The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension welcomes a new Outreach Specialist focused on organic transition, supporting growers through a sometimes-challenging process and growing organics in Wisconsin.
Ari Abbrescia will fill the new statewide position which is focused exclusively on supporting farmers transitioning to organic production. With almost 250,000 acres of certified organic land spread across more than 1,500 farms, Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in both organic production and sales, second only to California in farm numbers. As the state’s first Organic Transition Outreach Specialist, Abbrescia hopes to increase those statistics as she supports more farmers in pursuing the organic opportunity.
This new position is evidence of the increasing support for organic growers from the UW. “The Division of Extension has long wanted to invest more resources in the ever-growing organic sector in our state,” says Anne Pfeiffer, Crops and Soils Program Manager at the UW-Madison Division of Extension. She goes on to say that “we’re excited to have Ari get to work creating resources, building networks, and creating programs that address the specific needs of the organic community in Wisconsin.”
Abbrescia is coming to the position with a heavy organic toolbelt. As a recent graduate from the Agroecology M.S. Program at UW-Madison, she brings lessons learned while studying disease management in organic vegetable crops. During her studies at UW-Madison, she created organic-specific resources for growers throughout the state. She’s interested in continuing to offer direct support to farmers. “I’m just coming out of a program where I was able to do a lot of outreach work”, she explains. “I’m excited to use the skills that I’ve gained over the past few years to support producers, and to be able to devote my time and energy to listening, connecting, and ultimately helping farmers find success in organics.”
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