“This facility will enable high-quality learning that will allow our students and employees in the dairy industry to learn using the most up-to-date technology,” said Michelle Farner, director of dairy production at UW-River Falls. “It is exciting to think that we will be helping our students and the dairy industry in this state.”
Five years ago, UW-River Falls halted its dairy pilot plant because its equipment had become outdated. Plans had started previously to remodel the plant, and UW-River Falls has received strong backing and funding from the agriculture industry and others to make the new facility a reality.
Nearly two dozen organizations have donated $5.2 million toward the dairy plant, with state funding picking up the remainder of the nearly $9 million total cost. That high amount of private funding is unusual for a building project in Wisconsin’s university system, and it shows that the dairy industry is invested in making the plant a success, Farner said.
Last week UW System Board of Regents and other UW System officials toured the plant. Final work is being completed on the plant where students and dairy industry employees will soon be training.
“That will be the exciting part, when our students and others can start working in this space,” Farner said.
Source : uwrf.edu