Who We Are
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization addressing the challenges of soil fertility, water quality, climate resilience, racial equity, food security, and farm success through research, policy, and education. MFAI is based in East Troy, WI, and serves diverse farmers and communities in the Upper Midwest and beyond.
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We believe that responsible food and farming systems can help solve some of the most pressing environmental and social problems of our time.
What We Do
ANSWER questions
We address questions producers are asking today, so they can make informed choices tomorrow.
BUILD communities
We bring people together to construct pathways towards a healthy and just food system.
CHAMPION healthy systems
We help policymakers understand what actions help food and farming systems thrive and empower community members to advocate for relevant changes.
Mission
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute’s mission is to help rural and urban farms and agricultural communities in Wisconsin and beyond be healthy environmentally, economically, and socially.
Updated 5.18.23
Vision
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is guided by a vision of agriculture that prioritizes people and promotes human and ecosystem health, food sovereignty, and justice.
Updated 5.18.23
Whom We Serve
We work for growers, land owners and managers, agricultural workers, and community members in Wisconsin and beyond. By serving the needs of agriculture in our region, we serve all who share our belief that resilient, healthy food and farm systems are possible.
Equity Statement
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute recognizes the harm that systemic social, racial, and economic injustice has played in our agricultural systems. We are committed to policies, structures, and practices that foster food and farming systems that are just and equitable.
Our Program Areas
We conduct research trials and demonstrations with Kernza®, legume cover crops, food-grade small grains, industrial hemp, and alternative crops such as mung beans, millet and buckwheat.
Research
We support healthy ecosystems and a resilient food system through our education programs:
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Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC), a five-year multi-faceted project that brings together Wisconsin women landowners to learn about conservation practices, resources, and funding opportunities.
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Midwest GRIT, a peer-to-peer learning program focused on strengthening diverse small and mid-size Midwest food-grade grain farmers.
Education
Policy
Our policy work is predicated on the simple belief that people should be empowered to use democratic processes to direct government resources to advance their vision of agriculture in society.
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We work at the grassroots level to organize with policymakers, non-profit leaders and farmers to support conservation practices while addressing socioeconomic barriers in agriculture.
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We offer free, one-on-one consulting services to help Midwest farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs and institutions navigate USDA-SARE and other grant resources.
