Dodge County Forage Council Minutes

8 pm  October 18, 2007

UW-Extension Office

D R A F T

 

Present - Paul Roemer, Jason Beck, Dale Schwantes, Joe Hasslinger, Jason Sterr, John Mersch and Matt Hanson

 

Absent - Mark Holl, , Karl Navis, Jared Hildebrandt

 

 

Called to order by Jason Beck at 8:10 pm

 

Secretary’s Report

Motion to accept August 2, 2007 minutes by Dale Schwantes.  Joe Hasslinger seconded. 

Motion Passed

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

We are at $1067.61 in checking

CDs unchanged

$460.68 currently in savings

 

Recent checks paid include award winners at fair, Web fees and snacks for the drydown field day.

 

Old Business:

 

County Fair and Forage Poster Contest - We still need to pay the clubs for the awards.

 

Corn Silage Drydown Field Day held at the Hildebrandt Farm – The DCFC recognized Jim Fanta for his assistance with the drydown field day.  About 25 people attended the field day and 20 corn silage samples were submitted for testing.

 

The Corn Silage Drydown opportunity at the Extension Office drew 20 samples.

 

Dale Christian has volunteered to host the Twilight Meeting in 2008 if Mike Rankin is willing to let us do it again in 2008. 

 

Farm Tech Days Demonstration/Research – Make arrangements to meet with Dave Buss (FTD Field Plot Coordination chairperson)

                        Ideas discussed last meeting:

·                              The silage tube demonstration and the benefits of covering with an airtight plastic.

·                              Direct seed versus companion seed showdown

·                              High forage oats

·                              Companion crop seeding rates – differences

 

Strips 5 by 10 foot.  Ideas of companion seeding.  See if Dave Buss can attend in December

 

How to dispose/recycle plastics on the farm.

 

New Business:

-County Fair changes to Jr. Fair Rulebook will be made this year – ideas from Forage Council?

 

Discussion about changing the number of entries to be elegible for the DCFC awards.  Keep as three of any type of forage category rather than corn silage stalks at minimum.  Perhaps take the number of categories up to 4 or 5.  Youth can only enter 20 projects total.  Only 5 dairy animals, beef 2, hogs 2.

 

-Information to include in the Forage Focus – upcoming meetings, other topics

 

Matt will inform the MFA about the upcoming DCFC annual winter meeting.

 

-Question by MFA to forgo the $5 rebate and rather use the money to mail the clippings mailings to producers. 

 

The DCFC board agreed not to forgo the $5 rebate to mail the clippings to producers.  Continue to keep Dodge County membership dues separate from MFA. 

Develop a local happenings newsletter that may include: look for this bug, these diseases.  Keep the $5 for our own mailing (County Notes, “Dodge County Field Notes”)

 

Check with Mike regarding Hay Sale in Lomira.  Check with Ron Wiskerchen about probe for hay auger.  Send updated minutes to Paul and send these marked as draft as well.

 

Brian Wisensell would be willing to come down to our Twilight meeting again next year.

Up North plastics individual would be willing to come down and talk.

 

-Horse meeting??   - No further discussion on this idea occured

 

 

Upcoming DCFC meetings:

Regular DCFC meeting - Thursday, December 11th  11:30am at Gingers in Horicon

 

Potential Topics

            Dennis Frame – topics

            General care – when to take out a stand, fall dormancy/winter hardiness

            Should stands be sprayed

            PEAQ vs scissor clipping

            Aphanomyces

            Nutritionist panel

            Dan Undersander?  Topics

           

 

NEED TO FIND A PRODUCER REPLACEMENT FOR MARK HOLL

 

PEAQ Sticks – Check with Randy Welsch

 

DCFC Annual meeting will be held on Friday, Feb 8th, 2008

 

Motion to Adjourn by John Mersch.  Seconded by Joe Hasslinger.  Passed