The Dairy Innovation Hub held its sixth annual Dairy Summit on Tuesday, November 18, at the UW–River Falls campus. Through poster sessions, research presentations, and a panel discussion, the summit highlighted the latest Hub-funded research underway at UW–Madison, UW–Platteville, and UW–River Falls, addressing challenges facing today’s dairy community.
The event drew roughly 175 in-person attendees—including researchers, campus affiliates, students, dairy professionals, and farmers—with an additional 75 participants joining virtually. Randy Romanski, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, attended, emphasizing the Hub’s statewide impact: “DATCP is a big supporter of the Dairy Innovation Hub. It’s a great way to connect all these great resources Wisconsin has to offer… It binds [the universities] all together, and it’s a great concept.”
Funded by a $7.8 million annual investment from the state of Wisconsin, the Dairy Innovation Hub leverages research and development across the Madison, Platteville, and River Falls campuses to ensure Wisconsin’s $52.8-billion dairy community remains a global leader. Since its launch in 2019, the Hub has funded 260 projects and 23 faculty positions.
Summit Presentations
The summit opened with a panel featuring four students from across the three universities: Mitchell Armstrong and Gracie Krahn (UW–Madison), Kylie Beilke (UW–River Falls), and Mackenzie Krajco (UW–Platteville). The discussion centered on how each student became involved with the Hub and how their unique research and outreach experiences have strengthened their professional development, building skills, confidence, and connections within the dairy community.
University researchers presented preliminary findings on six projects during the research introductions, covering each of the Hub’s four priority areas: enriching human health and nutrition; ensuring animal health and welfare; growing farm businesses and communities; and stewarding land and water resources.
Other research presentations focused on innovative dairy forage processing equipment, improving alfalfa growth with plasma technology, the role of genetics in chronic mastitis, and the potential of fresh colostrum on immune development for dairy calves.
Following lunch, attendees browsed 29 posters highlighting Hub-funded research across the four priority areas and three participating campuses.
Tours
The summit concluded with three high-impact tours showcasing UW–River Falls facilities and programs with connections to the Dairy Innovation Hub.
In the Wuetrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence, visitors viewed equipment used to manufacture value-added products sold at the Falcon Creamery store. Even at pilot scale, this facility prepares students for careers in dairy processing. Guests also toured Lewis’s lab to see key research tools, including the high-pressure homogenizer which enables research into improving functionality of milk components like fats and proteins.
During the Meat Plant tour, attendees explored the facility’s processing and research capabilities. The walkthrough of processing and fabrication spaces emphasized operational standards and the integral role of student training. Participants also learned about ongoing research in food safety, beef-on-dairy management, and value-added product development.
The final tour showcased the Humane Handling Institute (HHI) and its role in advancing animal welfare and industry training. Instructors demonstrated proper captive-bolt placement for effective stunning and allowed participants to practice using training models. A cull cow cadaver head illustrated the location of the brain and pituitary gland, demonstrating the science behind HHI’s recommendations. Insights from a collaborative UW–Madison project highlighted HHI’s broader impact on workforce development.
