UW Organic

08/26/2026

The Dane County Farmers’ Market, a 220+ membership organization, seeks applicants for the position of Market Director, due by Monday, September 7, 2026. The Dane County Farmers’ Market (DCFM) is the largest producer-only farmers’ markets in the United States.

The Director supervises the daily operation of year-round market operations in downtown Madison, Wisconsin and leads the organization. The DCFM is a private not for profit organization fully funded by the farmers. The organization is led by 9 board of directors, who are all members of the market. The DCFM has grown to include four distinct markets: the Saturday Market on the Square, the Wednesday Market, the Holiday Farmers’ Market, and the Winter Farmers’ Market.

This is a year-round, full-time, salaried position requiring an average of 40 hours per week. This position includes regular Saturday work. This position serves as the financial agent, administrative Director, public liaison and primary representative, enforcement agent, supervisor, and the general and strategic director of the Dane County Farmers’ Market. This requires excellent time-management skills, as well as the ability to self-direct and to lead a diverse organization.

This high-profile position, sometimes challenging and physically demanding, requires a diverse skill set, flexibility, and a love for the DCFM. The position requires strong business acumen, a comprehensive understanding of Wisconsin agriculture, including food distribution and marketing, as well as the challenges faced by small- to mid-sized family farms. The Director is supervised by a Board of Directors comprised of DCFM members.

Apply Here: https://uworganic.wisc.edu/jobs-and-opportunities/

08/13/2026

Registration is now open for Inside Organic: Understanding the System Behind the USDA Organic Label, a new professional development program from the University of Wisconsin–Madison's UW Organic Collaborative.

Registration Link in the comments section. Or check the NEWS link on our Bio.

Inside Organic is an eight-session professional development program from UW–Madison designed to help food industry professionals understand the system behind the USDA Organic label.

The USDA Organic label is one of the most trusted and recognizable food labels in the marketplace. Yet many professionals working with organic brands have never had the opportunity to learn how the organic system behind the label actually works.
Unlike most food labels, organic is not simply a marketing claim on a package. It is a federally regulated system with its own standards, certification process, supply chains, research community, advocacy organizations, and devoted consumers. Understanding how that system works can help professionals make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and build stronger organic brands.

08/12/2026

Kai Stielow didn’t come to UW-Madison thinking about agriculture. That changed with a First-Year Interest Group (FIG) that introduced them to agroecology, and a professor who pointed them toward the Organic Certificate Program.

Kai signed up for the intro course and was hooked, especially by the specifics of organic practices and policy. That interest eventually led Kai to Vitruvian Farms, where they now work as a Communications and Outreach Intern.

Read more about Kai’s internship at
https://uworganic.wisc.edu/student-spotlights-meet-kai-stielow/

08/10/2026

NEW VIDEO 🌾

Whether you’re new to harvesting small grains or looking to fine tune your system, join us as we find out how Chuck Breneman at UW Arlington Research Station prepares the combine for small grain harvest and how he dials in his settings based on what he’s seeing in the field.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9FWrwwQRQA

Whether you’re new to harvesting small grains or looking to fine tu...

07/09/2026

🌱 Join UW–Madison Extension and the Climate Resilient Organic Vegetable Production (CROVP) community for a Field Day at Red Door Family Farm!

📅 Wednesday, July 15
🕐 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
📍 Red Door Family Farm

Hosts Tenzin and Stacey Botsford will highlight the management practices building soil health and resiliency on their farm, including living aisles and diverse cover crop mixes.

Extension staff will also discuss and demonstrate different soil health indicators. Hmong interpretation will be provided.

📝 Register at https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/vegetable-farming-practices-to-build-soil-health-field-day-july-15-in-athens/

06/30/2026

Proud moment for the UW Organic Collaborative! 🌱 Erin Silva represented us last week as a panelist at Together We ROC the Midwest, hosted by the Regenerative Organic Alliance at the beautiful Gwenyn Hill Farm LLC.

She joined Sara Newmark of True Grace Health, Sandy Syburg of White Oak Farms, Rachel Comeaux of INFRA, and Christopher Gergen of Regenerative Organic Alliance, for a rich discussion on regenerative organic agriculture and the partnerships needed to grow it.

Events like this bring farmers, researchers, businesses, and advocates together to drive change toward resilient farming systems and healthy communities.

Thank you to the Regenerative Organic Alliance, Gwenyn Hill Farm, our fellow panelists, and everyone who made this event a success!

06/30/2026

🌱 Exciting news! We're teaming up with farmers, researchers & organizations for OGRAIN's Field Day Series!

Join us as we explore innovative practices at organic farms & research stations, spotlighting new technologies, domestic grain markets, and more. Plus, hear from leading researchers in breeding, agronomy & soil health.

More info & registration in 'Events' link in bio.

06/18/2026

Are you growing small grains? If so, it may be a good time to scout for signs of Fusarium head blight, the cause of DON mycotoxin contamination.

Check out OGRAIN’s latest video with Professor Damon Smith, Extension Field Crops Pathologist at UW–Madison, to learn how to scout for this disease and how to optimize harvest in high disease pressure areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsdOflKtFIU

Fusarium Head Blight Management and Harvesting in Organic Wheat wi...

06/16/2026

Together We ROC™ The Midwest is a curated gathering connecting farmers, brands, and leaders advancing Regenerative Organic Certified® systems—hosted right on a working farm.

Expect real conversations, real relationships, and a firsthand look at the future of regenerative organic supply chains. Retailers, brands and producers all in one place.

🔗 More info & registration at https://uworganic.wisc.edu/events/together-we-roc-midwest/

06/03/2026

Bill Tracy, one of UW Organic Collaborative’s leaders, is featured in The Guardian for his 40 years of pioneering sweetcorn breeding.

One variety was so remarkable that the first 100 people who tried it all had the same reaction: “Wow.” Yet it never reached grocery stores. Why? Because in today’s agricultural system, durability, yield, and transportability often outweigh taste.

Tracy’s story highlights a bigger question: What have we sacrificed in the pursuit of efficiency–and what does it take to bring flavor back to our food?

Read his Guardian at https://www.theguardian.com/food/ng-interactive/2026/may/28/death-of-flavor-farming-crops.