university of wisconsin life sciences communication emeritus, veteran broadcast journalist and a citizen of mashkiiziibii, or the bad river band of lake superior ojibwe, patty leow spent one summer visiting tribal communities across wisconsin for a book project. she would bring tobacco as an offering to each community, but found herself having to buy american spirit tobacco from the store. 

leow shared the irony of not having access to traditional tobacco while working at a university with a world-renowned college of agriculture with her then-colleague, uw horticulture professor irwin goldman. 

goldman and leow worked with the oneida nation to obtain some traditional seed and began growing ceremonial tobacco at one of uw’s research plots. they invited wunk sheek, a campus org that serves students of indigenous identity, to participate in the initiative as well. 

goldman said inspiration for the inter-tribal seed stewardship initiative grew out of this project. former uw ph.d. candidate and current horticulture faculty associate claire luby was instrumental in pursuing this grant. goldman and luby connected with the ho-chunk nation, assisting them in continuing their heritage corn strains. 

goldman said the project was centered around pollinating these traditional seeds, ensuring the strains remained pure as they grew and making sure all the seeds went back into the ho-chunk community. 

“what i definitely didn’t want was to keep any of the seed ourselves, it didn’t belong to us,” goldman said. “and in the process, teaching whoever wanted to learn from the [the ho-chunk nation] community about how to do the pollination.”

this sharing of knowledge and research that could be used to benefit the broader tribal community became the driving factor behind the inter-tribal seed stewardship initiative. after partnering with dan cornelius of the intertribal agriculture council and the uw law school, jessika greendeer of dream of wild health, rowen white, national leader in the indigenous seed keeping movement– the project began to bloom. 

ultimately, the team created a multifaceted initiative that included; a 9 month seed stewardship training program, the development of hort: 375 seed and food sovereignty in indigenous communities, a two-day ‘tribal farming 101’ workshop and an inter-tribal research garden located in the uw arboretum. they were able to secure funding for this project through the baldwin wisconsin idea grant in 2018. 

in a recent panel hosted by pbs wisconsin, cornelius shared how this project combined both traditional and contemporary agricultural techniques. 

“we’re not totally recreating the historic practices and ways of growing, but bringing some of the seeds back and looking at, how can we use modern equipment to more closely mimic a traditional approach,” cornelius said. 

this project marks a notable shift from research solely centering westernized agriculture, work goldman said should have been started long ago. goldman said as a land-grant, the research uw does is supposed to benefit the broader community. for decades this definition of community was limited to those practicing european-style agriculture. 

this expanded focus including indigenous farming also improves uw’s research, goldman said. many indigenous agricultural practices are actually more sustainable, disturb the soil less and require less inputs than european methods.

“[the] menominee, have a reservation and they have a very famous forest there that they’ve been curating for a long time. in the forest they have these kind of like egg carton indentations… and it turns out that is ancient raised field agriculture that is at least 1,200 years old and what they find in those is the soil after agriculture was better than the soil before agriculture,” goldman said. “imagine that, i mean that is just completely the opposite of modern conventional western agriculture.”

this more comprehensive view of what agriculture is was actually driven largely by students, goldman said. goldman conducted “exit interviews” with outgoing horticulture students, many of whom said they would have enjoyed the inclusion of a more diverse array of perspectives. goldman said integrating indigenous viewpoints and practices into curriculums makes classes both more interesting and “honest.” 

though the two-year grant has ended, many facets of the project have lived on. goldman said information from the seed stewardship training program is currently being developed into workbooks, the arboretum research garden will continue and hort 375 has been developed both into another class, hort 380. some of this curriculum has also been adopted for a first-year interest group, co-led by cornelius. 

the fig, listening to land: indigenous education, language, and foodways, was taught for the first time last fall. it centered hands-on, place-based learning with activities, including braiding traditional corn, preparing wild rice, cooking workshops and a first nations cultural landscape tour of campus. 

cornelius said this approach to learning has far-reaching benefits. 

“how can the university of wisconsin better support native communities in the state and beyond, and in the process how can the university help to support rural communities as well, because a lot of the issues that native nations face are the same issues that a lot of rural communities face,” cornelius said. “having the space on campus for these hands-on outdoor interactive classrooms, it also provides a laboratory.”

though goldman said these efforts are still very much a work in progress, they are already spreading outside the classroom. 

goldman said the uw arboretum has also been rethinking its history. the arboretum has long been lauded as the location of the country’s first restored prairie, a feat largely possible through their use of controlled burning, a practice used by indigenous communities for generations. 

goldman said the arboretum has just recently begun to recognize this history of indigenous communities and prescribed burning, as well as other contributions they have made to modern-day conservation. 

the recognition and integration of indigenous cultivation practices has been a slow process, largely due to decades with no native voices at the table, goldman said. the more indigenous scholars, farmers, leaders and community members are able to work with the university, the better uw’s research and overall education will be. 

“we’re reevaluating what our function is as a land-grant and it’s amazing to me that it’s taken us 150 year plus to recalibrate who we serve and why we do what we do,” goldman said. 

they thank us and we slip back into the crowd of protestors chanting in the shadow of the madison gas and electric plant. that photo op won’t be the last time i overthink a seemingly easy decision on this hot afternoon, because today is the global climate strike and i’m not attending it — i’m covering it.

as i march with the crowd from mg&e to the steps of the state capitol, it’s hard not to get swept up in the rousing speeches and impassioned chants, but i try to remember the journalistic guidelines i have been taught. 

when i first started at the badger herald, one of the university of wisconsin’s student newspapers, i was quickly taught the basics of unbiased journalism — speak to a representative from both sides, report only verifiable facts and do not post anything political to your social media. many of these “journalism ethics” were then expanded upon and further instilled into me through my classes at uw. 

at the strike, i stood next to my friends who waved large crayola-lettered signs and chanted passionately. as i weaved through the sweaty crowd, i tried to establish my own journalistic guidelines on the fly — i could accept pamphlets but i couldn’t hold a sign, my friends could post pictures i was in but i couldn’t post one myself, i could clap but i couldn’t cheer. 

looking back, i was definitely overthinking things, but my self-imposed limitations do a raise a question many environmental journalists are constantly facing — what is our role in the fight against climate change?

it may seem obvious that as with other global debates, our job is to inform the public and report the facts. but with climate change, these “facts” are often more complicated than they appear. 

climate change first really came into the public sphere in 1988 when dr. james hansen of the national aeronautics and space administration testified in front of a congressional committee and said he was “99 percent certain” that the warming trend of the previous few years was not because of natural variation, but was caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide and other artificial gases in the atmosphere as a result of the burning of fossil fuels. 

this story made the front page of the new york times under the headline, “global warming has begun, expert tells senate.” this article cited several scientists and mathematical models, all indicating that immediate action was needed. the piece included only one sentence acknowledging that some scientists believe the recent warmer temperatures are due to natural fluctuations. 

over 30 years later, the public’s perception of climate change has become increasingly divergent from the scientific discourse. 

ninety-seven percent of climate experts have concluded that human-caused climate change is a reality, according to the american association for the advancement of science. but as of 2019, 35% of americans think that global warming is generally exaggerated, up from 31% in 1997, according to a gallup poll.this same poll found that as of 2018, only 42% of americans would consider themselves an environmentalist, down from 76% in 1989.

i have seen how important this public perception of climate change can be in directing policy. one of my aforementioned crayola sign-toting roommates is marina minic, a uw junior studying chemistry and environmental studies and an executive board member for campus leaders for energy action now. 

clean is a student organization working through strikes and petitions to get uw to power the campus exclusively with renewable energy by 2050 and to derive all electrical power from renewable resources by 2030. i have covered several protests organized by clean and have joined them during their weekly petitioning around campus, their version of greta thunberg’s fridays for future. 

minic said that most students she interacts with support clean energy; they are just unaware that it is such a major issue at uw.  she said that whenever she tells students that only 1.61% of uw’s energy consumption comes from clean and renewable sources, they are disappointed and happy to sign clean’s petition. 

a major way clean informs students and gains visibility is through media coverage, minic told me. 

“if the chancellor wakes up the next morning and she sees every local paper has written about something, obviously you can’t ignore it at that point,” minic said. “it’s also a good way to raise awareness to other students to get involved in the movement because i think most people do care about this issue and maybe just didn’t know about it.”

this media attention has always been key for the environmental movement. however, in the years since hansen first testified before the senate, how the media covers climate change has shifted. 

a study published in 2003 by the global environmental change journal featured a content analysis of articles published by the wall street journal, the new york times, the washington post and the los angeles times from 1988 to 2002. the study found that the majority, 52.6%, of articles presented both the view that climate change is being caused by humans and the view that it is due to natural fluctuations, in a balanced way. the study also found that from 1988 to 2002, the articles’ focus on the need for immediate climate action decreased. 

this study is dated, but more recent studies show similar trends. the day after the intergovernmental panel on climate change released its report announcing that global warming is likely to reach 1.5°c between 2030 and 2052 if current trends continue, media matters for america analyzed the home pages of the top 50 newspapers in the country. they found that only 22 covered the report. 

this lack of coverage and the tendency to prioritize balance over accuracy may be connected to the politicization of climate change. a recent report published by the science communication journal conducted a content analysis of all climate change-related articles published by major newspapers in the u.s between 1985 and 2017. the report found that representations of climate change have become more politicized. 

the content analysis showed that political actors have been increasingly used as sources in recent years, while the use of scientists as sources has been decreasing. it also found that the mention of “democrats” and “republicans” in climate change-related articles have increased. 

the perceived politicization of climate change has influenced actions being taken to address it. when 350 madison, a climate action organization, petitioned the uw foundation to divest from fossil fuel industries, the foundation wrote a letter saying it did not want to do anything that would make the university be seen as a political actor, rather than an academic and research institution. 

this argument is not unique to uw. ari bortman, a university of pennsylvania junior and a campus organizer with fossil free penn, told me that when fossil free pushed for divestment at upenn, the administration said it did not want to make a political statement. that refusal, bortman said, is a political statement in itself. 

“at this point, their vehement resistance to make any kind of statement on the industry really belies their leanings,” bortman said. “we know that the fossil fuel industry destroys people’s lives, destroys people’s homes for profit… exxon admits to spending billions of dollars to spread false science to misinform people, that’s not debatable. to not say that these things are bad is a political statement.”

bortman’s reference to exxon mobile’s misinformation campaigns actually touches on part of why climate change has become so politicized. a recent report, “america misled,” analyzed internal corporate documents from the fossil fuel industry showing it knew about the reality of human-caused climate change for decades and actively funded denial and disinformation campaigns.  

one document from 1998 outlines the american petroleum institute’s global climate science communications plan. this plan includes a bullet point list titled, “victory will be achieved when.”

“media “understands” (recognizes) uncertainties in climate science,” one bullet point read.  “media coverage reflects balance on climate science and recognition of the validity of viewpoints that challenge conventional wisdom.”

corporations’ efforts to influence media messages about climate change have persisted throughout the years. one day in february, after covering clean’s divestment die-in where protestors chanted and laid down at the top of bascom hill as a part of the national fossil fuel divestment day, i came home to find marina fuming in the kitchen. 

i had been covering the protest for the badger herald, but the other school newspaper, the daily cardinal, had been given a pamphlet from the uw alumni foundation emphasizing that technically it is the foundation that is invested in fossil fuels, not the university. 

the resulting daily cardinal article said that students were protesting uw’s “alleged” investment in fossil fuels. 

the word “alleged” was eventually removed after the daily cardinal met with clean. in the meeting, clean’s executive board explained that because all $124,785,961 the foundation has invested in oil and gas is donated to uw, the university is still profiting off fossil fuel investments. 

seeing the importance media coverage plays in this issue, and the concerted effort those who profit from the fossil fuel industry have continued to put into influencing the media, makes me wonder — as a journalist, is it truly biased to take a stance on climate change? furthermore, as a student with a platform, do i have a responsibility to share that stance?

i think back to the global climate strike; standing on my tip toes with my arms outstretched trying to record the speakers, i remember how moved i was by what they said. 

one speaker, uw freshman crystal zhao, reflected on her experience moving from china to massachusetts at 14 and witnessing how climate change has affected different parts of the world. her speech moved me because she discussed the importance of everyone having a role in the climate movement. 

“i’m here today because i care about the future generation and selfishly, i am here today because i care about the reputation of our generation,” zhao said. “i don’t want us to be remembered as the generation that failed to act when we still had a chance to save our home.”

her speech brings me back to my original question: as a journalist, what is my role in the climate movement? this may be a question i continue to grapple with throughout my career. but i do know one thing — after zhao spoke, i cheered as loud as i could. 

the agriculture industry contributes $88.3 billion to the state’s economy annually, according to the wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. wisconsin has made a name for itself as america’s dairyland. these days that reputation is suffering as milk prices plummet and dairies close. according to the united states department of agriculture, there were 8,110 wisconsin dairy herds in january 2019, down from 10,541 in january 2014.

cals is working to address this issue by preparing students for the changing industry.

for example, cals’ wisconsin school for beginning dairy and livestock farmers has helped new dairy farmers stay afloat by teaching them how to create business plans and keep their costs low.

wsbdf graduate, andy jaworski said that the school helped him create his first business plan, which he uses to run his dairy farm. jaworski said the goal-setting wsbdf requires is important because it adds practicality to the passion for farming many students have.

“a lot of people have this idea of how they’re going to run this farm—it’s going to be all wonderful and kind of all rainbows,” jaworski said, “but to actually sit down and come up with a business plan… that’s a whole different side.”

richard cates, a farmer and former director of wsbdf, said that the school teaches students goal-setting to help them navigate the business side of farming. the school also trains students for the real world by teaching them how to get bank loans and by critiquing their business plans, according to jaworski.

current wsbdf director nadia alber, said that the school gives students much needed support through connections with mentors and internships. alber said that these connections are important to “be able to survive” in the agriculture industry. these agricultural networking opportunities are also available through uw’s collegiate farm bureau.

jessica wendt, a uw senior majoring in agriculture business management who serves as the collegiate farm bureau president, said that group members attend conferences and tours to learn about the agriculture industry.

these conferences open “different opportunities from seeing different parts of the industry, talking to different people, really starting conversations to find where people are most passionate,” wendt said.

these mentorships are important because, according to alber, wsbdf “can’t teach everything in the classroom.” teaching students about all aspects of agriculture also gives them a wide array of skills and experiences, which, according to wendt, gives them the tools needed to adjust to a changing industry.

one way uw has helped students adjust is through the teaching of management-intensive rotational grazing. wsbdf was the first school in the country to teach managed grazing, according to the wsbdf website. farmers utilizing managed grazing divide their open pastures into smaller paddocks; livestock are then moved from paddock-to-paddock. managed grazing ensures the cattle graze each paddock when the grass is most nutritious and gives the grass time to regrow. managed grazing cuts farmers’ costs by reducing the need for expensive grain-based feeds.

cates said that managed grazing makes sense for new farmers because of its low start-up costs and because it gives them a niche in the commodity market.

cates’ own grass-fed cattle business catered to a market looking for naturally raised beef, and he later taught his students to take advantage of such markets. jaworski, the wsbdf graduate, said that being grass-fed and certified organic helped him find a good market via the organic valley dairy cooperative.

“as i learned about value-added products in the class and that being a strong suit for your business, it was a no-brainer for me to pursue that,” jaworski said.

alber said that looking into niche products and markets is an important part of goal-setting because it helps students think through their business plans before they “get in over their head.”

wsbdf and the collegiate farm bureau also work to spread awareness about agriculture and encourage students to enter the industry. while the dairy industry may not be very lucrative currently, according to jaworski, it is a cyclical business and there are ways for farmers to “stay afloat.” wendt added that there will always be demand for food and those who produce it. 

alber said that wsbdf knows how to prepare students to enter the changing industry.

“they’ve come to the right place… but you have to be innovative in a time like this and there is opportunity in crisis,” alber said, “as long as they have a plan.”