Ag briefs: One dead in vehicle vs. tractor crash

DODGEVILLE, WI

One Dead in Iowa County Vehicle vs. Tractor Accident

A Stoughton man is dead following a multi-vehicle crash in Iowa County over the holiday weekend.  

According to the Iowa County Sheriff's Office, an 18 year old Dodgeville man was traveling on Highway 23 north of Dodgeville, between Goldmine and James road shortly after 11 a.m. on July 4 when he began making a left turn into a driveway when he collided with an oncoming car operated by a 53 year old Stoughton man.

The Stoughton man's car then struck an SUV that was pulling out of the driveway. The driver of the SUV, a 61 year old Illinois man and his female passenger were transported to the hospital with what were described as non-life threatening injuries. The Stoughton man was pronounced dead at the scene while his female passenger was also transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the tractor was not injured. The sheriff's office says that the crash remains under investigation.

COLUMBIA, CO

Dane & Columbia Youth Livestock Expo set

With the unfortunate cancellations of the Dane County Fair, Columbia County Fair, Stoughton Fair, and Lodi Agricultural Fair, a group of parents from both Dane and Columbia Counties have gathered forces to organize a one-day jackpot show – The Dane & Columbia Youth Livestock Expo (DCYLE) –  to be held on July 18th, 2020 at the Iowa County Fairgrounds in Mineral Point, WI. 

According to the groups GoFundMe page, the show is open to all youth livestock members residing in Dane and Columbia Counties that normally show and sell at the fairs listed above, said organizer Sheryl Theobald of Mount Horeb.

Since the kids no longer have an opportunity to sell at an organized county or community livestock sale, the parent organizers have created the DCYLE Purple Ribbon Fund.  After costs are covered, 100% of the Purple Ribbon Fund will be distributed to the market livestock exhibitors that have stayed the course and remain committed to caring for their market steers, market barrows/gilts, and market lambs. The fundraising goal is set at $25,000.

The jackpot show is not affiliated with 4-H, FFA or the Dane County Meat Animal Sale Committee.

REESEVILLE, WI

Dodge Co. barn destroyed in blaze

Firefighters from 14 local fire departments were unable to salvage a barn during a July 3 fire. The Dodge County Emergency Dispatch Center received a 911 call at 7:41 p.m. reporting a structure fire at W10409 County I with approximately 60 head of cattle inside.

Early scanner reports noted that four individuals that were attempting to remove cattle from the burning building were unaccounted for. Reeseville Fire Chief Nic Gay told members of the media that the barn was fully engulfed - as  well as a nearby shed - when firefighters from the Clyman, Lowell and Reeseville Fire Departments first arrived on the scene. All persons and animals were successfully evacuated from the barn.

Gay told the media that the barn was also full of hay, which combined with the hot weather and wind, made the suppression efforts last into the early morning hours.

JEFFERSON, WI

Sheep & Wool Festival to see changes

Due to the guidelines of the Jefferson County Fair Park, the 2020 Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival will be presented in a virtual as well as live format.

The Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative Board of Directors noted that the following events - fleece sale, sheep shows, lead-line competition, virtual photo and poster contests and Make it with Wool competition would be modified this year if financially feasible.

Country Store vendors will be featured on the festival website and Facebook page where links and/or contact information will be provided.

Contestants in the Make it with Wool competition will mail their forms, fees, fabric swatches, outfit, photos, and videos in for evaluation on Sept. 26 by a panel of three judges in Pewaukee. Results will be posted online.

IOLA, WI

CHS Larsen delivers $5K grant to Iola Car Show

The Iola Car Show, an annual nonprofit event for auto enthusiasts, was honored as a source of pride to the community by CHS Larsen and Cenex®, the energy brand of CHS. As part of this award, the Iola Car Show received a $5,000 grant to further develop its event grounds for future celebrations.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the car show was replaced with the first-ever Rally for Iola set to begin at 10 a.m., July 11 at the Iola Car Show Grounds, 100 Oak Ridge Rd., Iola. Rally for Iola was designed to bring the community together in uncertain times. It will feature a car parade through the show grounds followed by a scenic 60-mile road cruise through Waupaca County.

The grant money will be used for new siding on the event’s Toy Barn, a signature landmark of the show.

Set to resume the annual celebration in 2021, the Iola Car Show is the largest car show and swap meet in the country. The event attracts more than 115,000 car enthusiasts each year and raises money to support its community. 

JOHNSONVILLE, WI

New Fairest of the Fair named

The Sheboygan County Fairest of the Fair program named the 2020 winner at a virtual ceremony Tuesday evening. Anna Kitzerow, 19, of Cascade, is a graduate of Plymouth High School, current sophomore at Oklahoma State University and now the 2020 Fairest. 

She is majoring in animal science and agricultural business and is currently employed at Premier Insurance Solutions. Kitzerow hopes to do marketing for an agricultural company and become a brand representative for a livestock show feed company. 

WASCO, CA

CA farm workers strike

A group of about 50 farm workers went on strike Thursday at a California pistachio farm demanding free face coverings, gloves and information from the farm’s owner after they said they learned from the media that dozens of their coworkers tested positive for the coronavirus, a union official said.

Workers picketed in the central California city of Wasco outside Primex Farms, which grows pistachio nuts, said Armando Elenes, a United Farm Workers official. Their demands also include better sanitation measures and more information from the company, which had not told them about the positive cases, he said.

Workers learned of the cases about two weeks ago when fellow workers started getting sick, but only heard that dozens had tested positive from a report on local television, Elenes said.

Primex, which has 5,000 acres of pistachio orchards in California and also grows other nuts and dried fruits, confirmed that 31 people at the company were infected. 400 workers

The company has since brought on new workers to fill in for those who have gotten ill but hasn’t advised them of the outbreak, she said.