While rising prices can put a strain on both farmers and consumers, interest in organic products continues to remain high. In 2025, U.S. organic food sales grew three times as fast as the overall food market. This interest extends to organic beef, eggs and dairy, a trend that bolsters demand for organic feed grain.
To support current and future organic grain growers, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN) will host five field days in Wisconsin and Illinois this summer, highlighting innovative management practices and research insights at working organic farms and UW agricultural research stations. These events will showcase ongoing trials by UW–Madison researchers and organic farmers to test out new technologies and techniques, including an autonomous robot designed to control weeds between crop rows, virtual fencing for livestock, and management strategies that increase cover crop use and reduce tillage.
“Each farm is unique and requires a tailored management plan,” says Kelly Debbink, OGRAIN outreach specialist in the UW–Madison Department of Plant Pathology. “We aim to share farmer and researcher first-hand experiences with these new technologies and techniques to help attendees make informed management decisions for their own farms.”
Source : wisc.edu