Emergency drought meetings for crop farmers set

Wisconsin soybean and corn growers can find help dealing with crop and marketing issues caused by the drought Monday, July 23 at the Holiday Inn, I-90 & State Highway 14, Janesville, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., and in Waunakee from 1:00-4:00 p.m., at Rex's Innkeeper, 301 North Century Avenue.

These meetings are free and sponsored by the Wisconsin Soybean and Corn Programs.

Identical programs are planned for both meetings and will cover how to evaluate and handle corn and soybean crops plus question and answer sessions on marketing, insurance and government programs.

Speakers are Mike North, First Capitol Ag; Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin-Extension soybean specialist; Joe Lauer, UW-Extension corn specialist; representatives of insurance companies and Wisconsin's Farm Services Agency.

Earlier this week, Gov. Scott Walker declared a state of emergency due to drought, or abnormally dry conditions in the following 42 Wisconsin counties: Adams, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond Du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, LaCrosse, Lafayette, Marquette, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Monroe, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, and Wood.

Meanwhile, drought-stressed farmers looking for resources can find information online from the University of Wisconsin Extension at http://fyi.uwex.edu/drought2012.