Julie Dawson, an associate professor and extension specialist in the UW–Madison Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, was recently named the Clif Bar and Organic Valley Chair in Plant Breeding for Organic Agriculture. The appointment runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2030. The chair, funded by Clif Bar and Organic Valley CROPP Cooperative, Inc., provides Dawson with annual support for her research activities.
Dawson has no trouble keeping busy. Her research and outreach programs focus on selecting and developing crops important for organic systems and local food markets in the Upper Midwest. She engages farmers and culinary professionals – and there are many aspects of that work.
Dawson’s plant breeding efforts concentrate on crops that meet specific regional needs. Her group uses a participatory approach, involving hundreds of farmers and home gardeners in trials through which they offer feedback on crop varieties. Recent work includes tomatoes adapted to organic high-tunnel systems; bread wheat for artisanal baking; and American hazelnut, which is native to the Midwest and has the potential to be a high-value crop for organic growers. In addition to farmers, Dawson’s partners include SeedLinked, the Organic Seed Alliance, the Artisan Grain Collaborative, UW associate professor and cereals breeder Lucia Gutierrez and regional bakers, the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative, the Savanna Institute and many plant breeding colleagues.
Through the Seed to Kitchen Collaborative, which Dawson established in 2014, her group also coordinates a large network of plant breeders, seed producers, farmers, chefs and local food consumers that helps independent vegetable breeders and small regional seed companies evaluate, improve and release varieties adapted to organic systems.
“It is great to see Professor Dawson in this position. The research in organic plant breeding is needed today as much as it was when this endowed chair was first created,” says Adam Warthesen, Senior Director of Government & Industry Affairs for Organic Valley. “We just had Julie on an organic dairy farm this summer. She knows this community. Her work on small grains is something farmers in our co-op identify with, as they look to oats as a grain source but also as an important part of a crop rotation. We look forward to collaborating with Professor Dawson and the entire UW CALS team.”
Source: wisc.edu
Photo Credit: istock-elenathewise
Categories: Wisconsin, Crops