Wisconsin

Building the Future: Partnerships Bring Essential Infrastructure to Rural Areas

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 19:14:01 GMT

There’s a $6 billion funding gap in essential infrastructure needed in rural communities. That’s according to Jase Wagner, CEO of Compeer Financial. Since 2006, the farm credit cooperative has been working on pilot projects to show how new partnerships and funding bridge what’s needed.

One of its latest example projects is at Lafayette Hospital + Clinics in Lafayette County Wisconsin (and the only county-owned hospital in the state) where a 84,000 square foot facility was built to double the size of its previous hospital.

“At Compeer Financial, we are a part of the farm credit system, which has consistently supported rural communities and agriculture,” Wagner says. “As we’ve looked at the trends and environment around rural communities recently, they need an extra boost of support.”

Its pilot projects have included critical access care hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

To enable the project in Wisconsin, Compeer Financial partnered with the regional Clare Bank and USDA to secure a $50.87 million financing package.

“We are ecstatic to introduce our region’s residents to our new Lafayette Hospital + Clinics, formerly known as Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County,” said Marie Wamsley, CEO of LHC in a press release. “The facility upgrades the technologies and services we’re able to offer our patients and the region’s healthcare providers, and the new location gives us room to grow. We’re grateful for the partnership with Compeer Financial in helping secure funding so we can continue to provide our rural community with the comprehensive, around-the-clock medical care it has relied on for more than 70 years.”

Citing a pattern of success with its pilot projects, Compeer is supporting legislation called The Investing in Rural America Act, which could be part of a “Skinny Farm Bill” in the near-future.

“We need to provide more permanent financing and long-term support for this market. Agriculture needs rural communities as much or more than rural communities need agriculture,” Wagner says. “The Investing in Rural America Act is a targeted bill to allow us to invest in a subset of essential community facilities. It’s primarily focused on health care, but also includes libraries, community centers, and other gathering places for communities.”

Another project currently underway is in Galena, Ill., as Compeer led a $25.75 million financing packing to expand and renovate Midwest Medical Center. This project will bring new medical providers and services, a new fitness center and new infusion clinic.
Wagner explains the nationwide $6 billion gap is the result of decades of underinvestment to keep essential facilities up-to-date across rural America.

“When we see these turn over and get new facilities in town, it’s just amazing,” he says. “It’s a rebirth kind of energy. The ability to hire people goes way up, and the ability to have good care in these areas goes up, which creates its own rural prosperity.”
Wagner is optimistic in a fly-wheel effect with cooperation across a coalition of institutions.

“As we prove this out, we can get a broader set of investors investing in rural America, which then really helps everyone. Rural America is such an essential part of the overall operation of the United States, and I think people understand that more and more, but you need to invest in it in order to make it stay that way.”

Southern Rust Set To Take Big Bite Out Of Midwest Corn Crop?

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 21:56:59 GMT

If one picture is worth a thousand words, then the video Iowa farmer Dan Striegel shot last week must be worth thousands more. In the video, Striegel is shown harvesting a field of emerald-green corn enveloped in a cloud of orangish-red southern rust.

“We were just getting that field opened up, and I looked over and saw that dust boiling up out of the chopper, so I shot the video,” Striegel says.

Southern Rust? Never heard of her.
What Cheer, Iowa. USA. #pftour25 #harvest25 pic.twitter.com/tiIsUc2CHl
— Dan Striegel (@djsinseia) August 21, 2025

To date, Striegel’s video has garnered more than 48,000 views on X, formerly Twitter.

“We’re in southeast Iowa, Keokuk County, and I think the southern rust is as bad here as it is anywhere,” Striegel adds. “Every field you walk in, if you’re wearing a white T-shirt, you’ll come out of there red.”

A Red Path Of Disease Mars The Midwest

Expect to see more red T-shirt-clad farmers walking out of cornfields across the upper Midwest, based on what the Crop Protection Network (CPN) southern rust map is showing.

The CPN continually updates its online, interactive map showing the counties by state where southern rust infections are confirmed. Now, in late August, the counties look like red steppingstones. They form a checkered path from southwest Michigan through northern Illinois and Indiana, into southern Wisconsin, across all of Iowa and nearly two-thirds of the way across Nebraska. Eastern South Dakota is also lit up with a string of red counties, as are parts of southern to central Minnesota.

The amount of southern rust present in the upper Midwest is worrisome to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. In severe cases, the disease can wipe out 45% of the yield potential in a field, according to the CPN.

“At most, one in 10 growers in northern Iowa and Minnesota have seen the kind of southern rust some of them are seeing this year,” says Ferrie, who was working last week with corn growers in both states.

“It was a problem in probably eight out of every 10 fields I was in, and they’d all been sprayed at least once,” he says. “Minnesota has a corn crop that’ll knock your socks off – yield potential of 250, 270. I encouraged every grower to spray their field a second time except for two fields. One had been knocked down by hail, and the other had a hybrid that was clean.”

I spoke with a good friend of mine from Iowa yesterday that is an agronomist and farmer. He said the southern rust in corn across Iowa and much of the Midwest will take 9 to 12 bushel/acre off corn yields on average from what his team and himself are seeing. pic.twitter.com/Ad1VJ9oQBg
— Captain Cornelius1 (@ISU145) August 26, 2025

Hybrids Have Little To No Resistance To Southern Rust

A combination of early-season moisture, heat and wind formed the perfect storm for southern rust this season, allowing the disease-causing fungal spores (Puccinia polysora) to move from southern climes up to the Midwest, according to Kurt Maertens, BASF technical service representative for eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

“We’ve seen it all – southern rust, tar spot, northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot. Our corn has been inundated with all these fungal diseases, and we started seeing them early,” says Maertens.

If there’s a silver lining to southern rust, it’s that it does not overwinter in corn residue like tar spot does. But like tar spot, southern rust takes advantage of hybrids that have no built-in resistance. For many growers, that was an Achilles heel this season.

“When you’re dealing with a 117-day hybrid like they grow in southern Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky, you don’t grow corn that doesn’t have good southern rust resistance, because they deal with it every year,” Ferrie notes. “When you move to Minnesota, and you’re planting 102- to 95-day corn, you’re probably not going to find hybrids with southern rust resistance.”

Striegel says that was true for his neighbor’s cornfield, which he custom chopped for silage. “That field had two hybrids in it, one was worse than the other, and the field had been sprayed with a fungicide,” he says.

He adds that he also sprayed his own cornfields with fungicide, but they are still inundated with southern rust.

“We’ve had southern rust before, and it’s not usually something we have to worry about, but this is really bad,” Striegel says. “I’m standing on my deck looking at the cornfield next to my house, and you know, all of the leaves from the ears down in that field are covered with it.”

Southern rust is real in eastern Nebraska. Fungicide 3 weeks ago, 2nd app today with some potassium acetate pic.twitter.com/WZubU6IBwz
— Trent Mastny (@TrentMastny) August 21, 2025

How Late Is A Fungicide Application Still Worthwhile?

Ferrie says the fields he scouted last week were at late R3 to early R4 and had already been sprayed with fungicide at least once, but the disease was rebuilding.

“Any field where farmers had sprayed two weeks previously, the southern rust and northern corn leaf blight, to a lesser degree, were coming back, especially the southern rust. It was resporating,” he says.

The intense disease pressure from southern rust, tar spot and others have kept fungicide use at high levels this season, despite poor commodity prices.

“Because of that [amount of disease pressure], we have seen increased demand for our fungicides this year,” says Maertens, who encouraged customers to get applications made at the beginning of tassel.

Maertens says he has fielded a lot of questions this summer from farmers, asking how late they could go with a fungicide application and still benefit.

“Our recommendation is to get in front of disease,” he says. “Generally, we stop applications before we get to dent (R5). That’s not to say a later application can’t have some benefit, but our best results have been before infection was able to take place.”

Southern rust is a yield enemy farmers routinely face in the Southeast, reports corn yield champion Randy Dowdy, Valdosta, Ga. He participated in the Pro Farmer Crop Tour last week and said on U.S. Farm Report he believes many Midwest farmers still have time to address disease.

“We need to implore the fungicides, the technologies out there and get after it and protect this crop, especially that crop that still has not reached dent,” he says.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer likes to see farmers complete their fungicide applications on the front side of dough (early R4). “Once we get to early dent, I think it’s a little more challenging to get the payback consistently, though we’ve applied at early dent (R5), and seen a nice response,” says Bauer, who is based in south-central Michigan.

Under the tough disease pressure farmers are facing this year, Bauer is telling growers to scout fields and evaluate what growth stage their crop is in before they walk away or pull the fungicide trigger one last time.

She adds that farmers need to check the label to make sure the product used is able to address southern rust effectively. She describes these as “Cadillac” products containing the newest chemistry.

“When it comes to some of these diseases, especially southern rust and tar spot, I do believe a little bit of a Hail Mary pass can be effective,” she says. “Will it be as effective as an application you could have made on a more timely basis? Well, no, you could have made more money doing it timely, but you’re still protecting bushels and gaining ROI at the end.”

Ferrie adds that farmers might want to do the late-season fungicide application to keep their corn crop standing until they can put their harvest plan in place.

“Be doing the push test to check stalk quality,” he advises.

Southern Rust/Silage Alert!!

Southern Rust has been aggressively advancing in many fields, especially those without a fungicide treatment. In some situations the plants are shutting down prematurely and plant material is senescing rapidly.

While we typically want to get down… pic.twitter.com/aK3hGgZE19
— Pioneer Troy (@deutmeyer_troy) August 26, 2025

Striegel says some of the farmers around him are heading to fields to harvest their silage corn sooner than later, because of standability concerns. “Some of this corn got planted early, and we had a lot of heat. The crop matured quickly, and the diseases are kind of shutting it down. It’s just dying out, and guys are going to go get it,” he explains.

That’s the strategy Ferrie encourages farmers to use in regular production corn, too.

“Harvest the fields most at risk first. But if a field of corn goes down, go combine the fields where the corn is still standing and come back to that one later,” he recommends.

The reasoning is you don’t want to risk more corn going down while you’re harvesting the field of corn that already has.

“While I was driving through Iowa last week, I kept thinking that if I built corn reels to pick up down corn I’d bulk up my inventory, because I know where they’re going to get used,” Ferrie says, only half joking. “Yes, harvesting corn at 25% moisture is expensive, but down corn will kick your butt.”

Your next read: Revenge Applications: Why They Don’t Work, Cost You Money and Bushels, and Are Frankly Illegal

The Sweetest States: Where America Loves Ice Cream Most

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:12:23 GMT

July is National Ice Cream Month, and Americans are indulging like never before. But which states truly have the biggest sweet tooth? Recent research from SpinBlitz analyzed Google Maps listings nationwide to rank states by ice cream shop density, specifically the number of ice cream shops per 100,000 residents. Here are the top states who take their frozen dairy treats most seriously.

Top 10 Ice Cream-Loving States

1. Vermont (18.51 shops per 100K residents) Vermont tops the list with the highest number of ice cream shops per capita, and it’s not just thanks to Ben & Jerry’s. The state has a strong dairy foundation and a deep appreciation for small-batch, locally made ice cream. Whether in rural towns or tourist-friendly spots, ice cream shops are a visible part of Vermont’s food culture.

2. West Virginia (18.08) West Virginia ranks second in ice cream shop density thanks to a strong presence of locally owned parlors, custard stands and small-town scoop shops. It might not be a headline-grabbing food destination, but the state has a steady, long-standing appreciation for traditional favorites like banana splits, hand-dipped cones and floats.

3. Rhode Island (17.84) Rhode Island earns bronze in the nation for ice cream shop density. Known for regional favorites like frozen lemonade and coffee milkshakes, the state also supports a strong network of ice cream parlors across its coastal towns and neighborhoods. From tourist areas to local main streets, frozen treats are easy to find.

4. Pennsylvania (17.58) Pennsylvania ranks fourth with a diverse ice cream scene that reflects its mix of communities. From family-run creameries in rural areas to innovative shops in urban centers, the state offers a wide range of frozen dessert options.

5. Wisconsin (16.44) Known far and wide for its cheese, Wisconsin also delivers big on ice cream. Known as the Dairy State, it’s no surprise the state is brimming with mom-and-pop scoop shops, custard stands and local brands producing rich ice cream. Whether you’re at a farmstead creamery or a college-town cone counter, Wisconsin’s pride for ice cream shines.

6. Illinois (16.12) Chicago might be the driving force behind Illinois’ ranking, with its booming food scene filled with Instagram-worthy sundaes, small-batch gelato and quirky flavors. But don’t overlook the rural towns and suburbs, where old-school diners and small-town scoop shops keep the classics alive.

7. New Mexico (15.89) The only Southwestern state to crack the top 10, New Mexico might surprise you. But with sizzling summer temperatures and a thriving local food culture, it makes sense frozen treats are in demand. You’ll find shops serving everything from chile-spiked chocolate to cactus fruit sorbet.

8. Michigan (15.79) Snow doesn’t stop Michiganders from indulging. With thousands of inland lakes and summer tourists flooding towns like Traverse City and Petoskey, ice cream is a lakeside staple. From old-fashioned scoops to cherry-studded blends, Michigan’s ice cream culture is powered by nostalgia, local ingredients and a serious sweet tooth.

9. New Hampshire (15.54) New England knows its dairy, and New Hampshire is no exception. This state might not be flashy, but its abundance of seasonal roadside stands, maple-infused flavors and mom-and-pop ice cream stops make it a solid contender. Summer drives through the mountains or along the lakes are rarely complete without a cone in hand.

10. New York (15.35) New York ranks 10^th, where ice cream is as diverse as the state itself. From trendy, creative scoop shops and food trucks in the heart of New York City to time-tested creameries in upstate towns, there’s a flavor and style for everyone. With tourists and locals alike lining up for their favorite cones, New York’s ice cream doesn’t disappoint.

See How Your State Stacks Up in the Ice Cream Race
Whether you’re craving a classic cone or something a little more adventurous, it’s clear that some states really know how to satisfy that ice cream craving. Curious how all 50 states stack up in the great ice cream showdown? Check out the full ranking and see where your home ranks:

Rank	State	Ice Cream Shops per 100,000 residents
1	Vermont	18.51
2	West Virginia	18.08
3	Rhode Island	17.84
4	Pennsylvania	17.58
5	Wisconsin	16.44
6	Illinois	16.12
7	New Mexico	15.89
8	Michigan	15.79
9	New Hampshire	15.54
10	New York	15.35
11	Massachusetts	14.99
12	North Dakota	14.92
13	Ohio	14.90
14	Maine	14.89
15	Nebraska	14.83
16	Alaska	14.79
17	Indiana	14.78
18	Idaho	14.27
19	Delaware	14.05
20	Montana	14.00
21	South Dakota	13.96
22	Hawaii	13.78
23	Florida	13.67
24	New Jersey	13.61
25	Wyoming	13.56
26	Mississippi	13.25
27	Iowa	13.02
28	North Carolina	12.58
29	Texas	12.40
30	Arkansas	12.23
31	California	12.10
32	Arizona	12.09
33	Kansas	11.71
34	Connecticut	11.60
35	Virginia	11.25
36	Oklahoma	10.66
37	Nevada	10.54
38	Utah	10.38
39	Minnesota	10.37
40	Oregon	10.37
41	Tennessee	10.26
42	Louisiana	10.20
43	Georgia	10.00
44	Colorado	9.98
45	Kentucky	9.73
46	Washington	9.43
47	Alabama	9.23
48	South Carolina	8.80
49	Maryland	8.56
50	Missouri	8.44

Midwest Farmers Dodge Spotty Rains as Planting Season Jumps Ahead of Schedule

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:03:31 GMT

Timely rains and great conditions have farmers racing to put seeds in the ground. USDA’s latest crop progress report shows 24% of the corn crop is now planted. That’s 2% ahead of the five-year average. For soybeans, 18% is now in the ground, which is 6% ahead of normal.

The weather and soil conditions are cooperating for the farmers on the “Plant Your Independence Tour” this spring. In Iowa, despite some rains, corn planting is 6% ahead of the five-year average at 34% complete. Soybeans are a quarter of the way done.

Jeff Reints farms near Shell Rock, IA

(Wyffels)

Jeff Reints farms in northeast Iowa near Shell Rock and has received 5" to 7" of rain across his ground since Easter Sunday. Right now, he still has about half of his acres left to plant. He’s hoping to get back in the field later this week to get back on schedule.

“We could still be completed with planting by May 10, which is a good, normal goal for us,” Reints says.

Ward Hunter farms in Ogden, IA

(Wyffels)

In Ogden, Iowa, farmer Ward Hunter said planting got off to its earliest start ever, but dry weather had him concerned. Now things have flipped. Hunter says he didn’t turn a wheel last week, and his fields have seen anywhere from 2" to 4" of rain.

In Minnesota, corn planting stands at 26% done, which is 5% ahead of average. Soybean planting sits at 13% this week and 7% ahead of normal.

Mike Madsen farms in Heron Lake, MN

(Wyffels)

Mike Madsen farms in Heron Lake, Minn., and saw 1.5” of rain between Friday and Monday. He’s planning to resume planting this week and expects to finish the last of the corn.

“Our farm has 150 acres of corn left to plant. No soybeans are in yet,” Madsen explains. “We have a little way to go, but it’s OK. It’s still April.”

Six hours southeast in Whitewater, Wis., Casey Kelleher says the ground is warm and working up beautifully. He says once they got started, the crop is going in quickly.

Casey Kelleher farms in Whitewater, WI

(Wyffels)

“About 50% of our corn, or roughly 1,200 acres, is in,” Kelleher says. “We’re just getting going on soybeans, and we’re in our first field now.”

Across the border in Illinois, some farmers were able to plant around the rain. Brent Johnson says they planted Wednesday, Thursday and over the weekend around Ashland, Ill. He has about 22% of his soybeans left to plant and 45% of his corn.

Brent Johnson farms in Ashland, IL

(Wyffels)

USDA says overall, 22% of soybeans are in the ground across Illinois. That’s 2% ahead of average. Corn is at 16% planted, which is 10% behind the usual pace.

The shift in planting pace is happening as more farmers put soybeans in first for agronomic reasons.

That’s a similar story for the Parkinson farm in Wataga, Ill. Their beans are done despite dodging storms on their way toward completion.

Rod Parkinson farms near Wataga, IL

(Wyffels)

“We’ve had a little over an inch of rain in the last week,” says Brian Parkinson.

He farms with his brother, Rod,, who says rain on April 17 kept them on the sideline for a few days.

“We hadn’t planted any corn, and I have a lot of friends, neighbors and customers in the same boat,” Rod says. “They got their beans planted but are waiting to start corn.”

The Parkinson brothers are the fifth generation on this family farm. Rod’s son, Austin, is the sixth generation.

“There’s been a lot of generations and a lot of hard work and effort to get to where we are today,” Austin says as the trio checks soil conditions once more. “This ground condition isn’t far off. It really just needs a full day of sun, and then guys will be able to get back in.”

With beans done, their focus is turning to corn, which currently offers better potential for returns.

“Corn does pencil a lot better this year,” Rod says. “With beans, you need an 11 in the front of them, and I don’t know that we’re going to get there. So, we did switch an 80-acre parcel to corn.”

This year their operation is roughly a 60/40 split between corn and beans.

As morning grey turns to midday sun, corn planting on their corner of Illinois commences.

“This winter was different than last because we had a lot of freezing and thawing. That’s why the soil is so good,” Rod says. “A year ago, we never had one freeze, and it stayed heavy all spring.”

Even with the delay, they’re in good shape agronomically.

“Last year, our Wyffel’s data showed April corn through May 15 corn really had no yield drag,” Austin says. “After May 15, you have a little bit. But it’s really all about planting conditions. If you can plant when the conditions are good that’s going to be the best way to go.”

Patience with the planter is key as the Parkinsons dodge raindrops.

“I think guys are feeling pretty optimistic right now,” adds Rod as he watches Brian put the first corn rows into strips.

He’s optimistic the planting will get done, even as the growing season is just beginning.

Trump Trade Policy Seen As Wild Card for U.S. Soybean Farmers, Opportunity for Crushers

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 21:45:58 GMT

By Karl Plume and Renee Hickman

American farmers are worried that President-elect Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plans will curb their access to top soy buyer China, but tariffs could also lure companies to build more U.S. crushing plants, hungry for domestic supplies.

Trump’s plans to roll out blanket import tariffs could slam the door on imported vegetable oil supplies, which renewable energy analysts said could in turn lure the U.S. crush industry to revive lagging plans to build new plants and expand capacity.

Such expansion has faltered over the past year, as the U.S. market was flooded with cheaper global supplies of diesel feedstocks like used cooking oil (UCO) from China, tallow from Brazil and canola oil from Canada.

Now, these supplies are likely targets for Trump’s tariffs while global supplies of other vegoils are tightening and prices climbing, analysts said. USDA data projects that global rapeseed oil supplies will shrink by 13% over the coming year with sunflower seed oil stocks down 24%. Indonesian palm oil shipments have dropped as that country plans to boost biodiesel production next year.

Potential new demand helped send Chicago Board of Trade soy oil futures jumping nearly 6% last week to the highest in seven months, traders said.

Analysts cautioned it remained too soon to know how, or if, the Trump Administration will change President Joe Biden’s law providing a decade of lucrative subsidies for clean-energy projects. Building domestic demand for such crops is key for eating through excess stocks, especially without access to the Chinese export market, agricultural economists said.

Hefty global competition could dent incomes for farmers who just harvested the second-largest U.S. soybean crop ever at a time when crop prices hover near four-year lows.

If tariffs prompt retaliation by global U.S. soybean importers, big soy processors such as Bunge Global and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co could benefit from a larger and likely cheaper supply of beans for them to crush in the U.S., industry analysts said.

“If Trump goes the tariff direction, it is friendly for the U.S. crushing industry and capacity,” said Kent Woods, owner of advisory firm CrushTraders. Woods added that U.S. soyoil demand would also rise if Trump blocks imported oils from benefiting from renewable fuel tax credits.

Farmers in rural Evansville, Wis., were still waiting for the state’s first commercial-scale soybean crushing plant, which had been slated to break ground last year.

For Nancy Kavazanjian and husband Charlie Hammer, the plant would mean an end to the nearly 400-mile round-trip to haul their soybeans to an Illinois buyer.

The savings would be huge, Kavazanjian said. “It’s manpower, it’s fuel and it’s time.”

Promise of Riches
Soaring vegoil demand from biofuels makers triggered a flood of projects to build new soy processing plants three years ago.

A mix of state and federal programs aimed at boosting lower carbon intensity fuels got a lift from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) climate legislation in 2022. Since 2021, U.S. renewable diesel production capacity soared 200%.

Six new soybean processing facilities or plant expansions in Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota opened in less than two years. At least four more projects in Nebraska, Ohio, Indiana and Louisiana are slated to launch through 2026.

Yet in about a half-dozen Midwestern towns, the lucrative promise of riches has stalled.

Crushers blame the delays on the flood of biofuel feedstock imports, soaring construction costs and the end of cheap financing as interest rates surged to a 23-year high.

U.S. farmers looking to boost domestic soyoil demand have unsuccessfully tried to get Biden’s Treasury Department to exclude imported biofuel feedstocks from IRA subsidies known as 45Z. It remains too soon to know if Trump will try to alter the IRA’s clean energy provisions or limit imports of used cooking oil, said Susan Stroud, founding analyst at No Bull Ag consulting.

Election Results
Some firms slammed the brakes on oilseeds plant expansions in order to wait and see how the election will impact biofuels policy. Permitting delays have stalled plant expansions by global oilseeds processor Bunge and joint venture partner Chevron in Destrehan, Louisiana, and Cairo, Illinois, along with slow approvals by the two companies, Bunge told Reuters.

Industry sources said Bunge scrapped plans to expand its massive plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Bunge declined to comment.

Work on United Cooperative’s smaller-scale plant in Waupun, Wisconsin, lagged after construction costs rose and interest rates soared, said Woods of advisory firm CrushTraders.

United Coop CEO David Cramer said it will be online within two years; the only delays were in getting equipment.

Soy processors also expect higher construction costs next year. Tariffs on imported steel and processing plant equipment could prove unpalatable for crushers that have yet to break ground.

Evansville Mayor Dianne Duggan said CHS had spoken about approving construction of the local facility as early as spring of 2023. The plant would be able to crush 70 million bushels of soybeans annually - or about two-thirds of Wisconsin’s total crop production, according to company and government data.

Today, it’s an empty field. CHS said the project is still under consideration.

(Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago and Renee Hickman in Evansville, Wisconsin, additional reporting by P.J. Huffstutter in Chicago; Editing by David Gregorio)

NAICC's Wisconsin Farm Tour Focuses on Finding Common Ground

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 21:29:20 GMT

This fall, NAICC and the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) hosted a farm tour in Wisconsin for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials to discuss what successful implementation of Endangered Species Act (ESA) mitigation practices looks like for EPA and FWS, brainstorm how success is defined by each group and find common ground. We welcomed seven EPA attendees and three from FWS.

The first stop on the tour was in Delavan, Wisconsin, at Great Lakes Ag Research Service’s farm. FWS educated the group on the habitat of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. The group discussed how farmers can continue to farm field edge to field edge while protecting the habitat through the use of mitigation practices and preserving essential habitat.

Stop No. 2 was at Dale and Denise Theel’s farm in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Here, the group learned how farmers are actively improving habitat for pollinators such as the rusty patched bumble bee. By utilizing cover crops and prairie strips, a habitat is being created to attract pollinators and still allow for normal crop production. This farm is part of the Wisconsin Demonstration Farm Network, and the group discussed how such a model could be used in other regions.

Next up was Coloma Farms in Coloma, Wisconsin. This stop focused on potato production and how pivot corners could be utilized to create habitat. Discussion centered on ESA buffers and how they affect potato pest management.

Day two began at Jim and Nodji Van Wychen’s cranberry farm in Warrens, Wisconsin. The group learned about cranberry production and its unique challenges. EPA offered input into how buffers would be interpreted on this farm and how most of the practices utilized by producers would be recognized as mitigations for ESA. EPA emphasized its goal is to give farmers as much credit for things they are already doing for conservation to count toward ESA mitigations. The group also learned more about cranberry production at the Wisconsin Cranberry Research Station in Black River Falls.

The final stop on the tour was the WinField United Innovation Center in River Falls, Wisconsin. Here, everyone learned about WinField’s work to test drift reduction agents and nozzles. The group discussed how this technology is helping preserve critical habitats for endangered species.

The Takeaway
One important discussion that took place is how farmers and agronomists don’t understand the ESA right now. Soon after the tour ended, the NAICC governmental affairs committee met with Tim Kiely, a farm tour participant and acting deputy director for EPA’s pesticide re-evaluation division. His team is working on ways to communicate with not only growers but also commodity groups and consultants. They are currently developing a mitigation calculator to help farmers meet the label requirements.

New Survey Shows Labor is Serious Challenge for Ag Industry

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:00:19 GMT

A new survey from the Minneapolis Fed found ag bankers rank labor availability as a top concern for their farm clients.

The survey, which was conducted with ag bankers from the ninth district (Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin), found the issue is viewed as a “serious challenge” for 63% of respondents and a minor challenge for the majority of the remaining 37%.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult to obtain the labor needed to operate,” a Minnesota-based banker told the Minneapolis Fed.

The availability of livestock workers was seen as more limited than crop workers and those surveyed also shared that finding long-term help is more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.

As far as how this compares to past conditions, 39% of respondents said labor availability has gotten “much worse” over the past five years and 44% said it’s “a little worse”.

The Minneapolis Fed attributes this challenge to the region’s low influx of migrant workers and aging workforce.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, 10% of animal production employees in the area are foreign born, compared to 18% nationally. The number is even lower for crop production with just 5% of workers being foreign born, compared to 32% nationally.

The region also has some of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S.

At the same time, the median age of workers in the region rose from 51 to 56 in 2021. The number of workers between 45 to 54 has declined over the past decade with a small increase of those between the ages of 25 to 44 and a large increase of those over 55.

Three Midwestern Farm Credit Associations Announce Collaboration

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 15:26:50 GMT

AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Frontier Farm Credit and Farm Credit Services of America announced they have signed a collaboration contract. The three boards will share leadership, planning and technology responsibilities, while local boards, offices and programs will be retained.

“Continual improvement is vital to the long-term success of any farm or ranch,” said Shane Tiffany, chair of the Frontier Farm Credit board. “Our financial cooperatives are no different. As agriculture gets more complicated and our risks and costs as producers increase, we need to know we can count on our lender. This collaboration better positions us for the future.”

Combined, the organizations have a reach of over 85,000 producers in eight states: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

“There are many examples of successful collaborations in the Farm Credit System,” said Nick Jorgensen, chair of the FCSAmerica Board. “This one is unique in allowing each association to share functions where it makes sense, yet retain the local experience we all have come to value from our individual cooperatives and financial teams.”

At the end of 2022, AgCountry, based in Fargo, ND, had a reported loan volume of $11.6 billion. Frontier Farm Credit, based in Manhattan, Kan., had a volume of $2.6 billion and FCS America, based in Omaha, Neb., reported $38.3 billion.

“Our three boards are comprised mostly of farmers and ranchers. We were elected by our fellow member-owners to make decisions ensuring our associations fulfill their mission to current and future producers,” said Lynn Pietig, chair of AgCountry’s board of directors. “Each association enters this collaboration in a financially strong position. By working together, we can achieve benefits of scale that make us even stronger.”

The collaboration is expected to take effect no later than April 1, 2024.

Young Wisconsin Brothers Break Record for World’s Largest Grilled Cheese

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 19:23:48 GMT

Grilled cheese is a staple food for children across America. But two Wisconsin brothers decided to take their version of grilled cheese sandwich to the next level.

Exodus and Iggy Chaudhry of Delavan, Wis., have been on a mission to break a world record on their YouTube channel, “The Exodus and Iggy Show.” After conducting some research, the pair decided that making to world’s largest grilled cheese seemed like a reasonable feat.

Using a custom-welded pan, Exodus, 11, and Iggy, 10, along with family and friends, grilled up 300 lbs. of dough along with 60 lbs. of cheese. The feast took nearly one month to assemble, according to the duo.

The cheesy sandwich measured in at 6.25 feet wide, 10.9 feet long and 2.75 inches thick. Previously, the Guinness World Record title for the world’s largest grilled cheese sandwich belonged to Cabot Creamery in Vermont. They set the record in 2000 with their sandwich weighing 320 pounds and measuring 5 feet wide, 10 feet long and 2.4 inches thick.

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Milwaukee Opens Ag Export Facility, Adding $63 Million to Trade Annually

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 20:05:52 GMT

A $40 million ag export facility recently opened on Jones Island in Milwaukee, Wisc., where state-grown commodities, including dried distillers’ grain (DDGs), corn and soybeans, will move through the port to international waters.

“This new facility will have a tremendous impact here in the local Milwaukee community and around the state and will help ensure more of our farmers’ best-in-class, Wisconsin-made goods will be shared with folks all over the world,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.

The facility boasts capacity for 30,000 metrics tons of DDGs, or 45,000 metric tons of soybeans.

Wisconsin DOT forecasts $63 million will come from the terminal annually, as the ag port addition—operated by The DeLong Co.—will increase exports by 400,000 metric tons each year. According to The DeLong Co., Port Milwaukee’s addition will push commodities to new markets in Northern Africa and Europe.

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who pushed for the $19.6 million federal protection grant, awarded the funds in 2021. She says her main goal with the investment is to open international market doors to growers.

Wisconsin Farmland Prices Average $4,000 per Acre

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 02:44:18 GMT

The farmland market continues to be stable in Wisconsin. For 2017, the average price of farmland sold was $4,025. That’s identical to the 2016 state-wide average and 3.5% higher than the 2015 average, according to a report from the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Profitability that is based on Wisconsin Department of Revenue data.

“There were 11% more acres sold in 2017 and 13% more reported transactions,” reports Arlin Brannstrom, faculty associate emeritus at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Profitability. “Declining farm incomes helped to dampen demand. With low commodity prices expected and increased borrowing costs again in 2018, producer competition for land will likely soften again.”

Farmland prices varied widely across the state. Only 17% of the 2017 farmland sales notched prices above $6,000 per acre, while 20% of the sales were less than $2,000 per acre. Only a few topped $10,000 per acre.

Compared to neighboring states, Wisconsin farmland is priced significantly lower. That’s due to a large portion of the state’s land not being suitable for continuous row crop farming. The shorter growing season in northern Wisconsin also limits the potential agricultural value for land.

Farmland in Demand

Yet, demand for farmland from potential owners outside of farming is strong in Wisconsin. “The real estate taxes for ag land is much lower than they once were,” Brannstrom says. “Record-low interest rates and changing population demographics have also increased demands for open space.”

This strong demand is a key challenge for the dairy industry in Wisconsin. “Although dairy farming is well suited to the climate, topography and infrastructure of Wisconsin, the continued survival of a viable dairy industry depends upon access to affordable land resources,” Brannstrom explains. “Expanding dairy businesses may need to rely on long-term leases or manure trading arrangements to assure compliance with environmental regulations and land use constraints.”

Land values are highest in the southeastern, east-central and south-central portions of the state, where prices average above $5,000 per acre. If land values stay high, Brannstrom expects, dairy production will continue to shift away from those regions.

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Merged Cooperatives Unveil New Brand: Alcivia

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 15:01:33 GMT

The merger of Landmark and Countryside cooperatives became official on March 1, 2021, and today Jim Dell CEO and president of the new business unveiled the new brand for the business going forward: Alcivia.

Dell explains the leadership wanted to wait to announce the new brand until both organizations were aligned. So 120 days into the merger, Alcivia is now the brand and identity.

“The story behind the brand is one where we hope our employees can help convey to our customer base—we are now all together and the civil and civility side brings our cooperative spirit,” Dell says.

The new brand is a result of customer research and collaboration between the marketing team, board of directors and a cross-section of employees.

“We arrived at a distinctive name we can call our own,” Dell says. “As a member on cooperative, powered by engaged employees with a single mission, shared vision and common values, we are a community of passionate individuals driven by a common desire to make the future, even brighter for our members, customers and employees.”

Alcivia has a footprint across most of Wisconsin in addition to parts of Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa. The cooperative has 490 full-time employees (833 total active employees), more than 25,000 members, and annual sales of more than $625 million.

“I think we owe it to our membership to look at opportunities to keep us competitive and provide returns on equity,” Dell says. “And I think you’ll continue to see hybrid models, mergers, partnerships and alignments within cooperatives.”

Countryside had begun to consolidate two of its feed mills in Wisconsin, and Dell says the cooperative is continuing to execute on acquiring that greater efficiency.

Dell says the new cooperative has already set important new milestones with its business citing growth in its input financing, which totaled more than $50 million this past year.

Another point the board focused on was managing human resources and specifically, “keeping good solid employees long-term,” Dell shares.

With a farmer base representing a lot of dairy production, Dell shares members are on solid footing despite the milk market not offering “a sustained period of strong prices. We have healthy accounts receivable, which is a good indicator for how our farmers are doing. And we will support them in any way we can.”

Dell also shares the cooperative’s vision: customer success powered by engaged employees.

Alcivia Fast Facts:

39 million bushels of grain storage
82 million gallons of propane, diesel gas (combined energy and Cstore)
250 thousand tons of protein equivalent and commodities for animal nutrition
240 thousand tons of crop nutrient sales
$30 million crop chemical sales
$20 million seed sales

Suicide Prevention Project Aims to Help Distressed Farmers

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:21:10 GMT

Financial struggles led Leon Statz to sell his 50 dairy cows, causing the third-generation farmer to become depressed.

Then land next to his 200-acre farm near Loganville went up for sale — land his late father had said he should buy. Statz, who didn’t have the money, became hopeless.

On Oct. 8, the day the adjacent property hit the market; Statz killed himself on his farm. He was 57.

“He said, ‘How am I going to afford this?’” Brenda Statz, his wife of 34 years, told the Wisconsin State Journal. “He would panic about everything when it got to finances.”

Wisconsin, which had a record 915 suicides in 2017, may be seeing a surge in suicides and suicidal thoughts among farmers, who are facing some of the worst economic challenges in years, experts say.

Exact numbers of suicides among farmers aren’t available, and authorities say some deaths reported as farm accidents are actually suicides.

But calls to the Wisconsin Farm Center, which helps distressed farmers, were up last year, including a 33 percent increase in November and December compared to the same two months the previous year.

“We definitely have seen an increase in folks who are closer to being that desperate,” said Angie Sullivan, supervisor of the farm center, part of the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. “There’s a major increase in their stress level.”

The anguish is approaching that of the 1980s farm crisis, though interest rates today aren’t as high, said Frank Friar, an economic specialist at the farm center who has done similar work for decades.

“There’s so much volatility out there and so much unknown, it makes people think negative,” Friar said.

John Peck, executive director of Family Farm Defenders, an advocacy group in Madison, said he believes farmer suicides are up in Wisconsin from what he’s heard.

Several years of low milk prices, the high cost of farm equipment, trade wars and other pressures contributed to the closure of 691 dairy farms in the state last year, the highest number of closures since 2011.

About 8,100 dairy farms remain, down from about 15,900 in 2004. The number of cows milked has remained steady at nearly 1.3 million, as many surviving farms have expanded.

In 2017, the Western District of Wisconsin had the highest number of Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies in the country, according to federal court data . The district that year had 28 bankruptcies, which represent only a fraction of total liquidations. Similar figures for 2018 are not yet available.

Talking About Suicide

Though the forces working against farmers can seem insurmountable, a growing effort based in Dodgeville aims to help farmers cope with stress and avoid suicide.

Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program started a farmer suicide prevention project recently. The effort, funded by a $50,000 grant from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s Wisconsin Partnership Program, was prompted by an increase in stories about suicides or suicidal thoughts among farmers, said Wally Orzechowski, executive director.

“Farmers tend to be pretty isolated and pretty independent,” Orzechowski said. “When issues of mental health arise, they tend to just deal with it by themselves.”

The project, which also involves the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Iowa County, plans to develop a mobile crisis service, conduct suicide prevention training sessions and establish networks to address suicide in a region stretching from Eau Claire to the state border with Dubuque, Iowa.

“The biggest part is to spread awareness, to say, ‘It is OK to talk about it,’” said Sue Springer Judd, who runs the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Iowa County , which also serves six nearby counties.

Judd spoke to a group of farmers recently in Loganville, about 50 miles northwest of Madison. Her brother, Donald Springer, killed himself in 2012 at age 41, leaving behind three children ages 10 to 15. He owned a plumbing business and had a hobby farm next to his father’s beef farm near Mineral Point.

“We had no idea he was suicidal; we just thought he was depressed,” Judd told more than 40 farmers and others gathered at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Loganville to discuss farmer stress and suicide awareness. “We didn’t know he was going bankrupt and losing his plumbing business.”

Suffering Alone

Randy Roecker, 54, a dairy farmer in Loganville, said he became suicidal a decade ago when the Great Recession hit shortly after he invested millions to expand the farm started by his grandfather.

Medications and hospitalizations didn’t help much, but counseling brought some relief, he said.

“I’m doing better, but I’m still struggling every day,” said Roecker, whose farm milks about 325 cows on 800 acres. “We suffer alone in silence, is what we do.”

Roecker — who attends St. Peter’s, as does Brenda Statz — helped organize the church gathering. He wanted to do something to help after he couldn’t bring himself to attend Leon Statz’s funeral because the suicide brought back his feelings of despair.

“You feel like you’re in this pit, and you’re climbing to try to get out of it,” Roecker said. “We are all struggling so bad. My friends in the city, they have no idea what we’re going through. ... Every load of milk that goes out, we’re losing money.”

When Roecker thought about ending his life, he pictured his two children, minors at the time and now adults, standing by his casket. That prevented him from following through, he said.

Stress on the Farm

For Keith Henneman, from near Boscobel, an outbreak of Johne’s disease, a fatal intestinal infection in cows, appeared to be one reason he killed himself in 2006 at age 29, his parents said.

“It’s very difficult losing cattle like that,” said his mother, Julie Henneman, who with her husband, Phil, sold the 60 cows on their dairy farm, along with the equipment, to their son after he graduated from high school.

“You work so hard to raise the calves and bring them up into the herd, and then a year or two years later, they go downhill,” Julie Henneman said. “There’s a lot of stress on the farm.”

The Hennemans continue to live on the 215-acre farm with two other sons, but they aren’t farming. The couple have other jobs — Julie, 62, at Lands’ End in Dodgeville, and Phil, 63, as a correctional officer at the prison in Boscobel, about 75 miles west of Madison.

They help lead a Dodgeville chapter of The Compassionate Friends, a support group for parents who have lost children for any reason. They also provide training in QPR — or Question, Persuade, Refer — a CPR-like program that helps people recognize signs of suicide and ways to help.

QPR training sessions are one component of the new farmer suicide prevention project.

“No matter how dark a day it is, there is always light someplace, and you can continue on,” Phil Henneman said, sharing some of what he discusses at the training sessions. If people say they’re suicidal, he added, “ask them open-ended questions and let them talk.”

Tried to Get Help

Brenda Statz, 55, was no stranger to signs of suicide by the time her husband took his life in October. He had struggled with depression for years and attempted suicide twice last year after they got rid of their dairy cows in December 2017.

“When we sold the cows, (his depression) came back full bore, and the medications didn’t work,” she said. “Nothing did.”

It wasn’t from a lack of trying. Leon Statz stayed in UW Hospital’s psychiatry unit four times last year and was admitted to Winnebago Mental Health Institute. He saw a counselor in Sauk City and had outpatient treatment at Rogers Behavioral Health in Madison.

Brenda Statz, who works at Lands’ End in its Reedsburg location, said she is disappointed with the mental health care system. Doctors didn’t return her calls or tell her and her three adult children how to help Leon when he was at home, she said.

“I didn’t know what to do with him when his anxiety was through the roof,” she said. “The whole family is affected. That’s where so many places miss the boat.”

Leon Statz agonized about money, so Brenda Statz brought friends and financial experts over to look at their records. Despite some challenges, the farm was paid for and the family was doing OK, they would tell him. The plan was to switch to beef cattle and plant more crops.

But Leon Statz kept saying he was going to lose the farm, Brenda Statz said.

“He couldn’t see the future,” she said. “All he saw was failure.”

2020 CCA of the Year: Heart In Soil Health

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 06:23:08 GMT

It can feel like walking a tight rope as farmers work to improve soil health and yields simultaneously. And on that trajectory, consultant Adam Kramer aims to meet farmers where they are on their journey—be a bit of a stabilizing and encouraging force.

“The first thing I do when starting to work with a farmer is go to their fields, do an assessment, see what their capabilities are, and talk about their goals,” Kramer says. “And it’s important to see through the producer’s eyes what is happening in the field, so we can put together the right practices.”

His commitment to focusing on the farmer led Kramer to being named the 2020 International Certified Crop Adviser of the Year.

Kramer’s business, Black Sand Granary, offers soil testing, data management, cover crop consulting, and equipment retrofits. He’s been self-employed since graduating with an agronomy degree from Iowa State University, and his consulting is based in southwest Wisconsin, along with some acreage he farmers in northern Iowa and uses as a demonstration farm. His consulting is focused around soil health with an eye on short-term and long-term impacts to profitability.

“You don’t change 1,000 acres at a time, you try things a bit at a time,” he says. “We’ve been on some of the same farms since 2006. On every farm, we soil test, run data for cropping plans, and serve as another set of eyes for production decisions.”

He says the biggest part of being a crop consultant is just the drive to want to help people.

“It’s about helping farmers mitigate risks while raising top end yields—and doing it in a profitable way,” he says. “And it gets really exciting when they cross one threshold, master a skill, and then they are already looking for the next thing to do better. The farmers do all the work; as an adviser I’m challenging them to do what they are capable of.”

Kramer has a natural curiosity about challenging assumptions about status quo, and he has a deep respect for the environment. Intertwined, those have fueled a lot of ideas he’s tried and shared with farmers.
“I’m always trying to get lean, find efficiencies,” he says.

As an example, the equipment part of his consulting includes rebuilding planters and drills for no-till and cover crops.

“We’ve incorporated small grains into our crop rotations for continuous cropping. So we plant early season soybeans, seed small grains by October, harvest the small grains at the end of the following July, and then plant cover crops which corn is planted into the next year,” he explains.

That system has shown increased water infiltration, improved organic matter, and reduced tillage and horsepower requirements for the farming operation.

When reflecting on his career and this award, Kramer gives credit to his wife Kellie, employees and partners at Black Sand Granary, and all of the academic mentors he had at Iowa State.

As the recipient, Kramer received hotel and travel expenses to the 2020 Commodity Classic and American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting, a $2,000 honorarium, a commemorative plaque, and a one-year membership in the American Society of Agronomy.

Wisconsin Crop Adviser Wins NRCS Conservationist of the Year

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 06:22:41 GMT

Certified Crop Adviser Nick Guilette views helping farmers adopt conservation practices to improve soil, water and air quality as a journey, with progress as the goal year-to-year.

The use of no-till and cover crops are two of his go-to practices when helping farmers—who he describes as the “ultimate problem solvers and solution finders”—take their initial steps.

The impact from weather extremes in Wisconsin during the 2019 production season are a case in point. Farmers there, like others across the U.S., had the wettest production season that many could remember. Those with corn planted to no-till found they could get into fields faster than those using conventional tillage.

“Corn silage needs to be harvested in a timely fashion, or the quality gets away from you. So it’s worth a lot to be able to get back into the field a few days sooner and not rut it up from one end to the other from traffic in the process,” says Guilette, a native of Casco, Wisc. “Think about how much additional money farmers spent in some of the conventional fields this past year in fuel alone,” he adds.

Granted, not every farmer is ready to adopt no-till, so Guilette looks for how he can help them take small steps forward. In some cases, it’s as simple as helping farmers understand how they can modify existing equipment.

“You don’t need to go out and buy a brand new, shiny planter necessarily. With a lot of corn planters we can make adjustments like increasing down pressure and changing disc openers and closing wheels—small modifications that can get us in many scenarios to a no-till system if that’s what we want. Or, maybe the farm would like to use one less tillage pass,” he explains.

Guilette also likes for farmers to consider how they can benefit from using cover crops. He routinely broaches the topic with farmers in the fall, asking “What are your plans for the field after harvest?”

Having goals in mind is important in the decision-making process. The farmer’s answer usually helps Guilette know how to guide the conversation, moving forward.

“Maybe the farmer wants to experiment a little bit with a cover crop; he wants it to winter kill so he doesn’t have to address termination and planting into high residue come spring. In that case, I keep it really simple and tell him to plant one species, maybe two,” Guilette notes. If the farmer is nervous about getting started, Guilette adds, “We can put it on a back field that no one’s going to see, so he doesn’t have to be concerned about what the neighbors think.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Guilette says dairy farmers often benefit from planting a variety of forage crops, post silage harvest. “Those are really nice to have because we never know how the alfalfa is going to be after a very wet fall and several freeze/thaw periods during winter. Having winter triticale or winter rye as an alternative forage the next spring is a nice option,” he notes.

For his dedication to conservation and farmer service, Guilette was honored with the 2019 Certified Crop Adviser Conservationist of the Year Award by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“The organization works with certified crop advisers at the local level, sharing science-based technologies that make a conservation impact on our natural resources to build productive lands and healthy ecosystems,” said Diane Gelburd, NRCS deputy chief for science and technology. “It is great to see Nick getting positive results from planting green, which is no-till planting primary crops into actively growing cover crops, one of many soil-health practices that farmers are using,”
Regardless of what conservation practices a farmer decides to try or adopt, Guilette says he believes one of his core responsibilities is to continually offer ideas and recommendations that can help them in practical ways.

“As CCAs, service providers and retailers we can help our customers find value in conservation,” he says. “Most of them don’t expect us to have all the answers. They want us to help them do a better job.”