News and Events

By John Osterhaus

Dear WCO Members, I hope this message finds you well as we prepare to kick off another season. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you who attended the 2025 Forage Symposium and our annual meeting in Wisconsin Dells this past February. Your participation and enthusiasm are what make this event a success, and it’s inspiring to see how dedicated our members are to staying ahead in our industry.

The 2025 Forage Symposium was a valuable opportunity for all of us to come together, share knowledge, and gain insights into the latest trends and innovations in forage harvesting, manure application, and related topics. As is our practice, WCO sessions focus on developing your business as well as providing industry insights. Your involvement helped make the event a memorable one. I also want to thank our speakers, sponsors, and board members for their hard work in making this year’s symposium an event to remember.

As we continue to grow as an organization, it’s important that we stay connected and ensure that our annual symposium and other events are as relevant as possible. To that end, thank you to all who provided thoughts and suggestions for future symposium topics. We collect this information after each WCO session, and these simple paper surveys are how we populate the speakers for the next year’s event. 

For those of you who didn’t complete a survey, or have additional ideas to share, what subjects or areas of focus would you like to see covered at upcoming events? Are there specific challenges or opportunities in your business that you’d like us to explore? Please feel free to reach out to Maria with your ideas. We begin the process in May to pick topics for 2026.

Looking ahead, we are planning a forage and manure safety event for early 2026. This event will provide a deep dive into the critical issues surrounding forage safety and manure management. The event will feature expert speakers, hands-on demonstrations, and plenty of opportunities for networking with fellow members. More information (including a date) will be coming soon, so stay tuned!

As we continue to build on the momentum from the Forage Symposium, I want to express my gratitude for your continued support and engagement. It’s your passion, ideas, and hard work that make WCO a strong and dynamic organization. Together, we will continue to make strides toward creating safer, more efficient, and more sustainable practices in the forage and manure industries.

In closing, please remember to share the WCO scholarship with any students, future CDL drivers, or aspiring custom operators. Applications are due May 1, and the program is open to any and all forms of continuing education and professional development. Best wishes for a safe start to the season. 

– John