EVENTS
Date: August 24, 2017, 9am-3pm
Location: Wallendal Farms, Grand Marsh, WI
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Date: August 24, 2017, 2-5:30pm
Location: West Madison Ag Research Station
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Date: August 25, 2017, 6-8pm
Location: Michael Fields, East Troy, WI
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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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DIRECTOR'S BLOG
Kat Becker and Tony Schultz, who own and operate Stoney Acres Farm in Marathon County, are featured in a
UW-Madison campaign to show how partnerships with citizens and businesses are furthering the
Wisconsin Idea in each of the state's 72 counties.
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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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Economic Potential of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Production in the Upper Midwest
Expanding the fruit and vegetable industry in the Upper Midwest could have a huge economic impact in the region. A new analysis from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, in collaboration with CIAS and other regional partners, estimated potential state and regional economic values associated with increased production of fresh fruit and vegetables in a six-state area.
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Cover Crops on the Intensive Market Farm
Crops that are grown solely to provide soil cover or for the purposes of increasing soil fertility are referred to as cover crops or green manures. Due their ability to protect and enhance soils, cover crops are considered a fundamental aspect of any sustainable cropping system.
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