CIAS in the community

Farm to School Featured in “Grow”

CIAS farm to school programs—and staff member Sara Tedeschi—are featured in the Spring 2013 issue of CALS Grow magazine. CIAS has been working on farm to school since 2001, and our work has influenced farm to school programs nationwide. Read the article here, or listen to a PodCALS interview with Sara. [...more]

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Thank you to our outgoing Council members

Three CIAS Citizens Advisory Council members finished out their terms at the Council’s winter meeting earlier this month. We extend heartfelt thanks to Sid Cook, Jim Munsch and Joe Tomandl for their years of dedicated service to CIAS. Stay tuned for an announcement about new CIAS Citizens Advisory Council members. [...more]

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Exploring American Indian Agriculture and Food Systems

On November 26, more than 100 people attended the CIAS Culture of Agriculture talk, “Exploring American Indian Agriculture and Food Systems,” with Dan Cornelius of the Intertribal Agriculture Network-Great Lakes. Dan provided a historical overview of traditional agriculture and shared tribal success stories and innovations, including a mobile farmers market to distribute traditional foods between [...] [...more]

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Telling the Driftless Story

Fifty people from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin gathered in Soldiers Grove on August 13 to strategize ways to communicate the Driftless region’s farm and food scene. The event was hosted by The Old Oak Inn, Rooted Spoon and CIAS. Mid-day, participants visited farms and local food businesses on a search for new story angles. For [...] [...more]

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Diercks hosts CIAS summer meeting

Andy Diercks, Coloma potato farmer and CIAS Citizen’s Advisory Council member, hosted the group’s annual summer meeting on his farm on July 10. CIAS staff, faculty associates, and advisory council members were treated to a tour of the facilities and fields. Thanks, Andy, for showing us around and explaining the complexities of potato growing and [...] [...more]

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CIAS staff, programs featured in Grow Magazine

The Spring 2012 issue of Grow Magazine from CALS includes a feature article on “Growing Future Farmers.” The article profiles CIAS staff member Rebecca Claypool, who raises vegetables on her farm near Avoca, Wisconsin. Rebecca works on our Veggie Compass project. The article also features the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers, directed [...] [...more]

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Cates Honored for Service to Agriculture

CIAS staff member Dick Cates, who directs the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers, received the Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC) alumni’s Service to Agriculture award on January 28. Cates was recognized for his dedication and service to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Farm and Industry Short Course and Wisconsin’s [...] [...more]

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CIAS recognized for work on value chains

The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development has recognized CIAS and Agriculture of the Middle as “influential initiatives” working on value chains over the past ten years. Value chains are strategic alliances between farmers, processors, distributors, retailers and other partners in the food supply chain. These partners work together to deliver high quality, [...] [...more]

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Eco-Fruit program recognized at Wisconsin Idea Symposium

Our Eco-Fruit program received an award for Exemplary Partnerships at the Wisconsin Idea Symposium on November 11. Eco-Fruit helps growers reduce or eliminate risk from pesticides by using IPM. Participating growers have reduced their pesticide risk by 46 percent and increased their reliance on IPM strategies by 54 percent. This program engages a wide range [...] [...more]

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Wisconsin Idea Symposium

The upcoming Wisconsin Idea Symposium will highlight campus-community partnerships and engage students, faculty and staff in a discussion of the values and purpose of the Wisconsin Idea. Our Eco-Fruit Project will be one of over 40 projects featured in the poster presentations at this event, which will be held on Friday, November 11 from 8am-12:30pm [...] [...more]