You will no longer head to Madison for Farm and Industry Short Course that has been around for more than a century.
Last year, UW-Madison halted the traditional 16-week program into a non-credit, primarily virtual program after years of enrollment decline. At the time, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Kathryn VandenBosch said last March that the old program did not meet the needs of farmers who cannot be away from their operations for long periods of time. Last April, Denmark resident and recent Farm & Industry Short Course graduate Jeremy Schlies told the Door County Daily News that he saw both sides of why the course needed the changes, but hoped it would not discourage younger generations from entering the agriculture field.
On Wednesday, UW-River Falls announced in collaboration with UW-Madison and UW-Platteville that it would be the new home of the Farm and Industry Short Course program, which also gives students a chance to live on campus albeit for a shorter time period and potentially set the stage for a four-year degree. The UW System took last year to listen to farmers, agricultural organizations, alumni, and others when discussing how the program could continue in the future. The Farm and Industry Short Course will be available for interested students for the 2023-2024 school year.
