Meet The Speakers

Amon is an assistant professor of dairy business and economic development in the School of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and a Dairy Innovation Hub–funded faculty member. He earned his PhD in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida, where he specialized in applied microeconomics, farmer decision‑making, and the economics of pest and disease management. His research focuses on developing resilient economic strategies for dairy farms, particularly small and mid‑sized operations facing tight margins, rising costs, and technological uncertainty. Through research, teaching, and outreach, Amon works to support farm profitability and long‑term sustainability within Wisconsin’s dairy industry

Project summary: This research explores a key challenge facing Midwest dairy farms: even when milk prices are stable, many farms—especially small and mid-sized operations—still struggle financially because of rising non-feed costs like labor, equipment, and overhead. Current federal safety net programs focus mainly on feed costs, overlooking these larger expenses. As a result, many farms cannot cover their total costs, contributing to ongoing consolidation and the loss of smaller dairy operations.

The project aims to design a new, farmer-informed safety net that better reflects the full cost of running a dairy farm. By gathering input directly from farmers and analyzing their preferences, the study will help develop policy solutions that improve profitability while also supporting environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability. Ultimately, this work seeks to strengthen the future of Midwest dairy farming by keeping more farms viable, supporting rural communities, and informing more effective agricultural policy.

Hernandez is a professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she leads a nationally recognized research program in lactation biology. Her work focuses on understanding how the mammary gland adapts during the transition from pregnancy to lactation, with particular emphasis on calcium regulation and serotonin’s role in supporting healthy milk production in dairy cattle. Hernandez’s research also connects animal and human health, helping to improve outcomes for both dairy cows and breastfeeding women. She holds degrees from New Mexico State University and the University of Arizona and previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular and cellular physiology at the University of Cincinnati.

At UW–Madison, Hernandez teaches courses in lactation physiology, reproductive endocrinology, and scientific communication while directing the Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology graduate program. Her lab uses both molecular and whole‑animal approaches to study how the mammary gland develops, functions, and maintains mineral balance during lactation. Hernandez has earned multiple national awards for her innovative work and is a frequent contributor to outreach programs that connect dairy science with farmers and the broader public. Her research continues to shape scientific understanding of lactation and support advances in maternal health and dairy farm management.

Project summary: Wisconsin is a national leader in the dairy industry, thanks in part to strong support for research and a commitment to attracting top talent. That commitment extends beyond today’s workforce to the next generation: agriculture accounts for 9.5% of Wisconsin’s jobs, and nationally, the U.S. will need more than 18,000 new college graduates each year for agriculture‑related careers between 2025 and 2030. To help meet this need, this proposal aims to build dairy youth outreach programs that inspire, prepare, and support young people as future leaders in Wisconsin’s dairy sector.

The project focuses on three main efforts: creating regional outreach events to showcase the wide range of educational and career paths in the dairy industry; launching a youth dairy camp to spark early interest and strengthen undergraduate recruitment; and offering hands‑on coursework that teaches essential dairy farm management skills. Expected results include workshops and presentations for the public, informational materials about dairy careers, survey feedback from participants, and outreach stories shared through local media. Ultimately, this work aims to strengthen youth engagement, improve perceptions of the dairy industry, and build a foundation for expanding dairy youth programming in the future.

Augarten serves as the On‑Farm Research Program Manager for the UW–Madison Division of Extension, where she leads participatory, farmer‑driven research to advance soil health, water quality, and conservation practice adoption across Wisconsin. She brings extensive experience collaborating with producers, advisors, and conservation partners to design and implement on‑farm trials that generate practical, trusted insights for improving farm viability and environmental outcomes. Her work is grounded in agronomy, nutrient management, and conservation agriculture, with a strong commitment to farmer‑to‑farmer learning and applied research.

Before joining Extension, Augarten worked as a research assistant in UW–Madison’s Agroecosystems and Nutrient Cycling Lab, where she designed and carried out on‑farm studies evaluating soil health in pasture‑based systems. She previously served with UW Extension’s Discovery Farms Program, contributing to water‑quality research as part of the Nitrogen Use Efficiency Project. Earlier in her career, she spent two years in Senegal with the Peace Corps as a sustainable agriculture extension agent, supporting more than 150 farmers through education on soil management, organic gardening, and agroforestry techniques. A native of Westchester County, New York, Augarten holds a bachelor’s degree in international agriculture and rural development from Cornell University and a master’s degree in agroecology from UW–Madison.

Project summary: Wisconsin dairy farmers face growing pressures—from tight profit margins to unpredictable weather and environmental risks—that make it difficult to adopt new conservation practices. This project uses a participatory research model that directly engages farmers to identify emerging challenges, co-develop practical conservation solutions, and test them through on‑farm research trials. By aligning research with producer priorities, the project aims to generate trusted, actionable insights that improve both environmental outcomes and farm resilience.

Working with eight dairy farmers, producer-led watershed groups, local advisors, and UW–Madison Extension, the project focuses on identifying priority conservation issues, co‑designing and conducting one‑year trials, and sharing results through farmer-to-farmer learning, reports, and Extension programming. Outcomes include site-specific research reports, diverse outreach materials, and strengthened producer knowledge of conservation practice performance. This farmer-driven approach supports economically viable conservation adoption and advances Task Force 2.0 recommendations by addressing emerging needs and strengthening collaboration across the UW System and private industry.