Wisconsin Ag Connection - UW-Platteville Students Take Part in Ag Study Trip in U.K.

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UW-Platteville Students Take Part in Ag Study Trip in U.K.
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 06/24/2016

A group of 21 students and two professors from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville have recently returned from a study abroad excursion to the United Kingdom, where they learned about foreign agriculture. 'Pond Hopping: Exploring British Agriculture' was held mid-May. Dr. Andrew Cartmill, assistant professor of soil and crop science and Dr. Donita Cartmill, associate professor of environmental horticulture, led the three-credit course.

The group toured a variety of research facilities including Rothamsted, the oldest agricultural research station in the world. It is home to the Broadbalk Experiment, which started in 1843 and is still going. They also visited NorthWyke, an upland grazing research facility, where they learned about pasture improvements and nutrient cycles.

Another unique site was GrowUp Urban Farms, the UK's first commercially viable aquaculture and vertical hydroponic production system. The farm produces salad crops and tilapia.

"Each day they learned about a different area of agriculture," said Cartmill. "We covered a wide spectrum."

Additional stops included Bangor University, Myerscough College, Scotland's Rural College and Kew Gardens. They also visited numerous cultural sites including Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Hyde Park and many others.

The students kept an online blog and Facebook page to chronicle their travels. Cenex Harvest States Foundation and the Pioneer Academic Center for Community Engagement provided financial support for the course.

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