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.

Robust local and regional food systems offer social, environmental and economic benefits. Increasingly, wholesale buyers are demanding locally grown food and growers are looking for new regional markets. To develop informed business development strategies for Wisconsin farmers and other supply chain start-ups, the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) and UW-Extension Agricultural Innovation Center studied and documented eleven models of regional food aggregation and distribution.

Eating locally is going mainstream. For years, committed eaters have gone out of their way to source local food from farmers’ markets, farms, roadside stands […]

For 20 years, CIAS has put the Wisconsin Idea to work. What does the future hold?
Now, more than ever, we need sustainable agriculture research and outreach that integrates social, environmental and economic knowledge. In the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, CIAS is helping to lead the way toward this future.

The last decade has seen rapid growth in the number of farm-to-school initiatives in the United States. Despite the proliferation of farm-to-school programs and the […]

Printer-friendly version (PDF) How do you get kids to eat their vegetables? Americans are bombarded with news about childhood obesity and the importance of replacing […]

When freshmen arrive at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus this fall, they will find food raised on Wisconsin farms and organically grown food on the […]

UW-Madison’s Memorial Union caters food for many events on campus, including large summer conferences. In July 2001, the Union served four mostly organic and locally […]

Seasonal Regional Organic Vegetarian Dinner Frank’s Place dining hall, UW-MadisonOctober 10, 2000 Menu: Vegetable stewStir fry with riceVeggie burgersPotato and nacho barRoot vegetable mixBeetsAcorn squashCranberry […]

Every day, Northland College serves its students organic food that was grown right in their county. Northland is located in Ashland, a northern Wisconsin town […]