By partnering in Hub-funded studies, private farms help answer big research questions—and benefit in the process.
LUCKWALDT DAIRY
WOODVILLE, WISCONSIN
Dan and Mary Luckwaldt collaborated with Sylvia Kehoe from UW–River Falls on several dairy calf welfare studies focused on disbudding.
Dan Luckwaldt mentioned, “Most modern dairy owners want to be part of university research. From our perspective, there was no downside.”
Mary Luckwaldt observed improvements with the calves disbudded by the research team, noting, “We noticed the paste was much more contained and localized. Prior to the studies, we used too much paste.”
Dan is a UW-Madison alumnus, and Mary is a UWRF alumna, and they remain passionate about creating opportunities for students and graduates.
Photo left: Mary and Dan Luckwaldt with their employees, Derek Fenner (UWRF alum) and Patrick Kusilek (UW–Madison alum).
STONE-FRONT FARM
LANCASTER, WISCONSIN
Andy Buttles from Stone-Front Farm, collaborated with Ryan Pralle at UW–Platteville to develop a blood panel for detecting fatty liver and other metabolic disorders. They co-presented their research at the Dairy Summit and hosted a tour. Buttles is a UW–Madison alumnus.
Buttles emphasized the importance of research in improving calving stress, stating, “With milking cows, the biggest stress is during calving, so if we can do things through this research to make that better, it makes everything easier.”
Photo left: Andy Buttles and Ryan Pralle co-presented their research at the 2023 Dairy Summit.
GRASS RIDGE FARM
PITTSVILLE, WISCONSIN
Paul Lippert (photo, on the left) from Grass Ridge Farm collaborates with Francisco Peñagaricano in UW–Madison’s animal and dairy sciences department using a GreenFeed machine to collect methane emissions data from his cows. This data supports the Greener Cattle Initiative, a multi-stakeholder, national study which aims to reduce methane emissions through selective breeding and other methods.
Lippert, a UW–River Falls alumnus, practices sustainable farming and grazing, using research from UW–Madison’s Marshfield Agricultural Research Station.
By participating in research, Lippert notes that he can observe a project as it unfolds and have confidence that data is collected in a real-world setting. He also emphasizes the importance of conducting research trials across various farms and situations.
“We have always believed strongly in education and research. The university system in this state and the research and outreach they do has brought countless benefits to our dairy. We believe that any way we can be at the forefront of research allows us to navigate potential headwinds and find the avenues that will benefit us overall.”