EVENTS
Date: December 7-8, 2018
Location: Lussier Family Heritage Center, Madison
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Date: January 11-13, 2019
Location: UW-Madison campus
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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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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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Fall-Sown Cover Crops and Weed Suppression in Organic Small-Scale Vegetable Production (CIAS Research Brief #99)
A technique to control weeds with cover crops called Cover crop-based reduced tillage (CCBRT) is gaining traction on organic row crop farms. Could this technique work on small, organic diversified vegetable farms? A team of UW-Madison researchers undertook a two-year study to evaluate weed suppression, manual labor requirements and crop yield and quality under a CCBRT system in organic vegetable plantings.
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CIAS 2017 Annual Report
2018 was another busy year at CIAS. We achieved new milestones in beginning farmer training, research, outreach and support for students.
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Analysis of Water Quality Impact of Windrow Composting
Composting is an ancient and cost-effective way to speed the decomposition of manure by piling it in rows and turning it regularly to aerate. For the last two years, three members of Yahara Pride Farms have been working with UW-Madison to determine whether composting can lead to reductions in phosphorus (P) runoff loads from their farms.
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Beginning Farmer Programs at CIAS
The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems has been running intensive workshops for beginning farmers since 1995. Our schools, taught by experienced farmers, are packed with practical, how-to information, insights, inspiration, and a dose of the sometimes harsh realities involved in making a living from the land.
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Exploring Demand, Distribution and Infrastructure Needs for Local Food in Madison
CIAS co-hosted a meeting with the City of Madison to convene Madison-area food buyers, including restaurant groups, institutions, grocery retailers, area distributors, and allied professionals.
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Wisconsin Workers’ Rights Reference Cards
These reference cards summarize basic rights for farmworkers and food workers. Feel free to download, print and disseminate the printer-friendly versions, which are designed as double-sided, tri-fold cards.
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Hard Cider in the North Central Region: Industry Survey Findings
A growing hard apple cider industry in the U.S. has the potential to contribute to local, sustainable food systems. In order to better understand this resurgent industry, CIAS surveyed hard apple cider businesses across 12 states in the North Central Region.
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