WICST Educational Outreach 1996
Columbia County
Dwight Mueller [1]
Several activities highlighted the outreach efforts for the Columbia
County WICST project. Last spring, a Crop Production Club was formed to
provide a forum for farmers to discuss concerns and share production strategies.
At the Agronomy Field Days, the major field day for the Arlington Ag.
Research Station, the WICST trials were featured as one of the tour stops.
In June, the NFO State Board held a meeting at the Arlington Station and
toured the WISCT trials. We again hosted many students for tours of the
plots.
Columbia County's WICST farmer committee was active last year. In March
a program was organized on No-till and Zone tillage in which over 100
people attended. Shortly thereafter the farmers decided to form a Crop
Production Club with the assistance of Ray Saxby, the Columbia County
Agent, Arlington Station Staff and WISCT. They decided that the goal of
the club would be to provide a forum for farmers to discuss concerns and
share production strategies. Later in the summer, the group organized
a field tour of two local farms. Topics discussed were the farmers experiences
with Bt corn, cover crops and no-till alfalfa.
The largest field day held at the Arlington Research Station is the Agronomy
Field Day. This event is attended by approximately 400 farmers, agricultural
industry representatives and educators. This year the WICST trials were
a featured stop. Speakers presented (please fill in). This summer the
Arlington Research Station also hosted the NFO State Board. The tour of
the station included a stop at the trial site where a discussion of the
projects goals and results were discussed.
In August, WICST helped sponsor the second annual Science field day for
250 DeForest 8th graders. This was an interactive hands-on field day and
went very well. Students moved among five different stops which included
presentations and activities on soil profile descriptions, groundwater
and soil water movement, rainfall simulation and soil erosion, soil bio-diversity
and crop production and nitrogen. Each student had to collect data which
was later used for quizzes and exams in the classroom.
Once again WICST help sponsor Prairies Jubilee Field Day with the Madison
Audubon Society which attracted an audience of over 400 people. The Field
Day included a stop at the WICST where an overview of issues and concerns
related to Wisconsin agriculture was given. Displays were set up in our
Public Events Building on WICST, groundwater and alternatives for reducing
pesticide and fertilizers for urban homeowners.
Educational activity listing for Columbia County, 1996
|
EVENT
|
NO. ATTENDING
|
|
Prairie Jubilee
|
200
|
|
Elementary School Students
|
300
|
|
Middle Sch. Students (Science Field Day)
|
250
|
|
UW Soil Science Summer School Class
|
50
|
|
Agronomy Field Day-WICST Featured
|
400
|
|
UW Short Course Presentation
|
50
|
|
No-till/Zone-till Seminar
|
125
|
|
NFO State Board Tour
|
25
|
|
Summer Institute of African Agricultural Research
|
50
|
|
Crop Production Tour
|
100
|
|
Total
|
1550
|
End notes
1. Superintendant of the Arlington Research Station.
Email: dhmuelle@facstaff.wisc.edu
|
