WinField United was awarded the UW System Regents Business Partnership Award on Wednesday for its efforts to benefit UW-River Falls. From left, UW System President Jay Rothman; Vice President of Research and Development Operations, Diversified Field Crops and Forage Genetics International at Land O’ Lakes, Inc. Glenda Gehl; UW-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo, and Board of Regents President Karen Walsh at the award presentation ceremony. Sam Silver photo.
 

WinField United recognized for its partnership with UW-River Falls

Company receives UW System Regents Business Partnership Award

Oct. 5, 2023 - WinField United was recognized with a UW System Regents Business Partnership Award on Wednesday for its close working partnership with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls that benefits the university’s students and the St. Croix Valley.

The award was presented during a ceremony at the company’s $40 million, state-of-the-art WinField United Innovation Center in River Falls. WinField United, based in Arden Hills, Minn., is the crop products and consulting division of Land O’Lakes, Inc., and is 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, a partnership that has evolved into much more in ensuing years. 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, as well as at Land O’Lakes and other affiliated companies. Today, more than 30 employees at WinField United are UW-River Falls alums.

“The partnerships that we have like this are so absolutely vital to our being able to help our students and to help the state of Wisconsin,” UW System President Jay Rothman said during the award ceremony.  

WinField United has a strong presence in River Falls, a fact solidified by the opening of the company’s Innovation Center in 2017 in the city. UWRF faculty take their students to the facility for field trips, providing them with high-level learning opportunities. 

Glenda Gehl, vice president of Research and Development Operations, Diversified Field Crops and Forage Genetics International at Land O’ Lakes, Inc., praised the longstanding relationship between Winfield United and UW-River Falls. 

“As a farmer-owned cooperative, we believe in the power of partnerships and the strength of working together for the common good,” Gehl said. “For more than 30 years, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls has been a tremendous partner in supporting farmers and agriculture, and we look forward to continuing our work together into the future."  

WinField United benefits UW-River Falls in other ways. The company has provided nearly $40,000 in scholarship support and has 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, funded through the Department of Workforce Development Fast Forward Grant to the UW System. Those opportunities provided first- and second-year students with valuable hands-on experience earlier in their academic careers than interns typically receive.

In addition, the partnership between UW-River Falls and WinField United benefits the greater community. WinField United brings economic development to this part of Wisconsin and the company’s investments in infrastructure, job creation and media visibility have helped make River Falls a landmark of agricultural innovation in the Midwest.

“Our strong partnership with WinField United leads to amazing opportunities for our students, leads to jobs for many of our students, and helps build the economy of this region,” UW-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo said. 

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 for agronomy production specialists, agronomists, applicators and managers. 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 and for use 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.