Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

09/04/2026

Wisconsin farmers and graziers, here’s a field day worth putting on your calendar!

Our friends with the Iowa County Uplands Watershed Group, along with the Savanna Institute and OGRAIN are hosting a free field day on Thursday, September 17 from 2–4 PM near Spring Green focused on grazing, virtual fencing, and silvopasture.

Come out to learn more about practical approaches to managed grazing, virtual fencing economics, and integrating trees and livestock through silvopasture.

Don't miss it. Register here:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=kEl-kBUSgk6bSkPnQTbVRWcb5ELlwmpHkmItyX5P8zhUN1hYR1IzWU00T1I4TDExMFBMTlRJVlpYOC4u&route=shorturl

09/03/2026

We're really excited about this event spearheaded by our friends at Marbleseed and Hunger Task Force, Inc. Building collaborative capacity is the way forward!

09/03/2026

Awwww, we made the GrassWorks, Inc. Conference promo! We won't have our microbe selfie frames this year, but we WILL have our "Grazing is the Goat" and "Beef the Change" stickers at the conference. Go sign up!

09/03/2026

Come see us at the market!

09/01/2026

08/31/2026

We’re grateful to Nicole Heslip, Anchor/Reporter, Brownfield Ag News and Brownfield Ag News for helping shine a light on Wisconsin’s meat-processing infrastructure gaps and the work of MFAI Policy Fellow Dr. Success Okafor.

The story explores a challenge many livestock producers know firsthand: farmers may have the land, animals, and markets to grow their businesses, but limited processing capacity can become a major bottleneck. It also looks at the need to protect existing family-run processors, invest strategically in new infrastructure, and consider solutions such as mobile slaughter facilities.

Thank you, Nicole and Brownfield Ag News, for bringing this important conversation to a wider agricultural audience!

Read the full news article:
https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/wisconsin-meat-processing-deserts-limit-growth-for-livestock-producers/

Read the full working paper:
https://tinyurl.com/MappingWIMeatDeserts

08/28/2026

Kernza harvest day at MFAI’s New Farm in East Troy, WI. Direct cutting under clear blue skies - dreaming about pancakes after milling. Come and get our Kernza flours and baking mixes at the markets or order right from michaelfields.org.

08/27/2026

A big thank you to Wisconsin Public Radio for having MFAI Research Director Dr. Nicole Tautges and Education Director Dr. Esther Durairaj on Wisconsin Today to talk about the New Farm!

Located in Wisconsin’s Southern Kettle Moraine near The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin's Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve, the New Farm gives MFAI a place to study how productive agriculture and conservation can work side by side.

Nicole and Esther talked about MFAI’s research into alternative crops like Kernza perennial grain and mung beans, as well as conservation practices including prairie strips and cover crops. These crops and practices can give farmers more options for diversifying their rotations while supporting healthier soils, greater farm resilience, and new market opportunities.

That work is particularly important at the New Farm, where water moving through the surrounding landscape can enter sensitive groundwater systems connected to nearby wetlands and waterways.

Thanks again to Wisconsin Today for giving us the opportunity to share what we’re learning!

🎧 Listen to the full interview:
www.wpr.org/shows/wisconsin-today-2/canadian-tariffs-research-farm-wisconsin-quilt-show