Rural
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Bird flu found for first time in Wisconsin after Dodge County dairy herd tests positive
Since the first cases of bird flu were confirmed in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas in March 2024, Wisconsin had been among a handful of states where dairy cattle had managed to escape the virus. That is, until this weekend when the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in a dairy herd in…
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Retired veterinarian uses pasture for seasonally grazing dairy heifers and extra income
BEAR CREEK, Wisconsin – Earlier this year Jeff and Alex Wepner were looking for a place where their dairy heifers could grow and develop during the summer months before returning them to the home farm. Instead of shipping the heifers to a feedlot in a distant state, the father and son management team of the…
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China has resumed U.S. soybean imports. It might not be enough for Wisconsin farmers
After a tense months-long standoff over tariffs, China has agreed to resume U.S. soybean imports in exchange for the U.S. easing up its tariff policy. As part of the Oct. 30 agreement, China committed to buying 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans in the last two months of 2025 and at least 25 million…
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Federal cuts threaten rural progress in Wisconsin, report finds
While rural communities in Wisconsin have made strides in recent years, their progress is in jeopardy due to federal cuts and funding freezes.
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China is boycotting American soybeans. Wisconsin farmers will pay the price for it, trade group says
China is boycotting American soybeans. Wisconsin farmers will pay the price for it, trade group says
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In Portage County, residents fight for a say in local government
Rural Wisconsinites push back against communication barriers and structural challenges to boost civic engagement.
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Opinion: Wisconsin farmers struggling amid trade wars and broken promises
From Trump’s trade wars to slashed programs and support for big corporations, Congressman Van Orden is backing policies that hurt Wisconsin farmers.
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Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: ‘The people closest to the problem are often the ones who can find the solution’
About two years ago, tents started to show up in my neighborhood along the creek beds and in small stands of trees. Most only became visible when the leaves fell, exposing their orange rainflies and blue tarps. This increase in houselessness didn’t feel surprising to me or to my neighbors: The rent has nearly doubled…
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A love letter to the working class, from Gwen Frisbie-Fulton
It started in the back seat of my family’s Jeep Cherokee, the one with the broken AC and vinyl seats that stuck to my thighs in the late summer heat. After school we would wait, all the doors flung open, for my dad to get off work. My mother reading in the front seat, her…
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Wisconsin farmers left holding the bill after Trump freezes contracts
Wisconsin farmers are among a growing number of Americans facing debt after the Trump administration’s freeze on federal contracts. It’s a ‘kick in the shorts’ to the farming community, according to one local farmer.
