About

Location

  • In Washburn County, 3/4 mile east of the intersection of 253-63 and 70 on Hwy. 70. 1/2 mile west of the 53 & 70 intersection on Hwy. 70. Get Directions.
  • Distance to Madison – 260 miles (4.5 hours, all 4-lane highway)
  • Nearest City – Spooner, 3/4 mi. Lodging and services available
  • Nearest Airport – Shell Lake, 8 miles south. Latitude – 45 degrees 49 min. Longitude – 91 degrees 53 min
  • Elevation – 1,090 feet (332 meters)
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Tractor with baler

Land Area

  • 388 acres
  • Tillable land area – 220 acres
  • Rent 5 acres off the station (silt loam soil)
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Soil Classification

Cress sandy loam, Sandy, Mixed, Frigid, Typic Dystrochrepts Mahtomedi loamy sand Mixed, Frigid, Typic Udisamment Menago loamy sand Mixed Frigid, Typic Udisamment Kewaunee-Pence sandy loams Sandy, mixed, Frigid, Alflic Haplorthods.

History

The Spooner Agricultural Research Station was established in 1909. Crop improvement has been an important task at the station. The station produced Wisconsin #25 open pollinated dent corn and Spooner oats, both good selections at the time. The station was instrumental in the development, release, and maintenance of Wisconsin Early Black, Flambeau, 606 Manchu, and 507 Mandarin soybeans.

In 1923, the station undertook the inbreeding of corn and by 1929 made the first early experimental double hybrids. The station supervised the production and processing of foundation seed stocks, reaching a high of 3,602 acres in 1946. The station pioneered the use of irrigation on farm crops.

The sheep project on the Spooner station was taken on in 1936 after an outbreak of Brucellosis in the herd of dairy cattle. The herd of 25 was disposed of and the sheep project was initiated to utilize excess roughage. Research of all kinds, from pasture studies to introduction of the Targhee breed to Wisconsin, has been done. In 1995 the Station began pioneering research in the dairy sheep industry and remained the definitive source for dairy sheep information in the country until the program was ended in 2016 due to severe budget cuts. The station hosted the Spooner State Sheep Day for 64 years and was instrumental in the planning and execution of the Annual Great Lakes Dairy Sheep Symposium which has been held in Madison, Wisconsin; Brattleboro, Vermont; Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada and Hudson, Wisconsin as well as in Spooner.

The Spooner Ag Research station agronomy research continues, specializing in Agronomy and Horticulture crop production research.  The Station is also home to one of the few All-America Selections display gardens in the state.

 

Support the Spooner Agricultural Research Station

Your contributions to the Spooner Agricultural Research Station Fund provide support to improve educational programs and training materials and continue educational and research activities. The Spooner Ag Research Station has a strong tradition of innovative research and educational programs that are a beacon to agricultural and horticultural producers as well as home gardeners in northwest Wisconsin and your gifts will help to ensure that the Station will be here for generations to come.

The University of Wisconsin Foundation is the official fundraising and gift-receiving organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Extension programs.

Ways to Give

Be sure to specify that your gift is for “Spooner Agricultural Research Station” or it will just go to the area of greatest need.

Thank you for your support!