Wisconsin Ag Connection - UWRF CAFES Dean Testifies at NIFA to Support WI Dairy Industry

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UWRF CAFES Dean Testifies at NIFA to Support WI Dairy Industry
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 10/29/2018

The dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls testified before the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, where he called for continued investment in dairy programs at non-land-grant institutions. Speaking on behalf of other non-land-grant campuses in the University of Wisconsin System, including UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Stout, Dale Gallenberg stressed the importance of NIFA's support of programs and opportunities in agriculture and renewable resources at these institutions and encouraged the organization to consider this a national priority.

"NIFA investments, such as the Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture Capacity Building Grants Programs, allow our universities to better provide necessary opportunities for students to have a hands-on learning experience and the ability to conduct research, thereby leading the agriculture industry towards a more certain and viable future," Gallenberg said. "In Wisconsin, one in every 12 jobs is related to agriculture, and the industry annually contributes $88.3 billion to our economy. We are called to help the state's dairy industry, and indeed the entire agriculture industry, maintain a skilled workforce as well as discover new innovations to advance the industry."

The group is holding listening sessions across the country to gather input to ensure investments efficiently and effectively support long-tern prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture.

Nationally, non-land-grant institutions are enrolling an increasing share of undergraduate students in agriculture, food systems and renewable resources as well as making significant contributions to basic and applied research and to extension and outreach. Ensuring the pipeline of talented students remains full is critical.

While Wisconsin is home to UW-Madison, one of the nation's premier R-1 research and land-grant universities, non-landgrant universities in Wisconsin are also necessary to fully realize NIFA's mission of supporting research, education, and extension in food and agriculture.

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