Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems

Who shops at farmers markets? In a new article in The Conversation U.S., CIAS Faculty Associate and Professor Bret Shaw (Life Sciences Communication and Division of Extension), summarizes who shops at farmers markets based on a larger national survey of U.S. residents in a USDA-funded study with implications for marketing and outreach

Read the article here: https://theconversation.com/who-shops-at-farmers-markets-in-the-us-279922

Monday, April 20th, 5pm at Conrad A. Elvehjem Building, Room L140.

CIAS is proud to sponsor Earth Fest! Gardeners in cities and suburbs are reclaiming lost commons, transforming vacant lots into vibrant plots, turning waste into compost, and recreating what was once the most productive agriculture in recorded human history while simultaneously nurturing health, hope, and community.

Join us to learn more from Kate Brown, Thomas M. Siebel Distinguished Professor in History of Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about this fascinating environmental history.

The Silva Lab is hiring for the 2026 field season!

Agroecology and Organic Agriculture Summer Field Research Assistants
- 30-40 hrs/wk
- May 11th, 2026 - August 28th, 2026
- Starting wage: $18/hr
- This position can also serve as a PLPATH 499 internship

This position is a great fit for students interested in organic row-crop production and hands-on agricultural research. Our farmer-focused work explores practical, sustainable strategies to reduce tillage in organic systems. As a member of our team, you’ll gain meaningful research experience, build confidence in the field, and develop practical skills in an organic agricultural setting. We’re looking for curious, motivated students who enjoy hands-on work, teamwork, and contributing to research that supports organic farmers.

To apply, email Cheyanne Mattie ([email protected]) and Ben Brockmueller ([email protected]) with your resume and a brief statement of interest.

The CIAS Graduate Student Summer Research Mini-Grant Program Call for Proposals is now open for 2026!

The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) invites UW-Madison graduate student applications for our summer research mini-grant program, which is made possible through a generous donation from the Single Step Foundation. These awards will provide up to $3,000 for graduate student research aligned with the work of CIAS. We are particularly interested in proposals regarding local and regional food systems, soil health, continuous living cover, equity and food sovereignty, and animal health and welfare. Projects may use funding to facilitate stakeholder engagement and partnerships through participatory action research (PAR). See the RFP for detailed descriptions of these priority areas.

Undergraduate research is not eligible for funding through this program. Grant-funded work must be completed by September 4, 2026. The applicant’s faculty advisor must currently be, or willing to become, a faculty associate of CIAS.

All applicants who submit materials by March 27, 2026, are assured consideration. Learn about previous awards by clicking the link below!

https://cias.wisc.edu/news/grants/2026-cias-graduate-student-summer-research-mini-grant-call-for-proposals/

If you have questions about the mini-grant program or the application process, contact Regina Hirsch, [email protected].

🎉 Welcome Marie Carmen Shingne to CIAS! Marie is our Postdoctoral Research Associate and an environmental sociologist, studying how communities navigate inequitable access to the most fundamental resources: food, water, and shelter.

Dr. Shingne accolades include a PhD in Sociology from Michigan State University, a Master’s in Animals and Public Policy from Tufts University, and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Ohio Wesleyan University. During her PhD, she partnered with DigDeep and the U.S. Water Alliance to address inequities in water access experienced across the United States. Most recently, she completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with the National Wildlife Federation’s Sustainable Agriculture team.

At CIAS, she is bringing her systems-level lens and sustainable agriculture experience to the regional grain economy through two grant-funded projects: defining grainsheds and developing an oat roadmap to better understand the opportunities and challenges facing diversified food-grade grain farmers.

Read more at https://cias.wisc.edu/directory/marie-carmen-shingne
Reach out to Marie at [email protected].

Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Guests Visit CIAS

On February 12, 2026, a delegation from Madison’s sister city, Obihiro, Japan, visited with Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems’ staff and Director Erin Silva’s lab members to ask questions about organic agriculture systems in the United States.

Their team consisted of two agricultural economics researchers and two farmers from Hokkaido—one pig farmer and one beef farmer—along with a coordinator and an interpreter, for a total of six members.

Their university is in an agricultural region of Japan and has recently established an organic consortium to promote research and collaboration in organic farming. The purpose of this visit was to exchange knowledge with experts in the U.S., particularly in the areas of organic feed production, meat processing, certification systems, and market trends.

The participating farmers were especially interested in understanding how organic feed is produced using local resources in the U.S., as well as learning about organic slaughterhouse systems. They also sought to better understand the requirements and practical conditions of organic certification. From an academic perspective, they were interested in consumer preferences for organic meat and the structure of organic markets.

During the visit, they also observed the wide range of labeling claims on meat products in the U.S., such as “100% Natural,” “Grass-Fed,” and “Animal Welfare Approved,” which highlighted the complexity of product differentiation and consumer information in the American market.

This visit provided valuable insights into the organic agriculture sector in the Midwest and strengthened opportunities for international collaboration and knowledge exchange between Japan and the United States.

1 WEEK LEFT TO GO! Do you have on your calendar yet? CIAS will be there and we hope to see you at this lively gathering dedicated to growing our vibrant organic farming movement.

Register now at conference.marbleseed.org. We can’t wait to see you there!

Welcome, Jen Falck to CIAS! Jen is the Intertribal Agronomist on the USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agricultural Systems – Coordinated Agricultural Program project, "Returning to Our Roots: Rebuilding Native Farming Traditions and Food Sovereignty for Great Lakes Indigenous People."

As an Oneida Nation member, Jen is a veteran in the food sovereignty movement serving as a producer, food safety specialist, and advocate for Indigenous and small-scale food producers. With a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Jen operates a teaching and demo farm on the Oneida Nation Reservation focusing on small-scale meat production, teaching others to raise and process foods, and advocating for barter and gift economies

Jen spends her time supporting Indigenous food producers and works closely with the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition.

Reach out to Jen Falck at [email protected].

Join UW-CALS and ICICLE for Webinar 1 of "Food Supply Networks & AI." Guest speaker, Dr. Marco Formentini of the University of Trento will dive into the "Digitalization of agrifood supply chains, and the impact on social sustainability and fair value redistribution."

Mark your calendars!
🗓 Friday – February 20, 2026
🕦 9am-10:30 central time
🎥 Zoom: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/aCJTT74nRGy9ZFkS8VjZZw

Learn more about the 4-webinar series: https://cias.wisc.edu/news/food-supply-networks-and-ai-a-four-webinar-series/

Made possible by ICICLE – Intelligent CI with Computational Learning in the Environment, organized by UW-CALS CIAS, with support from UW partners: Wisconsin School of Business Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management, the Kaufman Lab at UW-Madison Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), UW Organic, UW Center for Cooperatives , and the Food Studies Network.

Join CIAS and UW Organic for an interactive webinar introducing ORG-Tracker, a new analytical system designed to compare pesticide residues and relative risk levels in organic and conventional foods throughout global supply chains.

ORG-Tracker provides the National Organic Program, researchers, organic farmers, and food companies access to a critical missing link for strengthening organic integrity and improving food safety.

JOIN US & LEARN MORE athttps://cias.wisc.edu/news/webinar-on-pesticide-resid
ues-food-safety-with-dr-charles-benbrook-and-dr-brai
n-baker/.

Webinar is open to all, including students, faculty, certifiers, government officials, and interested members of the public.