Agriculture

A farmer-owned cooperative in the Driftless Area is taking a different approach to hybrid work and having positive results.

Darla LeClair spent years trying to end Two Rivers’ ban on front yard vegetable gardens. “Come on, why are you so prejudiced against peas, you know?” she said. Two new bills would limit similar restrictions on vegetable gardens and backyard chicken flocks statewide.

Novice gardeners wondering where to start their gardening adventures might want to try straw bale gardening. Joel Karsten, author and inventor of this unique gardening technique, recently appeared on WPR’s “Garden Talk” to discuss the many benefits of straw bale gardening.

By understanding the origins of nitrogenase and its connection to life, researchers could possibly fine-tune its cell-building properties to help crops adapt. 

Egg prices have been climbing as farmers deal with the impact of the spread of avian flu. But the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which has limited supply, hasn’t impacted all eggs equally. Specialty eggs, which are traditionally more expensive, look more appealing.

The avian flu virus has infected more than 150 million birds over the past two years, along with a few cows, cats and humans. A pathobiology expert at UW-Madison explains how scientists are tracking it and trying to prevent it from becoming a human epidemic.

The ongoing freeze on federal funding for overseas food aid and on-farm conservation projects has created uncertainty for Wisconsin farmers and ag groups preparing for this year’s growing season.

Clean energy advocates say solar projects are an essential part of the transition away from fossil fuels. But some critics of the projects say local communities don’t get a say in where they go up.

Thousands of federal workers in Wisconsin now have until Monday at midnight to consider buyouts under President Donald Trump’s plans to shrink the federal government, which could affect services offered in the state.

Gov. Tony Evers is looking to bolster support for Wisconsin’s agricultural exports amid the threat of new tariffs from the Trump administration on the state’s top trading partners.