Posted: 07.14.2010

Pierce county is mobilizing to host its first Wisconsin Farm Technology Days - now less then a week away.  Because of the host farms proximity to the UW-River Falls campus, a unique cooperative arrangement's been arranged between the two audiences.

Along with the daily activities of tent city, Farm Technology Days 2010 serves as a showcase for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) campus and its College of Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) programs.

UW-RF encourages students to spend time not only in the classroom but also actively engaged in learning opportunities outside the classroom. In CAFES this means an opportunity to use a wide range of facilities both on and off campus. These facilities include greenhouses, a tissue culture facility, food processing pilot plants, two laboratory farms and a Class 1 trout stream.

"The learning environment within UW-River Falls has been instrumental to my growth as a business professional," says Tyler Anderson, junior, Agricultural Business Major from Oronoco, MN.

The two lab farms - one connected to the main campus and the other two miles northwest of River Falls - provide students with opportunities for hands on learning as well. The lab farms housing equine, sheep, swine, beef, and dairy cattle herds are used to demonstrate and teach management, nutrition, breeding and environmental management classes. In addition, milk produced at the Mann Valley Farm has been used at an onsite processing plant, Falcon Foods, to provide an array of cheeses and ice creams for over 25 years.

Crops and soils students have access to production and research plots. Agricultural engineering technology students benefit from opportunities to work with machinery, structures, environmental management, and GPS mapping. Fruit breeding and forestry management are additional programs located on the lab farms.

As one of several University of Wisconsin campuses that house Cooperative Extension programs, faculty at UW-RF teach, conduct research and develop programs to respond to state and local needs. Not only does the staff help farmers and agribusinesses compete in a challenging marketplace, they apply these methods in classrooms in the areas of animal health, farm financial management, food production and safety, and much more.

"The faculty is very supportive," says Whittney Peissig, junior, from Dorchester. "As an Ag Marketing Communications Major I enjoy the option to learn a little about my love for agriculture and my future career in the world of business."

The college, which had its beginnings as the Department of Agriculture in 1912, has grown throughout the decades to educate and prepare students in a variety of ways. Originally, agriculture students earned a degree in only one major: agricultural education. Today that singular study area has expanded to five departments offering 15 different majors - agricultural business, agricultural education, agricultural engineering technology, agricultural studies, animal science, biotechnology, conservation, crop and soil science, dairy science, environmental science, food science and technology, geology, horticulture, land use planning, and marketing communications - as well as a pre-veterinary program. These and other programs are designed for students to apply science, engineering, business, and management skills to real world problems.

Other opportunities include numerous student clubs and organizations where undergraduates can gain more hands on experience in their desired field. Students are encouraged to complete one or more internships prior to graduation including local, regional, national and international projects.

"There is no doubt that the success of students enrolled in any of our CAFES programs is in part thanks to the dedication and caring faculty on staff " said Danielle Hammer, a junior from Beaver Dam, and an intern for Farm Technology Days.

The reputation of CAFES stands out in the industry at the state and national level. The undergraduate dairy science program is one of the largest in the nation. The agricultural engineering technology program is the only one in Wisconsin. Many other programs have received recognitions that place them on a level with the biggest and best programs in the country.

Of an estimated 1400 students in the college, approximately half have a farming background. About 60 percent of CAFES students are female, and nearly 75 percent of the college's students come from Wisconsin

Graduates of CAFES go on to find their place in the food, feed, fiber and fuel industries that offers23 million jobs nationwide and remains the largest employer in the United States. Alumni from the programs in agriculture, food and environmental sciences continue to connect with one another to shape and change our world. Whether they remain in the state of Wisconsin or venture to other parts of the country or world, their education from the UW-River Falls serves as a foundation for their success.
 

For more on the grand event go to www.piercefarmtech.com

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