Research
World-class research answering pressing questions
Academics
Organic courses, certificates, and graduate programs
Outreach
Innovative organic outreach and extension
The UW Organic Collaborative
Formed in 2019, the UW Organic Collaborative is a group of faculty, staff, and partners who are committed to furthering organic agriculture in our region and throughout the country using world-class research, academic opportunity, and impactful outreach.
Resource Database
Here’s where you’ll find every helpful resource that has ever come out of UW. Videos, publications, budgeting tools, webinars, fact sheets and more
Partner with us!
We believe that healthy systems depend on diversity and inclusion – we depend on a deep network of partners to collectively grow organics
Faculty and staff working in organic agriculture
Certified organic acres at UW research stations
Outside partners working with us on projects related to organic
Years of organic programming
Featured faculty, students, and staff
With almost 70,000 students, faculty, and staff at UW-Madison, there’s no shortage of stories to tell. Here we’ll feature a rotating cast of some of the many passionate people engaged in organic research, study, outreach, and education. If you’re a member of the UW community and would like your work to be featured, please get in touch: agurda@wisc.edu
Name: Julie Dawson
Position title: Associate Professor
Department: Horticulture
Home town: Ithaca, NY
Tell us a little bit about your program (research/teaching): My research interests include the use of genetic resources in plant breeding for organic systems and methods for participatory selection and variety development. My extension program includes the Seed to Kitchen Collaborative, which works with plant breeders to test varieties with local farmers and chefs, focused on flavor for local food systems. I teach Organic Vegetable Production and co-teach Principles of Plant Breeding with Natalia deLeon.
How does your research impact the world outside academia? I hope that my program will result in high quality, well adapted varieties available to farmers and everyone eating locally in Wisconsin.
Why is it important for you, as a researcher and as a person, to focus on organic agriculture? I find organic systems very interesting in terms of plant breeding because we need to work to optimize plant adaptation to the environment and understand how varieties interact with environmental conditions. I find the organic community to be very welcoming and interested in improving not only production but also the environmental and social impacts of agriculture. I started working with organic systems as an undergraduate student and never stopped.
What do you love most about living in Wisconsin? The strong commitment of farmers to cooperative research and sharing knowledge with each other.
What was the last thing you read for pleasure? I’ve been reading the Amaranthe series by G.S. Jennison.
What music keeps you going while doing research and writing? Caroline Smith’s Half About Being a Woman and, lately, Labi Siffre. Morning Classics on WPR is also a stalwart companion.
News and Announcements
“Corn Christmas” with Dr. Bill Tracy
Dr. Bill Tracy is a corn guru, having worked for decades as a sweet corn breeder, most recently focusing much of his work on organic plant breeding. He's released an organic sweet corn variety called "Who Gets Kissed?" and was named the Clif Bar endowed chair of...
Contact Us
Other groups working on organics around campus
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS)
CIAS is a sustainable agriculture and food systems research center that fosters multidisciplinary inquiry and supports a range of research, outreach and training projects.
F.H. King Students for Sustainable Agriculture
‘F.H. King’ is a student-run agricultural collective connected to the University of Wisconsin-Madison that runs a two-acre organic farm, distributes free organic produce, and organizes educational programming, workshops, and community events.
Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers
WSBDF provides the opportunity for motivated individuals to educate themselves about pasture-based dairy and livestock farming and offers training through traditional classroom activities, hands-on internships, and farm tours.
We’re grateful to work with so many partners who support organics at UW. Thank you.
A.P. Whaley Seed Company
Adaptive Seeds
AgriSecure
Albert Lea Seed
Bejo
Camp Trippalindee
Clif Bar & Company
Common Wealth Seed Growers
Compeer Financial
Cornell University
Dawn Engineering
Deja Food Restaurant Group
Delafield Hotel
Fairshare CSA Coalition
FedCo Seeds
Fruition Seeds
Grain Millers
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Intertribal Agriculture Council
Iowa State University
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Madison Area Technical College
Madison Sourdough Co.
Mcfarlane Manufacturing Co.
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service
Midwestern Bio Ag
Morris Ramen
MOSA
Oregon State University
Organic Seed Alliance
Organic Trade Association
Organic Valley
Origin Breads
Pig in a fur coat
Pipeline Foods
Prairie Road Organic Seed
Purple Cow Organics
Savanna Institute
Seed Savers Exchange
SeedLinked
Siskiyou Seeds
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Steenbocks on Orchard
Sustainable Food Lab
The Land Connection
The Old Fashioned
Trade Roots
Underground Food Collective
University of Florida
USDA Agricultural Research Service
USDA Farm Service Agency
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Vitalis Organic Seeds
Western Illinois University
Wild Bearies
Wisconsin Department of Trade & Consumer Protection
Working Draft Beer Company
Address
Room 593A Russell Labs
1630 Linden Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
Email Us
agurda@wisc.edu
Call Us
612-868-1208