EVENTS
Date: June 30, 2019, 10:30am-3pm
Location: Meadowlark Organic Farm, Ridgeway, WI
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Date: July 7, 2019, 10-3
Location: Badger Rock Neighborhood Center, Madison
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Date: July 13, 2019, 8:30-4:30
Location: Troy Farm, Madison
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SUCCESS STORIES
As older farmers retire, fewer young farmers are stepping in to take their place. The number of beginning farmers dropped 20 percent in the last five-year census period, and the average US farmer now tops 58 years of age.
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CIAS supports innovative graduate student research addressing the challenges faced by small- and medium-sized farms and food businesses. Awarded annually, our competitive mini-grants aid students as they initiate their research in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
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MARKET FARM MADNESS
Hoophouse is your 2019 Market Farm Madness champion! They withstood high winds, late snow storms and controversy over cost share payments to win the tournament.
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Cover Crops on the Intensive Market Farm
This updated publication is meant to serve as a practical guide to using cover crops on small- to moderate-size fresh market vegetable operations. Cover crops are especially vital on organic vegetable farms, and the recommendations in this report are appropriate for a certified organic grower.
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Living Mulch Suppresses Weeds and Yields in Organic Vegetable Plots (CIAS Research Brief #100)
Researchers at the UW-Madison tested living mulches for use in the production of three organic vegetable crops to evaluate their impact on weed suppression, labor needs and crop yield and quality. The results demonstrated that, while the living mulches did appear to suppress weed populations, they also resulted in lower vegetable yields. The living mulch plots in this study also had higher labor requirements than the control plots.
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Organic Agriculture in Wisconsin: 2017 Status Report
Wisconsin is a national leader in organic agriculture. Wisconsin had 1,334 organic farms in 2015, nearly doubling over the last 10 years. This puts our state in a good position to participate in the growing market for organic food, both in the U.S. and across the globe.
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Veggie Compass Helps Growers Make Data-Driven Decisions (CIAS Research Brief #97)
Fresh market vegetable growers with multiple crops and markets make numerous, complex production and marketing decisions. The Veggie Compass farm management tool was developed to help farmers make these decisions, based on data gleaned from their farm operations.
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Organic Agriculture in Wisconsin: 2014 UW-Madison Research Report
This report summarizes 23 studies conducted by researchers in the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) in partnership with farmers across the state. Those studies look at production practices for the state’s main agricultural products as well as farm management and marketing.
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Values-Based Food Supply Chain Case Study: Home Grown Wisconsin Co-op
Home Grown Wisconsin was a cooperative, multi-farm wholesale and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) food business founded in 1996 in south central Wisconsin. They successfully sold fresh produce to upscale restaurants and CSA customers in the Chicago area for more than 10 years.
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Values-Based Food Supply Chain Case Study: Co-op Partners Warehouse
Co-op Partners Warehouse was established in 1999 by the Wedge Natural Foods Co-op in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This certified organic wholesale distribution warehouse serves retail stores, food service businesses and buying clubs throughout the Upper Midwest.
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Cover Crops Case Studies: JenEhr Family Farm
Wisconsin is seeing a renewed interest in planting cover crops to prevent soil erosion, retain or add nutrients, reduce pest pressures and accomplish other goals.
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