The CALS Agricultural Research Stations invites faculty, staff and friends to help honor Pat Hoffman (Dairy Science), David Bohnhoff (Biological Systems Engineering) and Tim Wood (Lancaster Ag Research Station) at the annual ARS Awards Banquet on January 7. Hoffman will receive the ARS Recognition Award for Research; Bohnoff will receive the Recognition Award for Service, and Wood will receive the ARS Staff Recognition Award. More information about the awardees and their contributions follows.The banquet will be held at Erin’s Snug Irish Pub, beginning with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by award presentations at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. The cost of the dinner will be $17. To make your reservation, please contact Phil Dunigan at 262-2969 or Jean Bruhn 262-0744, or reply via email to pdunigan@cals.wisc.edu or jbruhn@cals.wisc.edu. For more information, please download the invitation.

Patrick Hoffman – ARS Recognition Award for Research
Hoffman has been an Outreach Program Manager (dairy management specialist) at the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station for more than 20 years. Although he is based at Marshfield, he does dairy heifer replacement research and education throughout the state. Hoffman’s research focuses on dairy heifer replacement and forage utilization. Many of his findings have found practical applications in industry. For example, his research on the influence of nutrition and environment on the growth of heifers in commercial dairy herds has been adopted into the ration balancing programs by many of the major feed companies. He developed the first commercial application using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy to predict protein degradation in forages fed to dairy cattle, which is now used by many of private labs in the state. His research has lead to two patents/licenses at WARF. He also chaired the faculty design team for the initial phase of the UW-Madison’s Integrated Dairy Facility.

David Bohnhoff – ARS Recognition Award for Service
Bohnhoff, a Professor of Biological Systems Engineering, has contributed his expertise in building design and construction to many projects on the College’s various research stations. One example is a much-needed machinery shed for the Rhinelander Research Station. Bohnoff took this on as a demonstration project for structural and safety ideas he wanted to try out before introducing them to the building industry. Recently he also designed and constructed an attractive covered bridge over a drainage channel at the OJ. Noer turfgrass facility, led a class project to develop design plans for the Mead residence hall at Kemp Station, and assisted with the rebuilding of the collapsed roof at the Arlington Station Dairy Center.

Tim Wood – ARS Staff Recognition Award
As Superintendent of the Lancaster Ag Research Station for 17 years, Wood manages the station and directs all of the station’s agronomic research. In 2008 he helped create multiple new projects with young researchers, including Shawn Conley, Paul Esker and Mark Renz, in addition to overseeing approximately 30 projects with other researchers. He works diligently in all aspects of the crop research including planning, planting, crop monitoring and harvest. As station manager, Wood works to sustain a positive budget while making valuable improvements to the facility. To this end, he carefully manages the crop production acres to both supply the station’s needs and generate revenue, which he maximizes through careful study of the region’s crop markets.