— Farmers in the state continue to grapple with persistent dry conditions as portions of Wisconsin are now experiencing extreme drought.
While the USDA’s latest crop progress report notes sporadic rain in western Wisconsin and elsewhere have helped some, much of the state continues to see “poor crop and pasture conditions” due to the dry weather.
The report from the federal agency’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which covers the past week, shows topsoil moisture has improved slightly. But crop growth has begun to lag in some areas, with soybean progress in particular falling behind last year and the five-year average rate.
In an interview yesterday, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Kevin Krentz said some parts of the state are getting enough rain to get by, but others are “really hurting for any amount of rain” they can get.
“From the time we planted the crop, anything that was planted in late May really came out of the ground inconsistently,” he told WisBusiness.com. “Some of the seed sat there for upwards of 30 days before it germinated and sprouted out of the ground. So that heavily affected the crop across the state.”
During the past week, high temperatures “sucked a lot of moisture out of the air, and out of that crop,” with farmers observing corn plants “curling up” to protect themselves, Krentz explained. He added the dry environment will impact this year’s crop yields.
“Those crops that have emerged out of the ground at vastly different times will definitely affect the yield, will definitely affect the quality, because it will mature at a different time,” he said. “So harvest could be very tricky in timing that to get the best quality as possible.”
The National Integrated Drought Information System shows 5.5 million Wisconsin residents are now living in areas of drought, marking an 8.2 percent increase since last week.
Meanwhile, about one-fourth of the state is in a state of severe drought, the NIDIS website shows. Apart from a small section near the state’s northernmost point, the rest of that area covers much of south central Wisconsin, and all of the state’s southeastern and southwestern regions.
One area of extreme drought is centered around Dane County, covering about 2.7 percent of the state. Another 65 percent of the state is in a state of moderate drought, and 7.3 percent is abnormally dry.
Still, Krentz noted farmers “could still be saved” if significant rainfall occurs over the next month or so.
“The tassels are coming on the corn, the buds are coming on the soybeans … So all of those crops, it’s extremely important over the next couple of weeks as the yield factor will be determined,” he said.
See the USDA report: https://www.wisbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/WI-Crop-Progress-07-10-23.pdf
See the NIDIS map here: https://www.drought.gov/states/wisconsin
See an earlier related story: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/dry-conditions-impacting-crop-growth-in-wisconsin/
— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is touting a bill that aims to boost the national health care workforce, with a focus on hospice and palliative care.
The Madison Dem yesterday announced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, or PCHETA, alongside GOP U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Palliative care and hospice are both focused on reducing suffering and improving quality of life for patients with serious illness.
In the release, Baldwin referenced her own experience serving as her grandmother’s primary caregiver. She says the bill will “help more Americans get the training they need to provide palliative care, help strengthen our health care workforce, and also ensure those with serious illness get the care they deserve.”
While palliative care programs have become more widespread at U.S. hospitals in recent years, Baldwin notes the workforce that supports these programs is increasingly burned out and spread thin.
The legislation would establish various educational programs to provide training and other support for doctors, physician assistants, nurses, social workers and others. That includes grants for medical schools and teaching hospitals, academic career awards for educators in these fields, incentives for professionals who commit to practicing for at least five years, fellowship programs providing courses on palliative care and team-based approaches, and more.
Meanwhile, the bill would also grant authority to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to provide information to patients, their families and care providers about palliative care services.
And it would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to use available resources to expand research in this area, “to advance clinical practice and improve care delivery” for patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses.
The legislation is supported by more than 90 different national and state organizations, including the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care, and Wisconsin Hospice and Palliative Care Association.
See an overview on the bill here: https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/pcheta_one-pager.pdf
See Baldwin’s release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/u-s-sens-baldwin-capito-introduce-bill-to-strengthen-palliative-and-hospice-care-workforce/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— Bend Health, a pediatric mental health startup based in Madison, has announced an expansion of services to include virtual neuropsychological evaluations.
Following Gov. Tony Evers’ signing of the state budget, $125 million to combat PFAS contamination remains in limbo as lawmakers discuss potential changes to GOP legislation to tackle the forever chemicals.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
Sign up here: http://forms.gle/o8FtqTLviGJPja8C9
#TOP STORIES#
# Congress asks Milwaukee Tool for answers on human rights in China. Here are takeaways from a hearing Tuesday
# ‘Top Chef’ will shoot Season 21 in Madison, Milwaukee and Door County
# Wisconsin towns brace for next fight on local control over large farms
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Hunger relief connections put small WI farms on the map
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=666&yr=2023
# CONSTRUCTION
– Gilbane, CG Schmidt tapped for $500M Northwestern Mutual campus renovation
# ENVIRONMENT
– What Wisconsin can expect during El Nino 2023
# HEALTH CARE
– Wisconsin law doesn’t cover infertility services, making it costly for patients struggling to conceive
# LABOR
– Wisconsin boy killed in sawmill accident was doing work allowed by state law, records suggest
– Teen fatally injured at Florence sawmill was ‘helpful,’ ‘hardworking’
# MEDIA
– Did rave reviews from ‘Crime Scene Kitchen’ judges keep Wausau bakery owners in the competition?
# POLITICS
– Evers’ budget vetoes leave state with projected $4B surplus
– Green Bay settles election observer lawsuit, not required to admit wrongdoing
– Milwaukee Common Council passes 2% sales tax aimed at averting a financial crisis
# REAL ESTATE
– 160 workforce apartments planned near The Avenue in downtown Milwaukee
– Milwaukee County looks to prod landlords to accept renters using housing vouchers
– Northwestern Mutual selects HQ tower project team for $500M North Office remake
# REGULATION
– Greenville board OKs rezoning for contentious subdivision after failing to find reason for denial
# RETAIL
– Summerfest 2023 reports 40% increase in attendance
# SMALL BUSINESS
– Streetwise: This new Ashwaubenon restaurant offers breakfast and lunch
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
Extension Waukesha County: 4-H Kids Zone for youth and families at the Waukesha County fair
National Guard: Member awarded Soldier’s Medal for actions during train derailment
