The University of Wisconsin-River Falls will again host the Farm and Industry Short Course. This is a 16-week residential program that provides world-class, hands-on training targeting the skills and knowledge students need to know to step into the dairy industry. The program begins October 27 and runs through March 13, 2026, with a holiday break away from campus.
“So our numbers are going up quite a bit. The first couple years, I think, so year one, we had nine students, we had six graduate,” says Mike Orth the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. “I think the second year we had either nine or ten students. I think right now, the last I heard, now it’ll start about mid-October, and there’s, so people are interested. There’s still time to sign up. I think we’ve got at least 16 so far, and actually we’re getting interest from outside of the state.”
What To Expect
The UWRF campus offers ample opportunity for hands-on learning with two lab farms, a dairy pilot plant and a meat processing plant. Students will earn college credits that can be applied toward a bachelor’s degree at UWRF or transferred elsewhere.
The courses will emphasize animal management, including animal health and welfare. They also look at nutrition, reproductive physiology and milk quality, and will also include an introduction to basic business management and accounting.
Students enrolled in the program will live in UWRF residence halls and enjoy the same privileges as four-year students. They can join clubs and participate in campus recreation activities and will have free admission to all campus athletic facilities and events and reduced admission to other events such as theater performances.
“So currently, Dr. Steve Kelm has been running it, you know, he’s a faculty member. He has a full-time job, and so it’s hard because of all the teaching he has to do,” says Orth. “But with this money, we’re going to be, we’re actually going to have a director of the program that will help teaching, will help promoting, advertising on the logistics.”
To learn more about the FISC program at UWRF, visit uwrf.edu/academics/FISC, call 715-425-3704 or email Steve Kelm at [email protected].
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