Organic plant breeding gets new leader

By Blake Jackson

Julie Dawson, an associate professor and extension specialist in the UW–Madison Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, has been appointed to the Clif Bar and Organic Valley Chair in Plant Breeding for Organic Agriculture. The appointment runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2030.

Dawson's work focuses on developing crops that are well-suited for organic farming systems. She collaborates with farmers and home gardeners to get feedback on new varieties. Her recent work includes tomatoes that are suited to high-tunnel systems and bread wheat that is good for artisanal baking. She has also worked with American hazelnut, which has the potential to be a valuable crop for organic growers.

Dawson's partners include SeedLinked, the Organic Seed Alliance, the Artisan Grain Collaborative, UW associate professor Lucia Gutierrez, the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative, the Savanna Institute, and many other plant breeding colleagues.

Through the Seed to Kitchen Collaborative, Dawson coordinates a network of plant breeders, seed producers, farmers, chefs, and local food consumers. This network helps independent vegetable breeders and small regional seed companies develop and release new varieties that are suited to organic systems.

"It is great to see Professor Dawson in this position," says Adam Warthesen, of Organic Valley. "The research in organic plant breeding is needed today as much as it was when this chair was first created. 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. We look forward to collaborating with Professor Dawson and the entire UW CALS team."

Dawson also teaches the next generation of organic plant breeders. She helped develop an organic agriculture certificate for undergraduate students at UW–Madison with the UW Organic Collaborative. She also created a registered apprenticeship program for organic vegetable farm managers with the FairShare Coalition and Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development.

Dawson is also involved in public service at the national level. She is the lead author on a 2023 USDA–Agricultural Marketing Service report that covers intellectual property rights and competition in the seed industry. She is now working with the USDA to begin implementing some of the report's recommendations.

Photo Credit: organic-istock-fotosipsak