SUPERIOR, Wis. — Established in 1909, Spooner Agricultural Research Station, located just 70 miles south of Superior, Wisconsin, was UW–Madison’s first agricultural research station. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences’ northernmost facility (USDA Zone 3b), Spooner ARS is ideally situated to assess and study agricultural challenges posed by the unique conditions of northern Wisconsin, including the region’s cooler temperatures, shorter growing season and sandy loam soil.
The station specializes in agronomy and horticultural crop production research. Current research crops on the station’s 220 tillable acres include soybeans, corn, oats, barley, Kernza, hazelnuts and switchgrass. Trials for the Department of Horticulture’s Seed to Kitchen Collaborative — from peppers to melons — are also conducted there, utilizing a section of organically-managed land as well as high-tunnel greenhouses.
The North Country Master Gardener Volunteer Association supports and helps maintain a public demonstration garden at the station featuring perennial plants, grape varieties and All-America Selections of flowers and vegetables.
More photos of Spooner ARS can be viewed at https://go.wisc.edu/spoonerpics.
— Michael P. King, CALS Office of External Relations
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