WinField United was recognized for its close working partnership with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
WinField United is the crop products and consulting division of Land O’Lakes, Inc. It is also one of America’s premier agribusiness and food companies. The award is presented to businesses that make a significant positive impact on UW System universities.
WinField United and UW-River Falls partnered 33 years ago on a land rental agreement. Through WinField United, UW- River Falls students have access to a strong internship program, collaborative research opportunities, and countless valuable hands-on learning opportunities.
Those opportunities lead not only to high-quality learning but oftentimes jobs for UWRF students. Many student interns are subsequently hired as full-time employees at WinField United. Today, more than 30 employees at WinField United are UW-River Falls alums.
WinField United benefits UW-River Falls in other ways. The company has provided nearly $40,000 in scholarship support. IT has also funded activities of the university’s student Crops and Soils Science Club. This past summer, WinField United also partnered with UW-River Falls by hosting summer interns as part of the “Growing an Innovative and Diverse Agricultural Workforce in Western Wisconsin” project.
The following are among the many collaborations between WinField United and UW-River Falls:
- WinField United staff and UW-River Falls faculty combine efforts on research plots for product development and field training. Faculty and UW-Extension staff use data for classroom and outreach educational programs.
- WinField United has specialty farm equipment available for use by UW-River Falls, and the university provides equipment to the company.
- WinField United provides seeds and other plant materials for planting at the UW-River Falls-operated Mann Valley Farm. They are also used in the university’s crop science program.
- WinField United provides support for maintenance of the Mann Valley Farm irrigation system, which in turn is available to irrigate research plots.
- UW-River Falls faculty member Joe Shakal worked with WinField United during the building and testing the company’s high-tech wind tunnel to study pesticide movement. Student research was also conducted, including designing and 3D-printing wind guards for sprayer nozzles that were then tested in the wind tunnel.