Released October 20, 2009
MADISON, Wisc. - The past year has been one of the most financially challenging dairy producers have ever experienced in recent history. This volatility has brought significant challenges to the agriculture economy in Wisconsin.
In response to these difficult times and Extension’s mission to connect the agriculture community via multiple channels, Cooperative Extension has developed a Web site exclusively addressing the dairy situation. The Farming Through Difficult Times http://fyi.uwex.edu/farmfinances site serves as a hub for the most up-to-date and action-oriented information on the current financial situation.
With specialists and agents working across three campuses and 72 counties, Extension develops numerous resources to serve the state’s $60 billion dairy industry.
The new Farming Through Difficult Times site aggregates information from Extension and many other agencies, including state agency partners and commodity-based organizations, such as Center for Dairy Profitability, the world-class departments of Dairy Science and Agriculture and Applied Economics, and faculty experts at UW-River Falls and Platteville. It also links into the national eXtension network, tapping into the very best and latest Extension information from across the country.
With an ongoing need to reach our agriculture audiences via multiple channels, Extension also generates information for newspapers, magazines, radio, and as well as bulletins and fact sheets. Extension is also using new technology to offer audio podcasts that can be heard online or downloaded and listened to at any time on an mp3 device or computer. These podcasts are also available for use by radio stations to support local agriculture programming.
For more information or to view this site, go to http://fyi.uwex.edu/farmfinances/.
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Source: John Shutske, 608-262-4591, shutske@wisc.edu
