Greetings! I am happy to connect with you after Spring break. Everyone in the School of Agriculture had a great break and has returned with enough energy to finish out the last month of the spring semester.

There are multiple March highlights in the SOA. During March, the BILSA Dean, Dr. Weber, and myself paid a visit with the new DATCP Secretary of Agriculture, Sheila Harsdorf and Assistant Deputy Secretary, Keith Ripp, in Madison. We presented to them about our college and school activities, initiatives and discussed many things of mutual benefit.

Two SOA students were recently selected for the prestigious NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and Cornell University internships over the coming summer. They will be involved with topnotch research, conducting research trials in plant sciences.  We are very excited for them and await the successful completion to listen to their experiences. In this issue of Pioneer Junction, you will read articles about the plant and animal science undergraduate research presentations made at various conferences. We are proud of our students and faculty that successfully compete at various competitions. Horticulture; soil and crops sciences; and animal science student clubs have participated in events across the country. The SOA faculty and staff are very active with Pioneer Talks, a platform used to share research and creative efforts.

FFA CDE’s (Career Development Events) hosted by the SOA were well attended with approximately 2,100 students from 70 different high schools around the region, participating and competing in various judging competitions. This year the high school student turnout is was very high. The competitions were conducted and judged with the help of numerous SOA students, staff, faculty and community members. I applaud Dr. Zidon, Dr. Bockhop and their team for successfully hosting CDE’s.

We are excited to launch the first student managed business tomorrow (April 5th). Pioneer Produce will be shared with 20 subscribers across campus. The response and support to the produce business has been phenomenal. We are in the planning process to start another student led business venture to bag the compost from the Pioneer Farm and sell to the community. A visit was made to Cowsmo composting facility at Cochrane, WI to study their operations.

Recently, the SOA Ag Advisory council hosted a luncheon for faculty and staff in recognition of their services to the SOA. It is a great honor to have a council that is so involved with school activities and people. Their extended efforts to create a culture of excellence is much appreciated.

Undesirable conditions came with the arrival of April this spring. I pray for the farmers to have a successful planting season by getting crops in the ground as soon as possible. In the month of May we will begin to get busy with graduation and currently students are filing for summer internships and faculty and staff members are busy with advising for Fall of 2018 classes.

As usual, the Pioneer Farm is very active. This Saturday (April 7th), we will be having WBIA bull and show-pig sale following shortly on April 15th. Please read this edition for the most interesting stories and accomplishments of our students. The SOA is one, where student is ‘number one’.