Maria Woldt (left) and Elisabeth Berndt (right) at the June 13 Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast, hosted by UW–Platteville’s Pioneer Farm
By Maria Woldt, director
Every month is dairy month in Wisconsin, but June Dairy Month is an especially fun time to be in America’s Dairyland. Across the state, Wisconsinites are celebrating the start of summer by enjoying a little more ice cream, cheese, milk, and other delicious dairy foods.
It’s also an exciting time for the Dairy Innovation Hub. We recently announced a leadership transition that included me stepping into the role of director. This marks a new chapter for the Hub, with a full-time, dedicated director to help shape strategy, communicate outcomes, and manage administration. It feels fitting that this role officially starts in June, a month that truly belongs to dairy.
Growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, I didn’t have a farm background, but even as a child, I knew I wanted to work in agriculture. I begged my mom for a horse (as many kids do!) and eventually showed horses at the Minnesota State Fair. I was especially drawn to the 4-H building and FFA exhibits—those spaces just pulled me in.
For college, I attended UW–River Falls, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications with an emphasis in agriculture. I then headed to UW–Madison for a master’s degree in life sciences communication. Those experiences opened many doors, including work with World Dairy Expo, the Dairy Business Association, and a variety of consulting roles. In 2020, I joined the Hub as the inaugural program manager.
Outreach and education are core aspects of what we do across our three campuses. Recruiting students from non-ag backgrounds is critical to the future of the dairy workforce in Wisconsin and beyond. I’m living proof that passion plus education can lead to a meaningful career in dairy. At the same time, we want to encourage students with agricultural backgrounds to see a future in this space. Their hands-on experience enhances the learning environment for everyone.
Outside of work, my husband, Nick, and I operate a small dairy farm in Dane County, milking about 60 Holstein cows. Our daughters have been bitten by the cattle show bug, so our summer will be filled with training sessions and 4-H fairs. As many in the dairy community say, if you’ve been to a dairy farm—you’ve been to one dairy farm. Each farm is unique, and I carry that perspective with me in our work at the Hub.
Since the beginning, I’ve had a front-row seat to the Hub’s growth. I had the privilege of working alongside our first faculty director, Heather White, who now serves as an associate dean in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW–Madison.
We started with just a handful of research projects—at a time when everything felt uncertain during the pandemic—and have grown to nearly 300 funded awards as of this summer. We’ve supported 23 faculty hires and helped train almost 1,000 students, most of them undergraduates.
Connecting science directly to farmers and dairy processors has been the honor of my career. Dairy is woven into the cultural fabric of Wisconsin, and it’s also a major economic driver, contributing $52.8 billion annually to the state’s economy.
It’s with deep gratitude that I begin my role as the third director of the Hub, effective June 1. I’m committed to working alongside campus leaders, faculty, students, and stakeholders to continue delivering meaningful impact across the state.
I’d also like to thank outgoing director Matt Ruark for his leadership over the past several years. And a special thank you to Dave Daniels, dairy farmer and chair of the Hub’s advisory council, for his support from the very beginning and throughout this transition.
This change represents the next step for the Hub, but our collaborative approach remains the same. Faculty at each campus are still deeply involved, serving on steering committees and helping guide local funding and hiring decisions.
June is the perfect time to get out and experience dairy firsthand. Breakfasts on the Farm are a great way to do just that. There’s no better way to understand what the Hub is working to support than by seeing a dairy farm up close.
If you’re looking for an event near you, check out the full 2026 Breakfast on the Farm schedule compiled by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
I’ll close by saying how genuinely excited I am for what’s ahead. I’m eager to see what we can accomplish together on behalf of Wisconsin’s dairy community.
Hopefully I’ll see you out and about this month—maybe at a dairy breakfast or another summer agriculture event. In the meantime, I always welcome a conversation. Please feel free to reach out, stay connected, and share your thoughts. I’m just a phone call away.