Wisconsin Athletics and CALS to celebrate Wisconsin agriculture at Sept. 6 game
University of Wisconsin Athletics is proud to once again partner with the state’s agriculture industry for the second annual “Celebrate Agriculture” game on Saturday, Sept. 6, when the Badgers host the Western Illinois University Leathernecks at Camp Randall Stadium.
Gameday festivities will celebrate Wisconsin agriculture and its deep connections to the University of Wisconsin. Agriculture will be featured prominently throughout the game, including in promotions, special graphics and fun agriculture facts. Commemorative gameday posters will be distributed (first-come, first-served).
“There is so much to celebrate about Wisconsin agriculture—dairy, livestock, field crops, vegetables and fruit and a sincere commitment to protecting the environment. As our college celebrates its quasquicentennial, we’re celebrating 125 years of partnership with farmers and agricultural firms that create thousands of jobs in rural and urban areas and billions of dollars in economic activity. We are pleased to join UW Athletics in recognizing these contributions again this year,” says Kate VandenBosch, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison.
Presenting sponsors include Hartung Brothers, Incorporated; CROPLAN by Winfield; Badgerland Financial; Case IH; Accelerated Genetics; DeLaval; Dairyland Seed; Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association; Wick Buildings; and DuPont Pioneer.
Kickoff time has been set for 11 a.m. and the game will be televised nationally on the Big Ten Network. Tickets for the game are available for purchase online at uwbadgers.com or by calling the athletics ticket office at (608) 262-1440.
WISCONSIN AGRICULTURE FACTS
• Wisconsin agriculture generates $59 billion in total business sales and 353,991 jobs .
• There are 77,000 farms in Wisconsin averaging 195 acres in size.
• Fruit and vegetable processing and dairy product manufacturing are the top two state-wide economic drivers according to a study commissioned by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
• Wisconsin’s nearly 11,000 dairy herds last year produced 27.7 billion pounds of milk, setting a new record for the ninth year in a row.
• Wisconsin ranks 1st in U.S. cheese production with 25 percent of the market share. Ninety percent of Wisconsin milk is used to help make the state’s 600 varieties of cheese.
• Meat processing is the state’s 4th largest manufacturing industry. The state’s 450 meat plants generate $12.3 billion in economic activity.
• Wisconsin ranks no. 2 in the nation for production of the major processing vegetables and third for potato production.
• Wisconsin ranks first in cranberry production, supplying approximately 60 percent of the nation’s crop.
All commodity data from Wisconsin DATCP
UW-MADISON CALS FACTS
• CALS has more than 4,000 students studying life and agricultural sciences, including most of those majoring in biology—the largest undergraduate major on campus.
• CALS operates 12 agricultural research stations across the state, allowing research on a wide range of soil types, cropping systems and animal operations.
• UW-Madison CALS ranks 1st in the nation in animal sciences, food science and plant sciences according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
• CALS ranks 4th worldwide in agriculture and forestry
• UW’s College of Agricultural and Life Science and UW Football are both celebrating 125th anniversaries this year.