WED AM News: Ag group advancing conservation practices, reducing greenhouse gas emissions; Spring planting proceeding quicker than usual, USDA report shows

May 8, 2024

— Farmers in a Lafayette County-based watershed protection group last year cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,000 tons of CO2 equivalent — equal to taking more than 2,100 cars off the road.

That’s according to the latest report from the Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance, which has grown to 35 members since launching about seven years ago.

In 2023, they collectively planted nearly 12,000 acres of cover crops, used no-till and strip-till practices on 29,000 acres and measured nutrient management impact on nearly 33,000 acres, among other efforts.

Along with the reduced greenhouse gas emissions, alliance members reported preventing nearly 88,000 tons of sediment loss from farm fields, which is equal to nearly 8,800 dump trucks full of soil.

And farmers reduced phosphorus runoff by more than 140,000 pounds, which potentially prevented as much as 72.1 million pounds of harmful algae growth in nearby waters, according to the report.

Still, the group also reported its first year-over-year decline in the number of acres covered by conservation practices advanced by its members. After growing from about 76,000 acres in 2018 to nearly 220,000 in 2022, that number fell to just over 205,000 acres in 2023.

One participant, Sandy Larson of family dairy farm Larson Acres in Rock County, joined the alliance in 2019 and continues to employ sustainable practices such as cover crops and no-till farming to reduce soil erosion and improve soil health. The farm has 2,800 cows and covers more than 5,000 acres.

“Engaging with fellow farmers and having access to these great tools the group provides has been extremely beneficial for our farm’s growth and progress in our sustainability journey,” Larson said in a statement. “Working together as a group is the key here; there’s a lot of value in that. We have greater access to new ideas and new strategies.”

See the release.

— The spring planting season is underway and proceeding more quickly than usual, according to a recent USDA report.

The federal agency’s last crop progress report shows 22% of the state’s corn planting was finished as of Sunday, which is five days ahead of last year and one day ahead of the five-year average.

Soybean planting was 22% complete, which is eight days ahead of last year’s pace and five days ahead dof the average. And oat planting was 54% complete, nine days ahead of last year and four days ahead over the average.

Meanwhile, 77% of potato acreage had been planted — 14 days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of average, the report shows.

Wisconsin had just 3.2 days suitable for fieldwork last week as high moisture levels limited planting and tillage, despite the fast progress. Report authors note the recent rain has been good for small grains and grasses.

See the report.

— Two wedding barn operators sued the Department of Revenue over new restrictions on their activities included in an overhaul of Wisconsin’s alcohol regulations they claim could put them out of business even before they take effect in 2026.

That’s because weddings are often planned well in advance and “few couples want a venue at which they may not be able to consume alcohol,” the lawsuit filed in Trempealeau County argues.

The suit argues the restrictions violate the rights of Farmview Even Barn in Berlin and Monarch Valley Weddings and Events in Blair to “earn an honest living and to equal protection,” adding it runs afoul of the state’s uniform taxation rule.

According to the suit, neither company has a liquor license. But they allow renters and their private guests to consume alcohol that they bring in.

The new regulations, approved last year by the Republican Legislature and signed by Dem Gov. Tony Evers, would classify them as a “public place” that needs a license before allowing the consumption of alcoholic beverages on their premises if they continued to host private events.

Their options are to obtain a retail liquor license or a “no sale event venue” permit. The latter would restrict those bringing in their own alcohol to beer and wine while limiting venues to a maximum of six events per year and no more than one per month.

The venues don’t want to obtain a liquor license because it would impact permits with their local governments and because they don’t want to sell, handle or otherwise provide alcohol.

— The Joint Finance Committee has reworked the Evers administration’s $36 million plan for opioid settlement funds in the upcoming fiscal year to send more money to capital projects, medication assisted treatment and law enforcement, among other things.

In all, the committee signed off unanimously on redirecting $15.5 million of the funds that GOP members proposed.

Rep. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha, said he largely supported the changes, though he found some investments lacking.

“I don’t find this to be an offensive proposal. I don’t find this to be a bad motion. But I really think there are some key investments that are lacking, particularly in prevention,” McGuire said.

The GOP changes included cutting in half to $1 million the money going to the Department of Public Instruction to distribute to schools for evidence-based substance abuse prevention programming.

But Co-chair Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, countered the GOP plan makes investments in other prevention efforts. That includes, for example, $1 million more for community-based prevention grants than what DHS had proposed.

“I think you can tell how good our plan is when the other side can’t find a way to criticize it,” Born said.

The biggest changes Republicans made were cutting $5 million that Gov. Tony Evers’ Department of Health Services wanted to put toward family resource centers. Those centers would provide various services to families of those who have: been addicted to opioids; experienced an overdose; or died from an overdose.

The committee also nixed $5 million for programs to train peer support specialists to help those who are receiving treatment.

The committee’s changes included:

*directing $7.7 million to capital projects such as constructing and renovating recovery housing. That is $4.7 million more than DHS proposed.

*sending $3 million to medication assisted treatment. DHS hadn’t proposed any money to the effort to help those with opioid use disorder.

*putting $3 million into law enforcement grants, $2 million more than the agency had proposed.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— State health officials are looking to expand a substance abuse harm reduction program to more Wisconsin communities impacted by the opioid epidemic.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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— Madison-based Venture Investors recently co-led a $21.5 million Series B financing round for EarliTec Diagnostics, a Georgia-based medical device company with diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for children with autism and other conditions.

“EarliTec is pioneering diagnostic and treatment solutions for children with autism, and we’re thrilled to support their innovative efforts,” Venture Investors Executive Managing Director Jim Adox said in a statement.

The funds will be used to expand commercialization efforts and advance clinical research for EarliPoint Evaluation, a tool that aids clinicians in the diagnosis and assessment of autism in children aged 16-30 months.

California-based Nexus NeuroTech Ventures was the other lead investor in the funding round.

See more at Madison Startups and see the release.

— The Department of Natural Resources has announced the invasive emerald ash borer has been found in Washburn and Taylor counties for the first time, making Burnett the only Wisconsin county with no detections.

The insect was first found in the state in 2008, according to the DNR. The agency says it will continue to spread in northern Wisconsin, “significantly impacting” the state’s ash tree population. An earlier DNR release on the emerald ash borer describes it as “the most damaging threat” to trees in the state, as it kills more than 99% of untreated ash trees.

A total of 66 municipal detections have been reported so far this year.

See more in the release.

— UW-Madison has announced Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska as the university’s next vice chancellor for research.

Grejner-Brzezinska, a longtime Ohio State University engineering professor and GPS researcher, will start in the new position Sept. 1. GPS technology has been “core” to her research for years, according to the release.

“It’s an example of a game-changing technological innovation that we now take for granted,” she said in a statement. “The transformation of GPS, a military-only technology, to a portable, global location technology is astounding, and I am thrilled to have been an active player in this transformation.”

Once she starts at UW-Madison, she will oversee a portfolio with $1.5 billion in annual research spending, the release shows.

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