Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems

Grass Clippings is a newsletter that features grazing-related research from the University of Wisconsin and beyond. The April issue features:

• Pure live seed
• Meadow fescue
• Different dairy farm systems yield similar satisfaction
• Fertility and pastures
• Wisconsin's beef industry
• Custom heifers on pasture

Beginning in 2003, Wisconsin apple and cherry growers and the University of Wisconsin worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to address orchard pest management resource concerns through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). As a result, in 2005 Wisconsin’s EQIP Pest Management Standard was changed to provide orchardists with extended technical assistance and allow for progressive adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, from relatively basic to advanced. A flat-rate incentive payment encouraged growers to address multiple resource concerns through IPM. In just three years, the NRCS processed contracts that provided 31 growers with the resources necessary to implement IPM on 19% of Wisconsin’s orchard acres.