UW-River Falls and Burnett Dairy Cooperative announce strategic partnership to advance dairy innovation and education
Nov. 4, 2025 – The University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Burnett Dairy Cooperative are proud to announce a new partnership that will strengthen Wisconsin’s dairy industry through collaboration in education, research and product development. As of Nov. 1, milk produced at the university’s Mann Valley Farm is being shipped to Burnett Dairy Cooperative for processing.
This partnership also ensures continued support for the university’s on-campus Falcon Creamery, which will maintain access to milk from Mann Valley Farm for its student-led dairy production and learning initiatives.
“Partnerships with businesses are an important part of the professional development of our students,” said Michael Orth, dean of UWRF’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science. “We believe many unique opportunities will come from this new relationship with the Burnett Dairy Co-op.”
As part of this alliance, Burnett Dairy Cooperative plans to work with Falcon Creamery and Falcon Foods to feature select UWRF-produced dairy products in Burnett Dairy’s retail stores located in Grantsburg and Wilson, as well as Duluth, Minn.
“Innovative thinking and cooperative spirit are two of Burnett Dairy’s core values,” stated Matt Winsand, CEO of Burnett Dairy Cooperative. “There are so many opportunities for partnership both on the dairy science side of things as well as in the agricultural space, we are looking forward to see what the future may bring.”
In addition to product collaboration, the partnership aims to foster joint research initiatives with Burnett Dairy Cooperative’s Research and Development team and the UWRF Animal and Food Science Department, further enhancing both organizations’ roles as hubs for agricultural advancement.
Photo: Michael Orth, dean of the UW-River Falls College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, and Matt Winsand, CEO of Burnett Dairy Cooperative, are pictured on the UWRF campus in October. The two organizations began a new strategic partnership on Nov. 1 that aims to advance dairy innovation and education.