Media

Members of the Producer Led Watershed Protection Group known as the Central Wisconsin Farmers Collaborative met at Gagas Farms on March 28 for a tour of wetlands on the farm.  Pictured are (L-R) Randy Fleishauer of Plover River Farms, Casey Kristof of Specialty Potatoes, Mark Gagas of Gagas Farms, Mike Firkus of Firkus Farms, Curtis […]

Lead farmer Heather Gayton of ZanBria Artisan Farms describes conservation efforts in the Little and Big Roche-A-Cri watersheds as part of the WPVGA Grower Conference held Feb. 4 in Stevens Point.  Gayton said the Farmers of the Roche-A-Cri are dedicated to building a local body of knowledge regarding the state of our natural resources through […]

The Produce News- The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association represents more than 300 growers and affiliates throughout the state. “We represent the industry in terms of sharing the importance of buying local and supporting local businesses for a strong economy,” said Dana Rady, director of promotion, communication and consumer education for the WPVGA. “We share that […]

Brownfield Ag News- Potato growers in Wisconsin are nearly finished harvesting a very good crop.  Tamas Houlihan with the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association tells Brownfield the hot and dry early growing season had producers concerned, but irrigation helped most fields. “We’ve been able to harvest a really good quality crop. High yield, outstanding […]

RHINELANDER, Wis. (WJFW)- October brings the final stage of the potato growing process. Despite the drought conditions that Wisconsin has seen throughout the year it appears spud farms have been spared. Potato’s need roughly 1 inch of rainfall per week to remain healthy. Irrigation techniques can help to get the potatoes the nutrients that they […]

Ken Feltz of Feltz Family Farms describes his dairy operation which includes 680 milking cows and 40 black angus steers. The farm has 750 acres of corn and alfalfa, along with a four-acre apple orchard, four acres of pumpkins and 120 acres of woodlands. Feltz says he has been composting the solid portion of his […]

Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA) Executive Director Tracy Hames points out wetland restoration areas along the Little Plover River. Hames has more than 30 years of experience protecting, restoring, and managing wetlands and floodplain areas in intensively agricultural landscapes. He brings a watershed-level perspective on hydrologic solutions to the agricultural and conservation issues facing this region.

Among the practices that have been employed in the Little Plover River watershed is the filling of drainage ditches, which has improved the quantity and quality of the water. Feltz Family Farms utilizes rotational grazing on 66 acres along the Little Plover River.  The farm plants cover crops on all its corn ground while also […]

Work improving the Little Plover River has been going on for several years now. A portion of the work involves narrowing the river channel to better reflect its historic conditions. Narrowing of the channel allows it to more efficiently provide trout habitat at lower flow levels. Before restoration, this site was about two to three […]

NOPP grants awarded to two WPVGA farms and a WPVGA member. Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), announced that 20 recipients are receiving grant funding for the 2023 Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP). These grants aim to refine and enhance the understanding of new methods that […]

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is joining communities and leaders from across the country and state in taking part in Imagine a Day Without Water, an annual day of education and action to highlight how water is essential, invaluable and in need of investment. Every day in Wisconsin, 7 billion gallons of water are […]

Worzella & Sons, Inc. of Plover is collaborating on a multi-year research project with the UW Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department looking at newer, more accurate and advanced methods of measuring evapotranspiration (ET), the scientific term for crop water use. This project is being funded by the WPVGA’s Water Task Force and is led by […]