Extension Information Kiosk Now Available for Public Use
The Iowa County Extension Office is excited to announce the addition of an Information Kiosk to the lobby area of our office. This computer is available at no charge to the public for Extension-related use, including accessing the Extension Iowa County website, registering for 4-H or other 4H Online activities, signing up for ag programs, submitting questions to the “Ask Your Gardening Question” site, access to the UW-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, and much more!
We hope this will be a useful tool for those with limited or no Internet accessibility at home, allowing them to take advantage of Extension programming.
Pesticide Applicator Training Information
There are some important changes to the Pesticide Applicator Training (PAT) program for 2024. Visit our Pesticide Applicator Training page here to learn all of the details!
Planning AHEAD is a 7-session course (one hour each) for people who have lost a loved one, are in the process of losing a loved one and are dealing with the transition, or are interested in planning for the end of life to make things easier for family members. This course features a free workbook to help people with the tasks and decisions associated with end-of-life.
The program will be held virtually on Zoom each Thursday from April 4th to May 16th, 11am to noon each day. NOTE: Thursday, March 28 will be a required tech check.
Please register at: https://go.wisc.edu/2509pv by Monday, March 25th. Connection information will be sent to registered participants. Space is limited. For more information, contact Life Span Program Manager, Sara Richie by email at sara.richie@wisc.edu. Click here for a printable flyer.
Badger Dairy Insight Series
Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension’s Dairy Program on the third Tuesday of each month from 11am-12 pm CST for the Badger Dairy Insight webinar series. New this year, we are switching our webinars to a monthly platform. We are featuring your local Extension Dairy Program Educators and UW Specialists as they present on current dairy topics. Take the opportunity to learn from and discuss with experts on the dates below. To learn more about Badger Dairy Insight and the Extension Dairy program please visit https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu
April 16th: Grazing your way to reduced heifer cost and better sustainability
Back to our roots with grazing dairy heifers with Jason Cavadini, Extension Grazing Outreach Specialist
Just a few generations ago nearly all dairy heifers spent part of the year on pasture. Today, most dairy farmers choose not to implement grazing. But there’s good reason for dairy farms to consider going Back to Our Roots with grazing of dairy heifers. It’s important to understand the distinctions between managed grazing and other types of grazing management. The three foundational principles – the Three R’s – are what make managed grazing different. This presentation will discuss how Rotation, Rest, and Residual influence forage production, animal performance, and cost savings for heifer raising programs.
Advancing sustainable grazing: quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from pastures using a “flying” air analyzer with Nesli Akdeniz, Livestock Controlled Environments Extension Specialist
The Rotational Grazing Handbook (A3529) recommends that all pastures with less than 40% legume content require N fertilization for optimal growth. Fertilizer application not only contributes to additional forage growth, allowing for a longer grazing period but also enhances pasture yields leading to increased carbon sequestration. However, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied in a way that minimizes the emissions of greenhouse gases and their precursors. In this presentation, we will discuss the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy pastures using a “flying” air analyzer. We will also explore the effects of split N application and drought conditions on these emissions.
Badger Dairy Insight
There is no charge to participate in the sessions, however pre-registration is required to allow access. Register online at go.wisc.edu/bdi2324
Updated Website for all of your Food Preservation Needs
The National Center for Home Food Preservation is thrilled to announce the launch of their new website on March 1st, 2024. You can access it at https://nchfp.uga.edu. This is the place to go for the answers to all of your food preservation questions as well as advice, information, etc. If you work with canning, pickling, fermenting, freezing, drying, curing & smoking, storing, or making jams & jellies, you should definitely bookmark this site!
Extension Horticulture & Gardening Resources for You
Do you have a question relating to horticulture or gardening? Iowa County does not have a dedicated Horticulture Educator, but the UW-Madison Division of Extension does have an online form that you can fill out. Simply provide basic contact information and ask your question, and your inquiry will be responded to by an Extension staff member or a Master Gardener Volunteer in your area. You can even upload up to three photos to submit with your question!
A link to the online submission page is located to the right (scroll down to where it says “Ask a Gardening Question” and click on the “W” shield logo underneath it). Click here for an instruction sheet that details how to fill out and submit the online form.
Click here for Covid-19 Resources
Latest News from Extension Iowa County
Join us for the StrongBodies Program! StrongBodies has been shown to increase strength, muscle mass, and bone density. Classes are held twice weekly and include progressive resistance training, balance training, and flexibility exercises. Dates: October 10 through December 21 Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 – 10:15 am How to Sign Up: Register online at https://go.wisc.edu/6693j7 […]
Ross DeWitt, Iowa and Lafayette Counties Forester, is hosting a series of Learn About Your Land webinars. These classes cover many topics relevant to woodland owners. All sessions will go from 6-7:30pm. Space is limited, so pre-registration is necessary. Registration fee is $15 per person, which includes all three webinars. Attendees must register by September […]
Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension’s Dairy Program on the third Tuesday of each month from 11am-12 pm CST for the Badger Dairy Insight webinar series. New this year we are switching our webinars to a monthly platform. We are featuring your local Extension Dairy Program Educators and UW Specialists as they […]
Planning AHEAD is a 7-session course (one hour each) that guides participants through the topics of handling financial changes, advance medical and legal directives, estate planning, choices in end-of-life care, final wishes, and understanding grief. This course features a free workbook to help people with the tasks and decisions associated with end-of-life planning. This program […]
UW-Madison Division of Extension and the UW NPM program are sponsoring an educational workshop focused on Palmer amaranth identification, prevention, and control in WI grain cropping systems. The workshop will take place at Woodworth Organic Farms (15556 Cty Rd W, Shullsburg, WI 53586). Workshop Highlights: Identification of Palmer amaranth, characteristics of this plant, risk of […]
