Skip Navigation

The UW’s excellent reputation for research and innovation is largely due to our agricultural roots. As part of Congress’s 1862 national land-grant legislation, the University of Wisconsin received funding tied to agricultural development. We took the money and ran with it, eventually developing the UW’s world-class College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). CALS now operates 12 agricultural research stations (ARS) across the state. The 570-acre West Madison ARS is only a few miles from the UW, making hands-on research and instruction much easier for those on campus. The biggest ARS, Arlington (pictured above), has a whopping 2,000-plus acres of premium farmland and livestock for researchers to test out the best techniques and equipment. In Oneida County, the Kemp Natural Resources Station uses the beautiful forests of northern Wisconsin to promote wise forest and wildlife management. To ensure a never-ending supply of fries and mashed potatoes, we have the Peninsular ARS in Door County; it houses the U.S. Potato Genebank, the world’s largest collection of wild and cultivated potato species. We know how much Wisconsin depends on agriculture, and these stations are vital to ensuring a healthy and sustainable industry. One might say that our bread and butter is sustainably and efficiently produced bread and butter, thanks to CALS and its research stations.

More From Ask Flamingle HQ