When more than 375 farmers, educators, agency staff and grazing advocates gathered in La Crosse in January, the 2026 GrassWorks Grazing Conference felt more like a homecoming than an annual meeting. The energy in the hallways, the packed sessions and the late‑night conversations about forage mixes and fencing strategies reflected a movement that continues to evolve and renew.
To understand why this conference is important, it helps to remember where GrassWorks started. The organization started in 1994, from the Southern Wisconsin Farmers Research Network, a farmer‑led nonprofit founded in 1988. Both took shape during the Farm Crisis, when interest rates, land values, milk prices and the 1988 drought strained dairy farms statewide.
Searching for alternatives, farmers explored the New Zealand model of managed, low‑input grazing – small paddocks, portable fencing, rest periods and seasonal milking offered a path to profitability and healthier soil and animals.
GrassWorks became the educational backbone, hosting 32 conferences, supporting pasture walks and regional events and helping to build more than 45 grazing networks. Thousands of grazing plans were written, and 85 board members guided the organization as it expanded beyond dairy into beef, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry and other systems.
Thanks to disciplined leadership and farmer commitment, the organization stands on solid financial ground and remains a cornerstone of Wisconsin’s grazing community.
The conference highlighted that resilience. Workshops ranged from soil carbon and drought planning to multispecies grazing and farm succession. The trade show hosted fencing technologies, forage innovations and farmer‑built tools that embodied a “make‑do” spirit that has always defined the grazing community.
Despite the record-setting windchill temperatures, attendees engaged with more than 40 speakers and explored innovations from 55 exhibitors, creating a dynamic environment for collaboration and discovery.
GrassWorks Executive Director Patty Laskowski Morren captured it well, “The turnout and enthusiasm were truly inspiring. The willingness of so many people to travel and participate despite the weather speaks volumes about the strength and importance of this community.”
From keynote presentations by Dwayne Estes and Melinda Sims (see the article here) to thought-provoking presentations and exhibit hall, the event delivered value. The conference also highlighted the importance of preserving the movement’s history.
The organization has launched an effort to document its legacy. For the past year and a half, Otto Wiegand and Vance Haugen have led a project to capture 45 years of grazing history. The resulting collection features contributions from 34 authors, offering a range of stories, perspectives and insights.
Honoring that legacy is also the focus of the Jerold Berg Grazing Advocate Award. In 1989, the grazing community started recognizing outstanding leadership, and in 2007, GrassWorks established its own Grazing Advocate Award, renaming to honor former board member and 2014 awardee Jerold Berg. The award memorializes Berg’s persistence, generosity and unwavering dedication.
In 2026, GrassWorks presented the award to Vance Haugen, recognizing more than 30 years of pioneering leadership in managed grazing. Through his career with the University of Wisconsin Extension, Haugen taught and supported farmers across Wisconsin and the Midwest, helping make managed grazing practical, profitable and accessible.
As one longtime grazier said after the final session, “I come for the information, but I stay for the community.” That sentiment may be the measure of GrassWorks’ success – and its promise for decades to come.
