More and more growers are experimenting with no-tilling organic soybeans. New research shows interseeding cereal rye in spring can improve weed suppression, but timing, row spacing and good stand establishment play a critical role. By Julia Gerlach October, 2020 IN THE FACE of marketplace pressures and mounting instances of herbicide-resistant weeds, a growing cadre of growers are […]

  EAST TROY, Wis. — Analytics are a key measuring tool in professional sports today, but data-driven assessments aren’t limited to that industry. In Wisconsin, agricultural researchers are asking farmers for feedback about a popular conservation practice. Cover crops, commonly used in the early days of agriculture, have made a comeback as a way to […]

Summer cover crops can be an important tool in a grower’s toolkit for protecting soil during the warm summer months following an early summer harvested crop, or in fields where summer crops didn’t get planted in the spring. Summer cover crops, if managed properly, can increase infiltration of heavy summer rains, protect soil from runoff, […]

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is working with partners through our Cover Crops Research and Outreach Project (CCROP) collaboration to help farmers around the state generate farmer-generated research data around cover crops in the state.  Simple but reliable farm data can us help build a better knowledge base about the who, what, why, where, and when of cover […]

When USDA sought public comments on what course their research direction should take for the next few decades, MFAI’s Research Director, Nicole Tautges, and Policy Director, Margaret Krome, had some suggestions. In late July, Tautges and Krome submitted comments to USDA, based on the Institute’s more than thirty five-year history of conducting research and working […]

MFAI is hosting a FREE live virtual field day, Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (CST). MFAI’s Agroecologist and Agronomist are teaming up to share their 2020 field research! Agenda with Topics and Q&A time: 1:00 – 1:05 pm  Introduction MFAI Research Farm Tour 1:05 – 1:25 pm Soybean + Rye Interseeding […]

Organic soybean producers in the Midwest have developed weed management programs that rely on tillage-intensive measures that include stale seedbedding, tine weeding, rotary hoeing, and inter-row cultivating. While these measures are often effective, there is much interest in decreasing soil disturbance and tillage in order to conserve soil structure and organic matter, and to obtain […]

We are very excited Nicole will be joining MFAI’s Research Department next month! She will be instrumental in helping us develop practical research trials on our 200+ acre certified organic demonstration farm. Nicole grew up in Southeastern WI and consequently loves dairy cropping systems and forages. She double-majored in Agronomy and Spanish at the University […]

February 20, 2020 Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is sponsoring this years WI Cover Crops Conference in Stevens Point, WI.  Farmers and agricultural professionals from around the state are coming together to share & learn about all things cover crops. Whether you’re a seasoned cover cropper or an absolute beginner, there will be something for everyone. […]

The annual farm-supporting musical and cultural extravaganza that is Farm Aid came to MFAI’s doorstep this month. Last Thursday, advocates from around the nation gathered in Lake Geneva for a day of exploring topics as diverse as empowerment histories of many Peoples of Color in this country to the ongoing farm crisis to the history […]

In collaboration with the University of Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Center, the Department of Soil Science and UW-Extension, the Institute has launched an effort to improve estimates of soil erosion reduction achieved with cover crop use. We are measuring canopy development and biomass production of several cover crops in multiple cropping systems in on-farm trials […]

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute researchers have long conducted research on farming practices that build healthy, biologically active soils, and our policy team has supported policies that create incentives for their inclusion in farming systems. A recent opinion piece in the on-line news group Food Tank speaks to the many reasons healthy soils matter so much […]

Conversations with farmers, crop consultants and crop insurance providers lead us to the conclusion that prevented plant will be claimed on significant acreage in 2019, especially since the full coverage crop insurance deadline for corn has passed. While this situation is difficult, especially in the current farm economy, it’s important to plan ahead and use […]

Two newly published research briefs: “Sequential cover crops: do synergies or antagonisms exist between species?” and “Do cover crops pay? Positive yield response reduces net cover crop cost” are available on Michael Fields Institutes website. These concise publications summarize original Wisconsin Research and are intended to provide research results and related recommendations in a user-friendly […]

MFAI is working with others in Wisconsin and elsewhere to explore the possibilities of creating a program in Wisconsin similar to one created in Iowa in 2017 that offers a crop insurance premium subsidy for farmers who plant cover crops.  We are circulating a very brief farmer survey to assess the value to farmers and […]

Perry Brown, Executive Director, of Michael Fields Agricultural Institute along with Devon Hamilton, one of MFAI’s Policy staff, discuss sustainable agriculture….including cover crops, urban agriculture, youth work, genetic contamination, and industrial hemp. MFAI focuses on sustainable agriculture research, policy, youth work, urban farming, and farmer-led watershed conservation. Recorded: January 14, 2019, 7-8pm Listen to MFAI’s […]

Interested in learning more about the incredible work being done by the members of the Iowa County Uplands Watershed Group? Visit our new website at www.uplandswatershedgroup.com to find out! The website features the history of the group, as well as our connection with fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico, and includes resources and information about […]

Two newly published research briefs: “Sunn hemp response to planting date and mixes” and “Does cover crop radish supply nitrogen to corn?” are now available. These concise publications summarize original Wisconsin Research and are intended to provide research results and related recommendations in a user-friendly manner. These and future briefs can be found under the […]

February 20, 2019 Holiday Inn, Steven’s Point, WI Information and Registration Farmers and ag professionals from around the state are coming together again to share and learn about all things cover crops. Whether you’re a seasoned cover crop expert or an absolute beginner, there will be something for everyone! Topics will include managing manure with […]

MFAI and Iowa County’s Uplands Watershed Group invite you to a field day on Wednesday morning, October 24, 2018 on the Southwest Wisconsin dairy farm of Ryan Dolan and family. The topic: “Does Conservation Pay?” Come discuss the economics of conservation. (Bring your own examples and experiences to share.) Location: Dolan Farms, 5443 County Rd ZZ, […]

Last week, several former top USDA research officials in both Republican and Democratic administrations held a nationally broadcast webinar to explain their concerns with a Trump Administration proposal that would both politicize and weaken the research apparatus at USDA. MFAI’s Margaret Krome wrote an editorial about this concern in early September. Link to Krome’s editorial […]

After a cool, wet spring we are finally in full farming mode with our field crop research initiatives. Like many of you, we had a late spring snow the third week in April and soil temperatures did not start to rise above 50 degrees until the middle of May. Finally, on May 29th we were […]

Cover crops are grown for several of their benefits, ranging from protecting and enhancing soil to pest suppression. What about using them to sequester atmospheric carbon to counter climate change, which could serve as an income source from carbon credits? While carbon credits aren’t a current reality, once a cap and trade system is in […]

People often ask what we do during the winter and the answer is easy, there’s never on off-season, just a different nature to the work. In fact, winter is often just as hectic as work during the growing season and this winter’s activities bear that out. On the outreach side, we held the 5th annual […]

There’s still time to register for the fifth annual Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference “Investing in Your Farm’s Future” but space is limited. The conference will be held February 27th at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center, Stevens Point. Preregistration is required and will be open through February 20th but will close when we reach 300 […]