CIAS leads diverse projects on food systems, or what happens from the farm gate to an eater's plate. This work is helping to get local, sustainably-grown food to eaters through schools, Community Supported Agriculture farms, and unique partnerships with growers, processors, farmers' markets, grocers and other food-related businesses.

Food and the Mid-Level Farm

CIAS staff member Steve Stevenson is co-author of a new book on the crisis faced by mid-scale farms and ranches, and strategies for reviving these operations. Food and the Mid-Level Farm makes it clear that the demise of midsize farms and ranches is not a foregone conclusion and that the renewal of an agriculture of […] more

Savor The Flavor Of Local Food With The 2008 Southern Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas

If you‘re into locally grown food, southern Wisconsin is a great place to be. With farmers’ markets every day of the week, pick-your-own farms, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms, and grocery stores and restaurants that offer local fare, the only trick is to find them all. And that’s really no trick, thanks to the newly […] more

Join the Wisconsin Eat Local Challenge, September 14-23

Support local food, farms and communities. Take the Wisconsin Eat Local Challenge from September 14-23. During these ten days, spend at least 10% of your food budget on locally grown and locally made foods. more

Uncommon Fruits with Sustainability Potential

Since 2003, Carandale Farm has been evaluating 42 unusual fruits for environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The goal is to find nutrient-rich fruits that can be grown easily, without a lot of labor or chemicals. The fruits must provide economic viability for the farm. Carandale owners Dale and Cindy Secher are developing a “short list” […] more

If You Serve It, Will They Come?

The last decade has seen rapid growth in the number of farm-to-school initiatives in the United States. Despite the proliferation of farm-to-school programs and the significant energy and resources that have gone into their implementation, there have been few systematic assessments of these initiatives. We use the experience of the Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Project, a […] more

Farm-to-school program provides learning experience (Research Brief #74)

Printer-friendly version (PDF) How do you get kids to eat their vegetables? Americans are bombarded with news about childhood obesity and the importance of replacing junk food with healthier fare. But this is no easy task when children are enticed with empty calories by advertisers, restaurants and even schools. When you look at the big […] more

L’Etoile Teams Up with Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch

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, but also gives the students experience preparing fresh produce. This class is part of Wisconsin […] more

Odessa Piper: Spring 2006 Commencement Address

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 today to tell you what I have learned about getting to make those dreams real, […] more