The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters
The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters is a nonprofit membership organization independent of state government and the University of Wisconsin since it's founding in 1870. The Wisconsin Academy exists to connect people and ideas from all areas of knowledge to advance thought and culture in our state. Programs are supported by an organizational endowment, grants, and gifts from individuals and corporations. Together with our partners, donors, and volunteers we will seek to define, implement, evaluate, and disseminate the results of a two-year effort to accomplish our joint mission of collecting and analyzing a clear-eyed assessment of the present, visioning healthy future alternatives, identifying people, organizations, and leaders to implement the vision, and tools and networks to disseminate the results.

Project Mission
The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters is leading an initiative to develop a new vision for the future of agriculture and rural life in Wisconsin. The initiative will bring academics, experts, rural leaders, and interested citizens together to examine current status and trends, explore constraints and opportunities, develop specific action and policy recommendations, and energize implementation strategies and action networks that will lead to a more sustainable, diverse and economically viable future for Wisconsin's agriculture sector, the state's rural communities and economies, and ultimately for all citizens of the state.

Project Plan
Through the individual and collaborative efforts of a diverse assortment of interested and informed individuals and organizations, we will:

• Assess the current status of Wisconsin agriculture and rural life.
• Examine trend lines in systems and variables influencing the sector and quality of life in the state.
• Identify and articulate opportunities for change.
• Gather and disseminate the accumulated work of this initiative.
• Build communication networks to engage professionals and grassroots over the long term in implementing project recommendations.
• Identify and develop leadership capacity at all levels and in all stakeholder groups associated with Wisconsin farming and rural life.

The entire initiative will be undertaken with the knowledge that the Wisconsin Academy is not creating a permanent agriculture program, rather, ownership of the recommendations must be distributed to the stakeholders who participate in this multiyear effort.

Project Focus
The project will concentrate its efforts and resources in the exploration of these broad themes:

• Production Agriculture
• Natural Resource Conservation
• Agriculture Policy and Government Influence
• Food Systems
• Social, Economic and Cultural Aspects of Rural Wisconsin

Project Structure
A carefully selected Coordinating Committee (CC) of 20 persons chosen for specific expertise and to represent different stakeholder communities, as well as the project co-chairs, senior advisor, project director, and the Academy's Executive Director, serves as the executive decision-making body. The CC has helped to conceptualize the project, develop its goals and broad agenda, will provide guidance throughout the implementation phase, and ultimately, will approve the final product and issue the recommendations that emerge from the initiative.

The Wingspread Conference, held November 3-4, 2005, formally launched the project. Participants were judiciously selected for sector and geographical representation, for expertise in one of the project content areas, and to shape and refine the planning done to that point by staff and planning committees. This was a working meeting featuring "name" speakers, interactive format, and expectations for concrete guidance for the future of the project and commitments to leadership for the duration.

Large networks of interested citizens have been encouraged to participate as informal advisors to the project, connected through public meetings, electronic newsletters and email lists, to offer critiques, bring ideas, point to resources, and broaden the public interest in the work of the Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin project. In addition, numerous friends of the project (consultants, advisors, volunteers, partner organizations) have provided practical skills, financial support, and in-kind services to carry out the project mission.

Project Products and Outcomes
The Statewide Conference on May 14-15, 2007, will gather a large audience passionate about the issues, capitalize on the collective desire for reform, and energize them for follow-up efforts. The review and feedback received from these participants could potentially affect the final product and final recommendations issued.

A final report will be completed mid 2007. The nature of the final report is to be determined. Potential examples include background papers, summaries, white papers, research documents, position papers, articles written for other purposes or publications-all possible contributions to a larger compendium. The final report may be an edited collection of papers, articles, research reports, etc., covering history, trends, challenges, and opportunities in each of the focus areas of the project, and strategies for addressing them.

Project Partners
Leadership Circle ($20,000 and more): American Transmission Company, Otto Bremer Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, GEM at UW-Stevens Point, WI DATCP

Major Donors ($10,000- $19,999): Alliant Energy, Farm Credit Services of Wisconsin, Marshall & Ilsley Foundation, Inc., WI Agricultural Growth Foundation, WI Farm Bureau Federation, WI Milk Marketing Board, Inc., WI Public Service Corporation

Generous Contributors ($100- $9,999): Grant Abert, American Family Insurance, William Berry, CHS Foundation & Cooperatives Foundation, CHS, Inc., CROPP-Organic Valley Farm, Daniel and Jane Carter, Pam Clinkenbeard in memory of Fred Buttel, Culver's Restaurants, Dairyland Power Cooperative, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, Federated Youth Foundation, Patrick Fitzgibbons, Foremost Farms USA, Gehl Company, Robert Goodman and Deborah Aks, W. D. Hoard and Sons Company, Kikkoman Foods Foundation, Inc., Keith and Mary Louise Symon, Christopher and Martina Mann, Michael Best and Friedrich LLP, Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc., UW Cooperative Extension, UW-Madison, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Wisconsin Agribusiness Council, WI Farmers Union, We Energies, WI Cattlemen's Association, WI Cranberry Board, WI Department of Natural Resources, WI Department of Tourism, Wisconsin Humanities Council, WI Pork Association, WI Towns Association

In-Kind Supporters: Aeppel Treow Winery, Arla Foods, Bass Lake Cheese Factory, Brightonwoods Orchard, Capital Brewery, Dairy Business Innovation Center, Edelweiss Graziers Cooperative, Fountain Prairie Farm, Good For Business, Governor and Mrs. Jim Doyle, Jeff-Lean Farm, Johnson Foundation, Good for Business, Chef Jack Kaestner, Lemoine MacGlaughlin, Love Tree Farmstead, Meadow Creek Elk Farm, Montchevre, Native Bay Restaurant, Chef Nathan Berg, North Hendren Cheese, Northern Lakes Center for the Arts, Oconomowoc Lake Club, Organic Choice, LLC, Organic Farm Marketing, Sartori Foods, South Shore Brewery, Tom Boldt, Tyranena Brewery, Von Stiehl Winery, Washington Hotel, White Winter Winery, The Widget Source, Willow Creek, Wisconsin Newspaper Association, Wollersheim Winery.