Fostering Student Research

The Smart Farm is a field station where education is at the forefront, scientific knowledge is advanced through research, and community engagement converge.

Vision and Philosophy

To support the development of highly qualified students through enhanced learning and research experiences, as well as providing a facility that supports innovative research.

Types of Research

The Smart Farm is open to all areas of research. However, the facility would be of particular interest to ecosystem scientists studying forestry, agriculture, soil science, plant-animal interactions, animal biology, and terrestrial community ecology. Some potential types of experiments might involve the following: (1) timber cutting and harvesting procedures; (3) controlled burning; (4) artificial planting; (5) chemical manipulations (e.g., nutrient addition); and, (6) simulation of climatic disturbance.

Research Proposal

The Smart Farm is administered and managed by the Richland County Campus Foundation (RCCF) as a short and long-term research site. In order to perform research at the Smart Farm, please complete and submit the Research Proposal Form.

Study Site

The Farm is located on 24970 Smart Lane, Richland Center, WI, 53581, and offers 192 acres including 133 acres of forest. Richland Center has an average annual temperature of 7.5 ˚C (45.5˚ F), with an average annual rainfall of 939.8 mm (37 inches).