Written Articles

1. Merrill dairy farmer advocates for milk supply management

Every week, Wisconsin has fewer and fewer dairy farms. 

Breitenmoser Family Farm owner Hans Breitenmoser grew up on his family farm in Merrill and since taking over for his dad, he's bought more land and more cows. His herd is now at 450 cows.

"I think my folks started with around 20 cows and then it just sort of slowly but surely expanded and evolved from there over the years, said Breitenmoser.

Even though his farm is growing, other small family farms in the state are doing the opposite. Breitenmoser said many of the issues his farm faces are like other small businesses: rising costs of health insurance and competition from big businesses. But the biggest challenge to him is unique to dairy: there's no oversupply management.

"As long as our supply outpaces demand, it pushes the prices down, the price of raw milk down and it makes it more and more difficult for smaller operators to compete," said Breitenmoser.

Breitenmoser only has to look to the north of Wisconsin to see how supply management could work. Milk producers in Canada have quotas, which means they make only enough milk to match the demand.

"If the producers would work together and say we're going to manage the oversupply, that means we could work as other industries do and say we're not necessarily setting a price, but we're managing the supply that we crank out so that it can meet demand rather than constantly exceed demand," said Breitenmoser.

Breitenmoser believes oversupply management could help family farms be sustainable and reduce government aid. These subsidies cost American taxpayers about $20 billion dollars every year. Of course, this isn't the only problem dairy farmers face.

As for the future of small family farms in Wisconsin, Breitenmoser isn't sure what will happen.

"My sincere hope is that we get as many farms as possible going forward," said Breitenmoser. "I mean, I think the more the merrier."

But for now, he's focused on one thing.

"As an individual dairy producer, it's my job every day to make sure that every one of those cows produces more milk than they did a generation ago," said Breitenmoser. "We live and die by that last pound of milk."

2. Debate on hunting white deer

White Deer: Ghosts of the Forest.

That's the title of the book that photographer Jeff Richter and author John Bates took decades to perfect.

The book is famous around the country and sold over 20,000 copies. It's filled with pictures of rare white deer, mostly found in Vilas County.

"I'm not sure what it is about white animals in general," said Richter. "I notice that I as a photographer am somewhat attracted."

Richter has likely seen more albino deer than anyone. He's worked for decades to capture these rare deer and he wants others to have the same chance.

Richter does not want white deer to be hunted.

With the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring Hearings beginning Monday night, it brings up the question of whether they should be hunted or not.

The question reads "Would you support legalizing the harvest of white (not albino) deer statewide," said author John Bates.

Bates, a naturalist and author says "It's an absurd question that's an impossible question."

Bates partnered with Richter and wrote the white deer book.

Bates said the only way to know for sure if a deer is an albino is with a molecular test, adding that albinism is full of misconceptions. For example, not all albino deer have pink eyes.

"The usual notion is that albino deer have to have pink eyes," said Bates. "But that's not the case. The albino deer on the front of the book has bluish-grey eyes."

Richter has seen more albino deer than perhaps anyone, yet even he doesn't think he could distinguish a white deer from an albino deer from a deer stand.

"I think you're putting hunters in a really untenable position to try to determine if this deer that they're looking at is just a white deer or if it's an albino," said Richter. "Largely when you're hunting, you're in low light, animals are obscured, maybe moving quickly past you."

When it all comes down to the question of hunting rare animals in the first place, Bates doesn't think they should end up on someone's wall.

"Why does someone want to hunt white deer? Because it's a rare and beautiful animal and it would be a gorgeous mount in your house," said Bates. "Why do those of us who want to protect white deer want to do so? Because it's a rare and beautiful animal. So the question comes down to, 'What should be our community response be to something that's rare and beautiful?'"

3. Childcare center uses garden as learning experience

To the kids at Terri's Treehouse Childcare Center, eating healthy is easy. And to Program Director EmilyMae King, serving healthy is a reward.

“I think pretty much every day in the last two weeks we’ve been able to pick and eat," said King.

The children at Terri’s Treehouse eat something a little special for lunch on a regular basis: salad made from ingredients harvested in their backyard.

“Every day we walk in here, it’s a new job, new task," said King.

Weeding, watering and pruning are on the daily to-do list. And of course, collecting bounty, which is the children’s favorite. From the first seed to the last bite, the kids are learning.

“It’s amazing how much they eat if they grow it, and it creates a healthy habit," said King. "Also, it gets families interested, too, in a hobby that is intergenerational.”

The garden started seven years ago. The idea was sparked when the “Treehouse Greenhouse” was built. Since then, it’s gotten bigger and better.

“Every year, we have to restart and regrow, and so do our children," said King.

King's goal isn’t just to feed them healthy food, but to give them lifelong habits and relationships.

“I have so many students that come back year after year and they say, ‘I’m growing a garden at home,’ or ‘I never liked carrots until I saw a carrot flower,’ and that is a huge motivator," said King.