Latino Immigrant Workers At Midwestern Asian Restaurants Find Themselves Isolated, Underpaid

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

Chicago Sun-Times

In 2015, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued three employment agencies in Chicago's Chinatown, and two Illinois restaurants that had used their services, for allegedly exploiting Latino immigrant workers in several states, including Wisconsin.

How A Tiny Insect Set The Stage For Wisconsin Dairy

PJ Liesch

UW-Extension

Chinch bugs aren't much to write home about, but played a key role in Wisconsin history.

World War I Turned Milwaukee's Germans And Their Beer Into Targets

Samantha Nash

PBS Wisconsin

Wisconsin may be known as the Dairy State, but its status as a bastion of beer is just as legendary.

Series: Growing Rural Wisconsin's Economy

The Allure Of Destination Breweries As Rural Economic Engines

Julie Grace

WisContext

Craft beer fans seeking different flavors are accustomed to hitting the road to taste offerings from breweries both near and far from home.

Series: Challenges To Wisconsin's Rural Schools

Series: Food Security And Assistance In Wisconsin

From Mason Jars To Lunch Trays In Wisconsin's Rural Schools

Julie Grace

WisContext

School-lunch programs have developed over the course of many decades, and their specific shape and intentions have not always been a matter of political consensus.

Series: The Dairy State Economy

Wisconsin Dairy Navigates Gaps In Immigrant Labor Policy

Julie Grace

WisContext

As farms and other agricultural businesses around Wisconsin struggle to find and retain employees, many turn to seasonal worker programs to hire workers from outside the United States to fill empty positions.

Series: The Dairy State Economy

Changes In Dairy Industry Spur Farmers To Pursue Novel Business Strategies

Julie Grace

WisContext

An increasing number of dairy farmers are adopting new sales practices, or are entirely shifting the focus of their business to keep themselves afloat and making money.

Series: The Dairy State Economy

'Last Generation' Farmers Face Tough Choice Between Selling Or Renting

Julie Grace

WisContext

For land-owning farmers facing tough economic circumstances, the decision to forgo another year's crop or to liquidate their livestock is not an easy one.

Series: Local Food Science

Learning To Love The Earthy Flavors Of Table Beets

Michelle Johnson

Wisconsin Public Radio

Beets have come a long way to fields and vegetable gardens from their roots as a leafy green growing wild in the sandy soil of the Mediterranean.

Despite Growth In Numbers, Many Farmers' Markets Face Fierce Competition

UW-Madison

UW-Madison

UW-Madison

UW-Extension

Many of farmers' markets fail within their first four years in business. While their number has swelled, inexperienced management, high manager turnover, small size and low resources can make a market more susceptible to collapse.