Uw River Falls

Awards Issued Prior to January 20, 2025, Were Funded Under Previous Administrations and May Not Reflect the Priorities and Policies of the Current Administration. Dairy Farms Are Increasingly Becoming More Consolidated, While Small Family Farms Are Rapidly Declining. Each Year Wisconsin Loses Several Hundred Family Farms. These Changes Undoubtably Have an Impact on the Social and Economic Conditions in Rural Communities, Affecting Social and Mental Well-being of Individuals. for Example, Concerns About Mental Health and Increased Suicide Occurrence From Agricultural and Rural Communities Have Been Reported. With a Need to Increase Agricultural Production by 50% Until the Year 2050, We Need to Ensure Our Production Systems Are Resilient in All Aspects of the Socio-economic System, Requiring Multidisciplinary Approaches That Address Which Factors Contribute to Resilient Ecosystems, Greater Community Welfare, Including Mental Health, as Well as Improved Animal Welfare, and Thus Economic Sustainability. If We Recognize That Sustainability Is More Than Just Protecting the Environment, We Can Recognize That Fostering Sustainability in the Dairy Industry Means Ensuring Economic Viability for Dairy Farmers, as Well as Mental and Physical Well-being. Given the Sensitivity Around Many of These Issues, Establishing Good Relationships With Farmers Is Vital.support From This Grant Allows for Foundational Outreach to Establish Contacts and Build Trust Between Farmers and Researchers, Allowing for More Robust and Honest Discussions and Sharing of Information. This Planning Grant Will Gather Dairy Farmers From Grazing and Confinement Dairy Systems, Stakeholder Groups, Including Community Leaders From Around the Uw River Falls and Platteville Campuses, to Assess How Different Aspects of Farm Management Affect the Three Pillars of the One Health/welfare Approach, Which Include Human, Animal, and Ecosystem Health.in Collaboration With the Dairy Producers, We Will Refine the Experimental Design and Methods for a Full Research Proposal, to Accommodate Farm Management and to Minimize Interference With Farm Operations. as Part of the Outcomes, We Will Identify Farms That Will Serve as Experimental Locations to Evaluate the One Health/welfare Approach Within Grazing and Confinement Dairy Systems for a Full Research Proposal. Prior to the Meetings We Will Reach Out to Several Producers by Phone and Email, Including Brief Surveys to Gauge Their Interests in Such Meetings. Products From This Planning Grant Will Also Include Recommendations for Science-producer Collaborations, as Well as Farmer Compensation for On-farm Participatory Research.