Ride to Farm

Plan now to hop on your bike to benefit the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers with the tenth annual "Ride to Farm" (Saturday, June 1).  The 100km ride will take you through rolling, rural Iowa County with rest stops at area family farms for a sampling of local treats. 
There are fabulous prizes for top fundraisers and a celebratory end-of-ride gathering at Birch Lake Park, Barneveld. 

For more information, 2013 highlights, and to register, visit the Ride to Farm site.  The Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers is a program managed by the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the Farm and Industry Short Course.

Farm Fresh Atlas, 2013

The 2013 edition of the Southern Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas has been released! Pick up your copy from any of several university and area locations, including Steenbock Library (look for stacks at our service desks).

Use the Atlas to locate farms, markets and restaurant partners who bring you fresh, area-grown produce and food products. Do note that many of the area growers welcome visitors with special events, u-pick options, hay-rides and tours.

Should you be looking for options apart from the southern Wisconsin area, consult the site for Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlases or nationally, using the Local Harvest site.

Nourish the links between land and table!  Learn more about the REAP Food Group!

#UWRightNow Audio Booth (Apr 17)

Come, share your story!  University Archivists are looking to record your experiences of life at UW-Madison.  Visit the audio-booth in Room 240, Steenbock Library from 1:00-3:00 PM.  Your short story and photo will be uploaded to the UWRightNow site.  All students, faculty, staff and alumni are welcome!  And, we look forward to hearing from you.
#UWRightNow

DIY READ Posters!

As part of National Library Week festivities (April 14-19), bring a copy of your favorite book to MERIT (Room 109, Teacher Ed, 225 N. Mills Street) to pose for a personalized READ Poster.

Library staff will take photos between noon-5:00 PM, Sunday through Friday. Posters will be produced at 11x17 in size and cost $5.00 per pose (1 pose per person and/or group; $1.00 each for additional copies). Do bring your campus print/photocopying debit-card to pay for the poster printing.

For more information, contact MERIT Library.

Communities Matter @ Your Library

Loving of the Land, 2nd Annual

Save the date for a benefit concert! CIAS, the Nelson Institute and UW-Madison’s Agroecology Department welcome you to the second annual "Loving of the Land" night of music. This concert will feature the bluegrass and classical music styling of Graminy and the rousing percussion of the Handphibians. 

Proceeds from the concert will benefit graduate student research in sustainable agriculture and food systems.

Concert-goers will be welcomed to the event by Stephanie Elkins, host of Simply Folk on Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).

Date: Saturday, April 13
Time: 8:00 PM
Place: Music Hall, (925 Bascom Mall)
Ticket prices: $9.00 ($7.00 students) in advance; $12.00 ($10.00 student) at the door

Tickets can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets, the CIAS office or from students in Agroecology and the Nelson Institute.

NLW with Dogs on Call, April 16

In celebration of National Library Week (April 14-20) and its call to community-building, Steenbock Library will again welcome the delightful community of canines from Dogs on Call to wag their way through our front entrance, and to raise the "woof" so-to-speak with our library users, on Tuesday, April 16 (6:30-8:00 PM).

"Dogs on Call" is a local member of Pet Partners--an organization devoted to improving human health through the existing bond between people and companion animals. These companion animals are specially-trained to gently-interact with their human counterparts in any number of environments including schools, hospitals, libraries and special-care facilities.

The dogs will be available for a pat near the front, main entrance to the library (second floor).

Please visit the sites for Dogs on Call and Pet Partners to learn more about their services.

Science Expeditions (April 5-7)

Madison is a city rich with opportunities for exploring the sciences. This year, UW-Madison rolls out the red carpet to welcome its community during three days of exploration, April 5-7, 2013.

All UW-Madison campus events are free and open to the public. Begin your expedition with Science Exploration Stations then venture to nearby "Spectaculars" and open-house venues. A free trolley shuttle is available to take guests to satellite locations.

View the Science Expeditions schedule for the day and find directions on how to get to the various destinations.

New this year will be two days and two venues of exploration stations.  Visit the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on Saturday (10:00-2:00) and the Health Sciences Learning Center on Sunday (10:00-2:00).

The Wisconsin Energy Institute will also be celebrating its grand opening and the School of Veterinary Medicine will be observing a special open house.

Edible Book Festival, 2013

'Have your cake and read it, too' with the annual Edible Book Festival! The festival, which is free and open to the public, will be held, Tuesday, April 16 from 4:00-6:00 PM (Memorial Library Commons, Room 460).

As part of the fun, the Libraries encourage all aspiring "food artists", (bakers and book enthusiasts) to participate by crafting their own edible books. An edible book is an entry made of edible materials, with the subject pertaining to books in shape or content. In the past, those participating have worked with cake, Jell-O, cheese, matzo and more.  This festival coincides with National Library Week.

If you are interested in contributing an "edible book", please complete and return the application form found on the festival page.  The festival page also supplies information about the prize categories and festival sponsors.  The deadline for submitting this application form is Tuesday, April 9, 2013.

Comments or questions? Please send email to the Edible Book Festival Committee.