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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

WI: Sustainable Agriculture and Farming

Between 2017 and 2022, Wisconsin saw a 23% increase in the acreage of farmland with cover crops. (Adobe Stock)
Sustainable ag movement goes data crunching

Farming trend researchers are poring over new federal data that only come around every five years. The latest information helps some organizations …

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The American Biogas Council says across the U.S., more than 2,300 digester sites are producing biogas. (Adobe Stock)
Digesters: Helpful in reducing farm emissions?

Wisconsin is part of a movement to reduce livestock emissions by converting manure into energy sources, and there are calls to weave in a careful …

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Research work led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute found while massive flood events call attention to cost impacts for state and local governments, increased frequency of mid-scale flood events can wear on rural communities. (Adobe Stock)
Taxpayers, like farmers, can get a bang for their buck from conservation funding

If you live in a flood prone community, soil health from nearby farmland may have something to do with it. Ag voices in Wisconsin say government-…

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About 345,000 hogs and pigs live on Wisconsin farms, according to the latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service - Hogs and Pigs report. (Adobe Stock)
WI small-farm advocates push back on CAFOs

Family-farm advocates in rural Wisconsin are pushing back on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, as the livestock industry becomes more …

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One of the apple blossoms found at The Cider Farm in southwestern Wisconsin, which strives for biodiversity in protecting species. (Photo courtesy of The Cider Farm)
Embracing Biodiversity: WI Farm Helps Pollinators Survive Climate Change

By Lela Nargi for the Food and Environment Reporting Network.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Solutions …

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The most recent Farm Bill covered areas such as agricultural conservation, trade and foreign food assistance, farm credit and research. (Adobe Stock)
Ag Research Community Urges Congress to Avoid Farm Bill Delays

The U.S. Farm Bill is up for reauthorization, and Congress faces calls to avoid any delays so certain programs can keep helping farmers and consumers …

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Beyond improving soil and farm animal health, agriculture researchers say managed grazing also provides good habitat for pollinators and wildlife. (Adobe Stock)
WI Farmers Hope Grazing Funds Aren't Put Out to Pasture

Congress has been holding hearings on the next Farm Bill, which has major implications for the nation's food system. It also shapes conservation …

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Like many sectors, agriculture is under pressure to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. But policies like the Inflation Reduction Act are providing extra funding, so more farmers can tap into programs that help improve soil health and water quality. (Adobe Stock)
Amid Program Constraints, 'Climate-Smart' Farming Gets Extra Aid

Farmers looking to enhance their range of climate-friendly practices are getting a boost with new federal funding. Wisconsin producers face a tight …

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According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, cover-crop acres in the United States have increased to 10 million. (Adobe Stock)
WI Farmers Have New Tool to Stay in 'Cover-Crop Game'

Agriculture groups and government agencies aren't slowing down in trying to convince farmers to use more sustainable practices such as cover crops…

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No-till farming is considered one of several conservation practices in agriculture. (Adobe Stock)
New WI Report Provides Snapshot of Sustainable Farming Efforts

Greenhouse gas emissions have been potentially reduced by 50,000 tons in the state, with the help of Wisconsin farmers supported by a statewide …

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Supporters of managed grazing say grass-based farms and ranches are an important strategy for introducing new farmers and ranchers to livestock, because they're better for an operation's bottom line. (Adobe Stock)
WI Farmers to Get New Support for 'Managed Grazing'

Managed grazing is one of several ways farmers can implement climate-friendly practices, and after a lengthy absence, a key source of federal aid has …

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The Midwest GRIT program is a joint project between the Wisconsin-based Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and the Artisan Grain Collaborative, which aims to diversify the Midwestern grainshed. (Michael Fields Agricultural Institute)
WI Program Seeks to Create Resilient Grainshed

A new program is seeking to help Wisconsin's grain farmers build more environmentally and economically resilient operations. The Midwest Grains …

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