Support WSBDF

Your support can help the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers train new farmers. Gifts received support the UW Foundation Friends of WSBDF Fund, and endowment that sustains the program and also goes immediately to work in a variety of ways, including:

Tuition scholarships
Student conference travel scholarships
Honoraria for farmer-speakers
Internship stipends
General program operations

You can either provide direct contributions or participate in one of our fundraising events.

Direct Contributions

Contributions of any amount are welcome! Please do not mail cash; checks can be made out to: UW Foundation – WSBDF Fund

Contributions may be mailed directly to: The UW Foundation; attn: Jodi Wickham, Friends of WSBDF Fund; US Bank Lockbox, Box 78807; Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807

To contact the UW Foundation Friends of WSBDF Fund, reach out to Jodi Wickham, (608) 263-2027; jodi.wickham@supportuw.org

Fundraising Events

We typically host two fundraising events per year. The first is Ride to Farm, a 100k bike ride with rest stops at local farms. The other is the Partners for Progress Barn Dance and Chautauqua, which celebrates Wisconsin’s working lands and raises funds for us as well as the important work of other non-profit organizations. Learn more about these events at the Ride to Farm website or the Partners for Progress Barn Dance and Chautauque webpage.

Thank you for your support!

Group photo at the 2013 Ride to Farm event

"We came away with a barn-full of inspiration, and the solid ground-under-our-feet feeling of having been shown 'how it is' with all the beauty and the sweat right there."

“I really enjoyed all the speakers we had and all the real life experiences they were able to share.”

“My fears were primarily financial. The WSBDF showed me that there were different institutions…to loan me money and that is what really got me started."

“The business plan put it all into reality. It gave me confidence."

“You have the opportunity to make lifelong friends; you have so many people there that have the same interests and the same drive.”

“The School opened my eyes up to a different direction of farming that has worked out very well for me. WSBDF was very important in my decision to start a grass-based dairy farm.”

“The School made me think outside of the box…and look at the many ways to approach a farm business.”

“The most beneficial thing by far was…the network of people I met – classmates and mentors – that are actively farming…to learn from what they are doing and compare [these things] to what I’m doing.”

“I took the grazing courses [with WSBDF]…and this is the best crash course I’m ever going to get.”

"The quality and depth of the presenters for the WSBDF has given our family a top notch how-to manual for entering into a grazing based business and life."

"I'm by nature a cynic who doesn't often run into programs, meetings, or groups that truly embody optimism and change, but WSBDF manages to accomplish that in a humble and practical way."

"I can sincerely say that the WSBDF course was everything I had hoped for, and then some. I met a lot of great people, learned an incredible amount, and came out of the experience feeling inspired"

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Sponsored by the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the Farm and Industry Short Course, both within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and by Badgerland Financial, Culver’s Restaurants, Organic Valley, Wisconsin Cattleman’s Association, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, and Wisconsin Farmers Union; with additional support from the NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and individual and corporate contributions to the UW Foundation WSBDF Endowment Fund. A full list of each year's contributors is available in our newsletter, available through the link below:

2015 Newsletter