Mike Valley is perched in his fishing boat, taking in the scene around him. It's idyllic — birds are chirping and small waves gently brush up against the side of the boat.
Technological changes — electricity and mechanization — in the mid-20th century would revolutionize the practice and business of agriculture in Wisconsin, and set into motion economic and demographic changes that continue well into the 21st century.
Farmers grow a whole lot of crops in Wisconsin, but the state's wild places, not to mention its sidewalk cracks, are also home to edible and handy plants for anybody enterprising enough to find and gather them.
Cartons of ice cream from the Babcock Hall Dairy Plant are not particularly flashy — they're red, white and black. Bucky Badger appears next to a sticker listing the flavor. But does it really matter what the carton looks like?
Tracking global croplands and how they are changing is a massive, pressing and complex undertaking made possible by advances in remote sensing and computing.
Rain poses a significant threat to farmers still waiting to plant waterlogged fields. Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation president Jim Holte provides an update on the growing season.
Wisconsin's agricultural bounty is possible thanks in part to the state's voluminous supply of freshwater. At the same time, the use of this resource to grow crops and nourish livestock poses risks to the quality of these waters.
The Wisconsin Legislature voted to postpone a proposal to increase fees on concentrated animal feeding operations. Wisconsin Dairy Alliance president Cindy Leitner and Wisconsin's Green Fire executive director Fred Clark discuss the scope of the proposal.
