The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing another $14 billion for farmers and ranchers who have experienced market losses caused by the pandemic. November 12, 2020 – Mike Moen, Public News Service – WI MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin farmers, who are struggling during the pandemic crisis, still have a chance to sign up for federal […]

With the spread of COVID-19 still a big concern in Wisconsin, smaller farms are losing their traditional customer base, such as restaurants. That has prompted more direct deliveries to consumers. October 26, 2020 – Mike Moen, Public News Service (WI)   DELAVAN, Wis. -Several months into the pandemic, a number of small Wisconsin farms continue […]

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 […]

The Public News Service reports on calls for action from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that food isn’t wasted and that farmers can get some financial help during the pandemic drop in demand. Read full story here

The Institute has been involved in efforts nationally to support farmers and local food systems through the Coronavirus funds.  But as this letter (below) to the editor of the New York Times points out, farmworkers are in a uniquely vulnerable position, while being crucial to the nation’s health and nutrition through COVID (and always).  MFAI […]

February 12, 2020 – Mike Moen, Public News Service (WI) EAST TROY, Wis. — Several farm organizations have launched a grassroots movement in hopes of seein g federal action on climate change — and they’re urging Wisconsin farmers to take part. Member groups of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition are circulating an online letter in […]

Nov. 12, 2019  By Sheila Julson Since 1984, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) in East Troy, Wis., has been committed to sustainable agriculture through research, educational programs, outreach and networking. With industrial hemp gaining ground among farmers as a promising additional cash crop, MFAI stands ready to help in this old-yet-new-again industry. Leah Sandler, […]

MFAI’s Policy Director Margaret Krome attended the town hall meeting held by USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue earlier this month at the World Dairy Expo in Madison. Among his comments, Perdue answered a question about the loss of small to medium-sized dairy farms in the state, prompting a national discussion about the farm crisis, […]

Farm Aid 2019 – The day was not just about the music, but the music was damn fine. by Joeff Davis September 23, 2019 Farm Aid 2019 took place this Saturday at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. The first Farm Aid concert was held in 1985 in Champaign, Illinois. This year’s sold-out event […]

Public News Service reports on hemp.  Read full story here  

Margaret Krome says government has tools to help farmers stay on their land. with Adrienne Pederson, July 21, 2019 Watch 5 minute interview here  

Wisconsin’s Livestock Siting law passed over a decade ago, and although it and the rules to implement it are supposed to be subject to periodic review by technical advisors and the public, Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture has never previously held public hearings as the law specifies.  But last month, the state Board of Agriculture approved […]

Photo: No more cows are milked in the old dairy barn on the Hardie family farm. by Chris Hardie/for Agriview A friend once described the most traumatic experience of her life. It wasn’t an assault, an accident or even any physical injury. As a child, her father was laid off as an air traffic controller […]

This past week, our efforts to support local farmers by reaching out to Michael Fields Agricultural Institute for grant assistance was recognized nationally through Farm Aid. Farm Aid’s mission is to provide great music, supporting farmers, and strengthening America since 1985. Read how MFAI and others are supporting producers here

Up to $700 million will be available for the Conservation Stewardship Program this year. April 29, 2019 MADISON, Wis. – The deadline for farmers to apply for the country’s largest working lands conservation program is approaching fast. The program offers financial support to farmers who keep their land healthy through conservation practices, including cover cropping […]

Watch video here Matt Smith, on Upfront, reports that more Wisconsin farmers are looking to grow hemp as a possible new source of revenue.  Interviews include Perry Brown, MFAI Executive Director.

with Margaret Krome, MFAI, and Paul Wolfe, NSAC The Our Farms, Our Future podcast series brings together the sustainable agriculture community for thought-provoking conversations about the state of agriculture, how we got here, and where we’re headed. This podcast and the others in the series are available here

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 […]

Published Sunday, December 30, 2018, by Jim Dayton   Michael Fields Agricultural Institute Executive Director Perry Brown harvests industrial hemp plants, roots and all, from their research plot in East Troy. JANESVILLE Local hemp farmers are feeling some relief from the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp production at the federal level and clarified the […]

Published December 27, 2018   MADISON, Wis. – How did sustainable agriculture fare in the 2018 Farm Bill? One analyst breaks down the wins and losses. Margaret Krome, policy director for the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, says the bill provides baseline funding for beginning farmers and local food programs. It also will support research into […]

First published online at PNS December 20, 2018     Read full article here

Nestled between the setting sun over harvested grain fields, a fire crackled in Folklore Village as smoke billowed over a cabin full of friendly, hungry faces. Fishermen from the Gulf of Mexico and farmers alike spent their afternoon laughing and cooking a meal for over one hundred guests interested in their story and work.[…]

By Jim Dayton, October 28, 2018  Janesville Gazette Featuring area farmers and Michael Fields Agricultural Institute.   Read full story and see video of Perry Brown, Executive Director, talking hemp here  

APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY) – Wisconsin farmers interested in growing hemp got to learn how on October 4th, at Memorial Florist and Greenhouse in Appleton, dozens of farmers learned about the opportunities in hemp farming for the 2019 growing season.  READ full article and see VIDEO here