Regional Diversified Vegetables and Emerging Crops Educator
UW Madison – Division of Extension is excited to announce
the hiring of the full time Agriculture Educator, Tawonga
Zakeyu. Tawonga will serve Barron, Burnett, Sawyer and
Washburn counties, working primarily with mixed vegetable
farms and producers of emerging crops.
Small and mid-scale mixed vegetable farms make up the fastest growing sector withing the state’s agriculture industry. Many of these farms serve local markets, yet these farms often lack access to the community and critical support services they need locally. Emerging crops like hazelnuts, honeyberries, currants, small grains, and fiber crops-provide exciting new market opportunities for farmers. In this roll Tawonga will create connections and identify needs of local farmers and agriculture professionals, working to help solve production challenges and connect local agriculture with statewide services and resources. Her program will develop and maintain robust, high quality outreach education programs for diversified vegetable growers and emerging crop industries, incorporating new research findings into outreach and educational materials that improve the efficiency and profitability of production.
Tawonga was born and raised n Malawi, where her early experiences in agriculture inspired a strong commitment to food security and sustainable farming systems. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences from EARTH University in Costa Rica in 2021, followed by her role in the Climate-Smart Agriculture program with the CAMFED Malawi. She later worked as a research scholar at a Nematology lab at the University of Florida. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Global Food Security and Nutrition from the University of Edinburgh, and she recently earned a Master of Science degree in Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University, where her research focused on sunflower production systems, including full-season and double -crop management, nutrient management, and agronomic adaptability in Ohio.
In her current role with UW-Madison Extension, Tawonga will work closely with specialty and emerging crop producers, and agribusiness professionals. She is excited about building trusted relationships with farmers and ensuring that researched-based knowledge is accessible, inclusive, and locally relevant.
Tawonga began her position in January. Her office is located in Shell Lake at the Washburn County Extension office. She can be reached vial email zakeyu@wisc.edu or phone: 715-645-9800
