Education, Equipment, Experience

Pioneer Farm is a 430-acre working farmstead at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UWP) and it boasts some of the best soil in southwest Wisconsin. The gently rolling fields, managed with conservation in mind, rotate between corn, oats and alfalfa, and those crops help support the farm’s dairy, beef and swine enterprises. It’s a great place for students in the UWP School of Agriculture to have access to some of the best agribusiness and science courses in the country — not to mention the newest agricultural equipment and precision farming technologies available. Now the school has the practical expertise of Case IH and Ritchie Implement Inc. (a Case IH dealer with locations in Barneveld, Cobb and Darlington, Wis.)

“Access to new Case IH agriculture equipment will be a tremendous asset to Pioneer Farm — the precision farming solutions will greatly increase the productivity of our operations,” said Phil Wyse, director of Pioneer Farm. “But more so than that, this partnership advances the mission of Pioneer Farm — to enhance the agricultural education experience for students on campus and for agriculturists throughout the surrounding communities. That’s what we’re really excited about.”

Thanks to a long-term partnership announced between Case IH Agriculture, Ritchie Implement Inc. and UWP Pioneer Farm, students now have a combination of new Case IH tractors, hay tools, skid steers, tillage implements, a planter and a combine that will be delivered in early 2010 and each year thereafter and used in the farm’s day-to-day operations. The equipment will also allow students and farm visitors to see the productivity-enhancing benefits of Case IH equipment in real-world applications.

As part of the agreement, Case IH product specialists will also be available to support classroom instruction and participate in student clinics and shared community activities such as University Field Days with hands-on field demonstrations.

“Our locally based Case IH product specialists can bring a great deal of insight and field experience to students and the community,” said Jeff Schmaling, senior director of accounts management for Case IH. “They have the unique opportunity to visit farms across the region and help Case IH customers maximize their equipment’s productivity and ROI in a variety of crops and field conditions, and they will bring that same practical experience to the university.”

School of Agriculture students also will be invited to participate in the annual Case IH Student Plant Tour offered at one of its U.S. manufacturing locations: Racine, Wis.; Benson, Minn.; Fargo, N.D.; Goodfield, Ill.; or Grand Island, Neb. Schmaling emphasizes the alliance is a win-win for all parties involved. The university will assist Case IH in conducting engineering research and testing new products. Case IH and Ritchie’s also will have the opportunity to bring potential customers and employees to Pioneer Farm to see Case IH equipment in action.