The University of Wisconsin-Madison broke ground last week on an addition to the Integrated Dairy Research facility.
The new $5.1 million dollar modern facility will replace the Arlington Blaine Unit which was built in 1972. The new facility will be equipped with cutting edge technology allowing it to provide investigations and applied research studies on a diverse number of issues, including environmental impact studies, animal well being, genetic improvement and a host of other issues that will help define what Wisconsin’s dairy industry will look like in the decades to come.
“Many thanks go to Governor Doyle and the Wisconsin Legislature for their foresight by providing $4.8 million for the project as part of the 2001-03 biennial budget,” said Laurie Fischer, Executive Director of the Dairy Business Association. “This addition to UW-Madison’s integrated dairy modernization project will ensure that the College of Ag and Life Sciences has the tools it needs to meet the future expectations of Wisconsin’s dairy industry. This groundbreaking is the first step to ensure that CALS and Wisconsin’s dairy industry will remain competitive in the growing international market for dairy animals and products,” Laurie went on to say. John Pagel, Consultant for Dairy Building Contractors and Laurie Fischer, Executive Director of DBA were in attendance representing Dairy Business Contractors, LLC, the general contractor chosen for the project.
Other distinguished guests at the groundbreaking included Wisconsin’s Secretary of Agriculture, Rod Nilsestuen, State Representative Eugene Hahn, Alan Fish, Associate Vice-Chancellor for Facilities Planning and Management at UW-Madison, and Tab Tabrizi, Bureau Director of Architecture and Engineering at the Department of Administration, to name just a few.