AGRICULTURE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY
Agriculture in Douglas
County has long been predominately the forage-based animal enterprises
of dairy and beef farming. The cool northern climate and
the heavy clay soils of the region limit the productivity of grain
crops, while forage crops, the main feed component in cattle rations,
does well. Although the farms are small in average size
and decreasing in number, agriculture is still an important component
of the economy of Douglas County. Other significant crops
raised include small fruits, cranberries and produce for sale
at farmer's markets. Commercial forests cover approximately 20%
of the county.
TRACTOR AND FARM MACHINERY SAFETY COURSE OFFERED
Wisconsin law requires youth under the age of 16 to have a training certificate, if they operate a tractor or self-propelled farm implement on a public road, even if they are working for a parent or guardian. In addition, federal law prohibits hiring or even allowing any youth under the age of 16 to participate in any hazardous work activities, including operating tractors over 20 PTO horsepower, unless the youth has a training certificate or is working on a farm owned and operated by his or her parent or guardian.
The Tractor and Farm Machinery Safety Certification program will be offered in Douglas County in June 2008. Youth participating in these courses will receive classroom instruction and supervised tractor driving experience. Wisconsin Act 445 states that students must attend all training sessions and complete written and driving examinations in order to be certified. There will be an $8.00 charge for the course materials. Participants in the course must be at least 12 years old. The three day course will meet on Monday June 16, Tuesday June 17, and Wednesday June 18 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm each day.
Please contact Tom Syverud, Extension and Outreach Educator at (715) 395-1363 for more information and registration materials. Class size is limited, so register as soon as possible. Parents please be aware that students will need their Social Security numbers for the certification and the course requires a signed permission slip from the student’s parent/guardian to take the training. Students should dress for a range of weather conditions during outdoor activities and bring along a lunch each day.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN SAFARI OF AG SPECIALISTS
This is a series of
annual educational programs sponsored by the University Extension
offices of northwest Wisconsin. Each program focuses on
a specific agricultural topic, with University of Wisconsin Extension
specialists and agents bringing you up to date research based
information for the farm business.
All programs begin at
8:00 PM at the Northwestern High School in Maple and are free and open
to the public.
Schedule of Topics for 2009:
- January 22: Managing fertilizers in a high cost environment - Focus on strategies to stretch your fertilizer dollars. (Matt Ruark, UW-Extension Soil Fertility Specialist)
- January 29: New Farm Bill: What's in it for me? - Focus on programs available to local producers. (Local USDA staff and UW-Extension agents)
- February 5: Use of zone tillage in cropping systems - What is zone tillage and how can it benefit you? (Dick Wolkowski, UW-Extension Soil Specialist)
- February 12: Low-cost parlors and small scale bio-digesters - How these technologies can modernize your dairy. (Vance Haugen, UW-Extension Agriculture Agent)
RELATED LINKS OF INTEREST
STAFF
If you have
any questions regarding Agriculture in Douglas County, please
contact:
Douglas County UW-Extension
1313 Belknap Street, Room 107
Superior, WI 54880-2781
Phone: (715) 395-1363
FAX: (715) 395-1399
Wisconsin Relay: 711
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