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A unique organic agricultural research opportunity in the form of a $2 million endowment has been created for UW-Madison with help from two organic food companies.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is the recipient of the nation’s first endowed chair focused on plant breeding for organic crops, representatives of Organic Valley and Clif Bar & Co. said Wednesday at a ceremony at the state Capitol. The permanent endowment will be funded with a $1 million gift from the companies and matched by a $1 million gift from UW graduates and philanthropists John and Tashia Morgridge.

Bill Tracy, an agronomy professor at UW-Madison and breeder of sweet corn, was introduced as professor of the endowed chair. At UW-Madison, Tracy leads the world’s largest research program focused on the breeding and genetics of traits important to organic sweet corn growers. In the past eight years, he has developed five cultivars under organic conditions which are currently on the market.

He also mentors more than 40 graduate students, has been an academic adviser to 300 undergraduates during his career and lectures around the country about recent developments in organic plant breeding, according to Organic Valley. Two of Tracy’s recent PhD students are now employed in the organic seed industry.