Many areas of Wisconsin have enjoyed above average temperatures this fall. La Crosse had the latest first frost on record this year, finally dropping to freezing temperatures last week.
Joe Stapleton owns a farm near Spring Green, Wisconsin. He's a conventional farmer, so he does use some chemical herbicides and fertilizers on the fields where he grows corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the purchase plan after a roundtable discussion with Wisconsin farmers. The cheese will go to food banks and nutrition assistance programs.
FEMA and other officials are touring 12 counties to assess flood damage. The agency is hoping to finish surveying damage this week, but it could take until the end of the month for counties to receive a disaster declaration needed in order to get federal funding.
As construction continues on the new Interstate 90 bridge to Minnesota, officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are working with the Department of Transportation and Minnesota agencies to accommodate a large colony of bats living under the old bridge.
