The CIAS 2017 Annual Report describes our activities to advance sustainable agricultural and food systems. Over the last year, we achieved new milestones in beginning farmer training, research, outreach and support for students.

CIAS was founded at UW-Madison in 1989, in the wake of the 1980s farm crisis, to lead research and outreach that benefits family farmers. Over the years, we’ve stayed true to that purpose, particularly during challenging times for agriculture. We work closely with farmers, business owners, workers and organizations across Wisconsin to identify innovative ideas and research opportunities. These relationships ground our work in real-world needs.

We’re looking forward to an important milestone: in 2019, CIAS will celebrate 30 years of advancing sustainable agriculture and food systems. Despite changes in the agricultural landscape, CIAS remains firmly committed to the values we’ve held from the start: farmer leadership, participatory approaches, and furthering the Wisconsin Idea. We look forward to our next thirty years of collaborative research and outreach to sustain family farms and businesses.