I recently participated in the Dairy Innovation Hub’s (DIH) annual summer research tour. My visit gave an insightful look at the research, equipment, and private partnerships that are being supported by the DIH.

In 2019, Rep. Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) and I worked to create and fund the Dairy Innovation Hub. Through the state budget process, we allocated nearly $8 million annually to create a collaboration between UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, and UW-River Falls and attract world-class researchers to work on innovations in the dairy sector.

Academia often functions in silos, but the DIH encourages cross-campus collaboration. The campuses share faculty, research, and resources. As a result, the DIH and the three campuses have researched more than 230 projects on topics such as improving water quality, developing new dairy products, applying research to enhance industry efficiency, and more.

The morning began at the Lancaster Agricultural Research Station. Their team highlighted the research they are doing on the importance of the dairy industry to healthy soil. For example, they showed us how planting alfalfa for cattle feed offers fantastic benefits for the soil, ultimately boosting the productivity of corn and soybean crops as well.

Next, we visited Andy and Lyn Buttles’ farm, where we learned how private farm participation supports university-led research. These partnerships give students hands-on experience and allow research to be conducted on a much larger scale than would be possible using only university-owned herds. The Buttles family farm, for example, enables the university team to conduct blood tests on large numbers of cattle to improve methods for detecting fatty liver disease.

We finished our day at UW-Platteville’s Pioneer Farm where they showcased their automatic milking equipment, specialized feeding gates used in nutrition research, and ongoing studies on turning waste into value-added products while reducing environmental impact. The tour wrapped up with a Q&A at Pioneer Sweets, where we enjoyed ice cream made right on UW-Platteville’s campus!

The work the DIH is doing to support Wisconsin’s $52.8 billion dairy industry is invaluable. Every time I see the great work they are doing, I think about how happy I am to have led the legislative effort to invest in the program. If you are interested, the DIH provides annual updates and regular briefings for legislators that are available for anyone to read. I encourage you to visit https://dairyinnovationhub.wisc.edu/news/annual-report/ to learn more.

If you need assistance with any state-related matters, please call my team at the State Capitol – 608-266-0703 – or email me – Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov. My team is ready and willing to help navigate your state government, clear obstacles, and receive your input.