Farm to School Evaluation: School-Based Outcomes
Student Researcher: Claire Berezowitz
Faculty Advisor: Dale Scholler, Nutritional Sciences
With support from a CIAS mini-grant, Claire Berezowitz laid the groundwork for evaluating farm to school programs in Wisconsin. Claire is pursuing her PhD in Educational Psychology.

Environmental Health and Justice Issues on the Bad River Reservation
Student Researcher: Jessie Conaway
Faculty Advisor: Patty Loew, Life Sciences Communication
Jessie Conaway received a CIAS mini-grant to support her summer research on the Bad River Reservation. She spent six weeks immersed in this Ojibwe community, working with youth on watershed and cultural mapping. This work will provide a foundation for a cultural mapping website and atlas that reflect the perspectives of young people on the reservation. Jessie is a PhD student in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

Mob Grazing and Canada Thistle Control
Student Researcher: Anders Gurda
Faculty Advisor: Mark Renz, Agronomy
Graduate student Anders Gurda received a CIAS mini-grant to interview farmers who use mob grazing. He created a video chronicling his three-state, 1,500 mile road trip and the insights he gained from the farmers. This project was part of Anders’s master’s degree research on the use of mob grazing to control Canada thistle in pasture.

Labor Issues in Driftless Region Fruit and Vegetable Production
Student Researcher: Jacki Hartley
Faculty Advisor: Jane Collins, Community and Environmental Sociology
Jacki Hartley received a CIAS mini-grant to support her research on farm labor in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. With a focus on vegetable farms producing for local markets, Jacki is exploring how labor relations in agriculture are being affected by the re-emergence of local and regional food systems. She is pursuing her PhD in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology.

Goats as a Tool for Oak Savannah Restoration
Student Researcher: Cherrie Nolden
Faculty Advisor: John Harrington, Landscape Ecology
Cherrie Nolden received a CIAS mini-grant to support her research on controlling invasive plant species with goats in a managed grazing system. She spent her summer collecting data on goat browsing at the Yellowstone Lake Wildlife Area in Blanchardville. Cherrie is pursuing her Master’s degree in the Agroecology Program.

Landscape Effects on Spotted Wing Drosophila Infestation in Raspberries
Student Researcher: Emma Pelton
Faculty Advisor: Claudio Gratton, Entomology
Emma Pelton received a CIAS mini-grant for her research on how the landscape affects spotted wing drosophila infestations on raspberry farms. Spotted wing drosophila is a fruit fly that is damaging crops and profits on farms in at least 24 Wisconsin counties. Emma’s work resulted in grower recommendations on trap placement, fruit sampling, management, variety choices and on-farm landscape risk factors. Emma is a Master’s degree student in the Agroecology Program.

Creating Growing Space and an Outdoor Classroom in Southwest Madison
Student Researcher: J. Ashleigh Ross
Faculty Advisor: Randy Stoecker, Community and Environmental Sociology
With support from a CIAS mini-grant, Ashleigh Ross built “front yard gardens” with young people in Madison’s Meadowood neighborhood. They installed raised bed gardens at Porchlight Apartments, which provides transitional housing to homeless Madison residents. Neighbors are encouraged to harvest fresh vegetables from the plots. Ashleigh is a PhD student in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

Medicinal Herb Production for the Spring Rose Growers Cooperative
Student Researcher: Madeline Schatzberg
Faculty Advisor: Corbett Grainger, Agricultural and Applied Economics
CIAS mini-grant recipient Madeline Schatzberg spent her summer doing market research on medicinal herbs. She worked with the Spring Rose Growers Cooperative, a multi-cultural co-op based out of the Farley Center. Madeline is earning her Master’s degree in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.