Source: UNIV OF WISCONSIN submitted to
INCREASING CROP DIVERSITY IN WISCONSIN THROUGH THE WI EMERGING CROPS COALITION
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031550
Grant No.
2023-51181-41245
Cumulative Award Amt.
$49,996.00
Proposal No.
2023-05674
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 15, 2023
Project End Date
Sep 14, 2024
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[SCRI]- Specialty Crop Research Initiative
Project Director
Fischbach, J. A.
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF WISCONSIN
21 N PARK ST STE 6401
MADISON,WI 53715-1218
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This project seeks to advance the development and commercialization of new and emerging crops in Wisconsin. This will be done by identifying strategic actions necessary to advance each of the crops and then communicating those needs to stakeholders, funders, and others that can assist with implementation of those actions.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
50224103020100%
Goals / Objectives
Goal 1: identify and overcome bottlenecks to adoption and scaling of emerging crops in Wisconsin.Objective 1: Identify the opportunities and roadblocks around scaling for each of 10 emerging crops in Wisconsin.Objective 2: Develop a strategic plan with specific actions to advance each of 10 emerging crops in Wisconsin.Goal 2: Produce 20,000 acres of new crops in Wisconsin by 2030.Objective 1: Work with stakeholders and partners to overcome the roadblocks and expand production of each of 10 emerging crops.
Project Methods
The strategic planning process will start in Q4 2023 with an identification of opportunities and roadblocks specific to each of ten crops. In other words, what assets, progress, and opportunities will allow for expanded production of each crop? What challenges, roadblocks, and bottlenecks stand in the way of expanded production? Identifying these opportunities and roadblocks will be done through surveys of Coalition members and members of their organizations, as well as compilation of already published needs assessments and surveys of specific crops. In addition, Mirsky will meet with stakeholders of each crop in the portfolio to follow up on survey results to better understand and characterize needs and opportunities.In Q1 and Q2 2024, the Coalition will utilize the needs assessment to identify specific actions and timelines necessary for advancing each of the crops in the Accelerator portfolio. These action items will be tied to 1, 5, and 10 year goals. The actions will include actions specific to a given crop and actions that are common to all crops, such as creating a state-funded grant program to fund germplasm improvement or other development activities. These action items will be formulated via an initial virtual meeting with Coalition members and then finalized in an in-person meeting scheduled for May 2024.

Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:There were two target audiences for this project. First, the planning process and published Strategic Priorities Plan were for the members of the Wisconsin Emerging Crops Coalition who are helping the UW Emerging Crops Team advance a portfolio of new crops for Wisconsin. The Coalition consists of crop-specific trade groups, such as the WI Hops Exchange and the American Hazelnut Company, environmental organizations such as the Clean Wisconsin andBlue Water Green Lands, and farmer groups such as WI Farmer's Union.The Coalition members provided input and information throughout the planning process.The second target audience are farmers and intermediary stakeholders that are directly involved in the production, processing, or sale of emerging crops in WI. The Strategic Priorities Plan provides this audience with specific recommendations on actions that can be taken to advance each of the thirteen crops covered in the Plan. Changes/Problems:There were no major changes or problems to report. However, because emerging crops are dynamic and new things change quicklyit will be important for us to provide regular updates to the document. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project was an excellent professional development opportunity for the publication authors, Fischbach and Mirsky, who gainedan incredible amount of knowledge of each of the emerging crops. Most importantly, the Supporting Emerging Crops in Wisconsin document conveys that same information to stakeholders and the general public. It also identifies bottlenecks and strategies for overcoming those bottlenecks that should hasten emerging cropdevelopment in Wisconsin. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?As of September 30, 2004, the document had been disseminated to members of the UW Emerging Crops Team and to the WI Emerging Crops Coalition. During the 4th quarter of 2024 we have been working to prioritize which of the recommendations to focus on in the coming year. Once such prioritization is complete the intent is to make the document available to the general public, policy makers, and any and all stakeholders interested in supporting new crops development. The document will be posted on our UW Emerging Crops website. We will also be doing a podcast episode to talk about it. In February of 2024 we held the 1st annual Emerging Crops showcase event in Madison, WI where we highlighted each of the fourteen crops in our portfolio and featured the businesses and individuals working to advance those crops. In December 2024, Fischbach will be presenting the document and recommendations to the WI Farmers Union during their annual policy convention. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Starting in fall of 2023 we interviewedkey stakeholders for each of fourteennew crops in our UW Emerging Crops Team portfolio inlcuding: hazelnuts, hops, CBD hemp, grain hemp, fiber hemp, fiber flax, aronia, elderberry, honeyberry, currants, kernza, winter camelina, culinary grains, table grapes. The interview focused on what activities were happening in the crop development, what challenges and bottlenecks did each crop industry face, and what ideas did stakeholders have for overcoming those bottlenecks. Using that information along with our own research of publications and web resources, we wrote an Industry Assessment and Strategic Priorities section for each crop. Each section includes an assessment and recommendations for each link in the value-chain: germplasm development, propagation, production, post-harvest processing, product manufacturing, and market development. We then compiled each section into the final Supporting Emerging Crops in Wisconsin document. The first draft was completed in August of 2024 and stakeholders provided feedback through September with the final draft published in early October. We are now working with the Emerging Crops Coalition to make plans for implementing the recommendations to overcome the bottlenecks.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Fischbach, J., S. Mirsky. 2024. Supporting Emerging Crops in Wisconsin: Strategic Priorities to Accelerate Development of Emerging Crops in Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Madison Emerging Crops Team.