KEWAUNEE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – As the hay harvest gets underway, farmers throughout Northeast Wisconsin are dealing with the effects of a relatively mild winter.
Kewaunee County Ag Agent Aerica Bjurstrom notes her county was affected.
“It’s kind of hit and miss. It depends on what kind of soil they’re on. I would probably guess somewhere around 50% of the county had some kind of winter kill in their alfalfa.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared ten Wisconsin counties ‘primary natural disaster areas’ because of this year’s winter kill on alfalfa crops.
“The farmers who are affected, the Farm Service Agency does encourage them, if they want to get ahold of them and get the low-interest loan, to get some kind of assistance for that.”
Farmers interested in applying should contact their local UW-Extension office.
One of the farms affected is El-Na Farms in Kewaunee.
Lonnie Fenendael is part-owner of the 1,500 cow, 4,500 acre operation.
He says roughly 62% of his crop fell victim to winter kill.
“We replanted it this spring, probably in May, we direct planted it all.”
Fenendael says he will try to stretch his crop as far as he can.
“I don’t think it’s going to test nearly as well just because of the lack of sunshine, and we had a lot of rain.”
