The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America has made the largest grant commitment in its history. They are pledging $1 million towards the building of the Dairy Pilot Plant and Training Center at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneer Farm.
Members of the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America board presented the ceremonial check to UW-Platteville Chancellor Dr. Tammy K. Evetovich at Pioneer Farm Monday afternoon.
The Dairy Pilot Plant and Training Center will be the first on-farm university dairy processing plant in the state. This gives UW-Platteville a unique platform for education, research and outreach. Additionally, faculty and students will be able to process milk from Pioneer Farm to make cheese and ice cream. This allows them to perform research for other new diverse products, such as goat milk cheeses or unique bottling concepts. In addition, the plant would be available for local farmers, industry partners, artisan cheesemakers and regional stakeholders to create and test new products.
Students will have opportunities to be involved in applied research on sustainable farm-to-fork ecosystems. These include water management and energy efficiency as well as additional avenues to collaborate with the university’s Innovation Center. The Dairy Pilot Plant and Training Center will increase the research capacity and opportunities for nearly all majors at UW-Platteville.
“It is our vision to establish a state-of-the-art dairy processing facility that will not only meet the increasing demand for new dairy products but also create significant learning opportunities,” Chancellor Evetovich said. “On behalf of the university, I thank the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America for the support towards this goal. Their belief in our vision and dedication to enhancing the dairy industry is truly commendable.”
“Our mission at Compeer Financial is to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America,” said Kim Wedig, Board Director at Compeer Financial. “We can’t think of a better way to express our commitment to rural communities than by supporting this pilot plant.”
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