Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems

The UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems has been awarded a grant from the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment that will help feed Wisconsin's growing appetite for locally grown food. The project will look at tackling distribution... Read More

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute has announced a broad offering of interactive workshops and on-site field trainings for 2008. Newly emerging farmers, farmers in transition and those who have been farming for many years can benefit from these courses. This workshop... Read More

Want to turn your passion for growing flowers into a small business? The two-day Wisconsin School for Cut Flower Growers can help you learn how to start a cut flower business, grow flowers using organic and sustainable production practices,... Read More

The 2008 Wisconsin School for Beginning Market Growers will be held in January to reveal what it takes to raise fresh produce in expanding markets. Now in its 10th year, the school will be held Friday-Sunday, Jan. 18-20, at the... Read More

The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Educational Service (MOSES) and Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) are organizing a Midwest Organic Research Symposium to be held in conjunction with the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, Feb. 21-23, 2008, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.... Read More

The University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station at Arlington will host its first organic field day on Thursday, August 30, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., presenting current UW research on organic weed management, cover and companion crops, soil quality, variety... Read More

On June 10th, a couple of dozen intrepid bicyclists will pump up their tires and roll out of the driveway of a farm northwest of Antigo to begin the fourth annual Ride to Farm. They have two objectives. One is... Read More

You’ve heard that eating food grown close to home is good for the environment, family farms, our local economy and your health. But putting local food on your plate can be a challenge if you don’t know where to buy... Read More

Seventh graders at Sherman Middle School are learning healthy cooking from the pros. Two Mondays each month, L'Etoile chefs Tory Miller and Eva Ringstrom teach the students how to cook with fresh produce. Their class not only extolls healthy eating,... Read More

The UW-Madison’s School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers has received its biggest contribution ever — a gift of $50,000 pledged by FCS Financial Services, a farmer-owned financial services cooperative based in Wausau. The gift will support increased programming and... Read More

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, the Agricultural Innovation Center and UW-Whitewater Small Business Development Center are pleased to announce a new course: “Tilling the Soil of Opportunity: Entrepreneurial Training for Agricultural Business Owners.” Tilling the Soil is a complete business... Read More

Farmers always have new ideas for improving their operations. The problem is that those ideas usually require money. Now there is a way to match funds with ideas to improve the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of farming. The North... Read More

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute presents seasonal Garden Workshops for everyone from the novice gardener to the professional family farmer. Workshops are held Fridays and some Saturdays through October. Most are conducted at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in East... Read More

Beginning dairy farmers as well as seasoned producers have a new resource available from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and partner organizations including CIAS. Dairy Your Way is a free, 100-page book that profiles a variety of dairy housing... Read More

Have longer days and warmer weather whetted your appetite for crisp asparagus, sweet spinach and crunchy salad greens, fresh from the farm? Or perhaps spring has turned your thoughts to locally grown meat, eggs, flowers, honey, maple syrup, cheese and... Read More

Greetings. Thank you, Chancellor [John D.] Wiley. That was a lovely introduction that you said about me, but when I started out, my path was not so clear. I know that all of you have great dreams. I am here... Read More

Odessa Piper, former chef-proprietor of Madison's L'Etoile Restaurant, is one of five activists who will receive honorary degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Friday, May 12. Piper has distinguished herself as a tireless champion of sustainability in American agriculture... Read More

Six regional forums on The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin are coming to communities across the state in 2006. The forums are among the major activities in an 18-month project of The Wisconsin Academy. The forums will... Read More

When it comes to household income, farming background, age, and technology use, dairy farmers who use managed grazing aren’t all that different from farmers who operate more traditional dairy enterprises. A new report from the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural... Read More

Are you considering a new value-added business for your farm? Budgeting tools from the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison can help you make informed decisions about a variety of livestock and specialty food enterprises. CIAS... Read More

Wisconsin continues to be a national leader in organic food production, despite the fact that certified organic farms, acreage and production represent only a small fraction of agriculture in the state. This report provides a snapshot of the current status... Read More

For most fresh market vegetable growers, earning a reasonable living from their farms is a bigger challenge than growing produce. While growers often share production information freely, they may be reluctant to share financial information. Many growers are looking for... Read More

How profitable are Wisconsin dairy graziers? Are they more satisfied with their lifestyles than other dairy farmers? Do reed canarygrass and kura clover make a good pasture combination? What are the ecological effects of managed grazing? These questions and more... Read More

If you market sustainably grown food to Dane County customers, consider a listing in the 2006 Farm Fresh Atlas. 40,000 copies of the Atlas will be distributed free of charge at the Dane County Farmers' Market, food cooperatives, public libraries... Read More

Farmers who are considering starting or modifying poultry operations have a new resource available. Poultry Your Way is a free, 124-page book that profiles a variety of poultry systems suitable for the Upper Midwest. Producers and poultry experts from Minnesota,... Read More

Graziers Rick Adamski and Valerie Dantoin of Seymour received an Honorary Recognition award from the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences on October 27. Honorary Recognition, the highest honor bestowed by the College, recognizes people who have made outstanding... Read More

A bicycle ride to raise awareness about the crucial need to help Wisconsin’s next generation of dairy farmers get started will take place Friday, June 24 to Monday, June 27. The Ride to Farm will begin just east of Eau... Read More

Are you wondering how you will get the nine daily servings of fruit and vegetables recently recommended by the US Department of Agriculture? The 2005 Farm Fresh Atlas makes healthy eating easy by placing information about locally grown produce, meat,... Read More

A bicycle ride to raise awareness about the crucial need to help Wisconsin's next generation of dairy farmers get started will take place Friday, June 25 to Monday, June 28. The Ride to Farm will begin at Eau Claire and... Read More

From fad diets to herbal supplements, healthy eating can seem like a complicated chore these days. But eating well doesn’t require a degree in biochemistry. Fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, cheese and other foods grown by farmers across southern Wisconsin are... Read More

The bounty of our spring and summer gardens is still a few months away, yet hundreds of Madison school children and their families will enjoy Wisconsin fruit and vegetables in the middle of winter during three upcoming winter harvest dinners.... Read More

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute will hold its annual Advanced Organic Vegetable Production Workshop on February 4-7, 2004 in East Troy, WI. This workshop is designed to help experienced fresh market vegetable growers make the transition to organic production, expand... Read More

Innovative agricultural producers know that alternative crops and value-added products can give them an edge in the marketplace. Effective business planning is crucial to the long-term profitability of any value-added venture.... Read More

The UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems has been selected by the EPA as a Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) Champion for 2003. This designation honors CIAS for its efforts to reduce pesticide risk through sustainable agricultural practices such as... Read More

What do students at Shorewood Hills, Lincoln, and Chavez Elementary Schools have in common? All 1,400 of them, along with school staff and parents, will experience the bounty of local agriculture this month in school-wide Harvest Festivals.... Read More

A movement to restore wild habitats and biodiversity on the borders of farms and ranches across the U.S. is documented by Daniel Imhoff in his book, Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches. In a visit to... Read More

With childhood obesity on the rise, parents are paying more attention to what their children eat at school. The Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch project is working with Chavez, Lincoln and Shorewood Elementary Schools in Madison to bring fresh, locally grown produce... Read More

The 2002 Farm Fresh Atlas helped nearly 30,000 people in the Dane County area buy fresh produce, meat, cheese, and other locally grown food directly from farmers and businesses. Featuring both new and returning farms, the 2003 Atlas promises to... Read More

Low commodity prices have inspired many farmers to look at alternative enterprises, like poultry production, to increase their farm income. With careful financial planning and management, poultry enterprises can make money for farmers.... Read More

Organic food sales in the U.S. have grown 20% or more annually for the past decade and remain strong. A new report details the growth of organic agriculture in Wisconsin and the U.S., and encourages state investment in this value-added... Read More

A new resource CD from the University of Wisconsin provides a wealth of production and marketing information for fresh market vegetable growers. The “Fresh Market Vegetable Resource CD” includes fact sheets, reports, power point presentations and marketing materials on a... Read More

Anyone who shops the Dane County Farmers’ Market knows that locally grown food is healthy eating at its best. But did you know that there are many other opportunities to buy fresh, tasty produce, meat, cheese, and other locally grown... Read More

Marion Kalb, National Farm-to-School Program Director with the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), will speak in Madison about linking farmers with schools. Her presentation, “Healthy Farms, Healthy Kids: Building a Sustainable Future in Our Schools,” will take place at the... Read More

Doug Maxwell, professor emeritus of plant pathology, will serve as interim director of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.... Read More

Help UW-Madison support local farmers while you enjoy a delicious dinner on campus! The university’s Residence Halls Dining Service will serve two organic and sustainable dinners in early April. Many of the food items featured on the menu will come... Read More

Write a clever IPM ditty today. You may win fame On Wisconsin Highways! Do your friends and family applaud your priceless sense of humor? Or do they roll their eyes in complete ignorance of your budding talent? Either way, here’s... Read More

Agricultural lands do more than raise crops—they raise families, provide wildlife habitat, create small business opportunities and jobs, support rural economies, and provide natural beauty that draws visitors to Wisconsin.... Read More

When freshmen arrive at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus this fall, they will find food raised on Wisconsin farms and organically grown food on the menu.... Read More

Lydia Zepeda, an associate professor of consumer science, has been chosen as director of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at UW-Madison.... Read More

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) has taken the lead in building a national network of university centers and programs working to foster more sustainable food and farming systems. In early November, CIAS hosted a gathering... Read More

Do you think that all dorm food is forgettable? If so, then the UW-Madison Residence Halls Dining Service wants to change your mind. On Tuesday, October 10, you can enjoy a delicious, healthy dorm dinner prepared from fresh, organically grown... Read More

The Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers offers qualified students the chance to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course, special training sessions, seminars in the management of grazing-based dairy farms, farm internships, mentoring by experienced graziers... Read More

People interested in learning more about the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers, or applying for this year's upcoming class, can visit with the coordinator, Dick Cates, at a series of public events this fall.... Read More

Now more than ever, farmers are looking for new markets and customers who will pay a fair price for their products. Dining services at four colleges in Wisconsin are buying directly from farmers and paying premium prices for a wide... Read More

Stocker production can help farmers convert pastures to profits, particularly if they have a surplus of grass but not a lot of facilities. Managing pasture, animals, costs, and markets plays a key role in determining the level of profit that... Read More

Orchardist Dale Secher speaks for many of Wisconsin’s fruit growers when he says that he cares about his customers as much as his bottom line. Most Wisconsin fruit growers sell their produce locally, either through grocery stores or direct sales... Read More

The UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems announced the appointment of five new members to its Citizens Advisory Council. These Council members will help set the agenda for Wisconsin research on food production, marketing, and distribution systems that are profitable,... Read More

The year 2000 began with some of the lowest commodity prices we've seen in decades. These depressed prices are making for difficult times in Wisconsin agriculture, and many farmers are re-examining their goals for their operations.... Read More