Media representatives are invited to join UW­­–Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin as she takes a tour of Peninsular Agricultural Research Station’s fruit trials and horticulture garden on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 9-10:30 a.m. The station is located at 4312 WI-42, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235.

If you plan to join the tour, please RSVP to Heidi Zoerb at heidi.zoerb@wisc.edu.

Mnookin started on Aug. 4, 2022 and is visiting communities throughout Wisconsin to learn more about how the university builds partnerships and programs with local communities.

Peninsular station, one of twelve stations located around Wisconsin operated by the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, is a field laboratory for fruit research – including apples, cherries and grapes. Research on row crops and small grains are also conducted at the site. The station partners with Door County and Kewaunee County Extension on educational programs.

Fruit researchers use the location to develop pest control programs and approaches to improve the yield and quality of apples, cherries, and grapes. The federal U.S. Potato Genebank is also housed at the station. More than 4,500 potato species, mostly from Central and South America, are preserved, classified and distributed world-wide to potato breeders and others working on potato improvement. This is one of a system of genebanks maintained by the USDA to preserve genetic traits of the world’s important crops.

In addition to research trials and public education programs, the station is home to “The Garden Door,” a one-acre showcase flower and landscape garden maintained in cooperation with the Door County Master Gardeners Association.

Additional facts about the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station:

• 120 acres
• 70 acres of tillable land
• Serves as a National Weather Service reporting station, with eight automated weather monitoring stations
• Founded in 1922

For more information, contact: Heidi Zoerb, heidi.zoerb@wisc.edu, (608) 262-4849.