Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Grants Awarded!

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced the eight recipients of the 2014 Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants at the Wisconsin Local Food Network Summit in Milwaukee on Friday January 31st.

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“I am pleased that DATCP was able to provide support for these innovative local food projects through the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Program,” said Dan Smith, DATCP’s Division Administrator of Agricultural Development. “The outcomes generated by these grant recipients will provide benefits in their local communities and serve as models to share with others in the local food industry.”

Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin is a DATCP economic development program designed to increase the production and sale of local foods. As well as the grant program, Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin offers one-on-one technical assistance, educational seminars and food safety tools.

Grant recipients will use the awarded funds to reduce the marketing, distribution and processing hurdles that impede the expansion of Wisconsin food product sales to local purchasers. Previous Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grant recipients have generated $5.95 million in new local food sales, created and retained 120 jobs, and benefited more than 2,060 producers.

The 2014 Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin recipients:

● American Hazelnut Company – Statewide: Establish a grower-owned hazelnut processing and marketing company.

● Appleton Downtown Inc. – Appleton: Create a midweek farm market with local food producers, live music and onsite food sales.

● Country Ovens, Ltd. – Forestville: Educate consumers about the health benefits of Wisconsin natural tart cherry juice and whey protein.

● FairShare CSA Coalition – Madison: Develop new markets for community supported agriculture through innovative partnerships with businesses and their employees.

● Fifth Season Cooperative – Viroqua: Create infrastructure to manufacture, market and distribute value-added frozen food products.

● Gorst Valley Hops, LLC – Mazomanie: Design and implement a web-based hop production quality database.

● Wausome Foods, LLC – Wausau: Increase demand for Wisconsin milk and cheese by growing production of Wausome Wafers.

● Wisco Pop – Viroqua: Increase market demand for Wisconsin-sourced ingredients by adding a product line and expanding distribution.

Grant recipients were selected through a competitive process. Each project recipient will provide cash or an in-kind match equivalent to or greater than 50% of the total project costs.

Learn about Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin at datcp.wi.gov/Business/Buy_Local_Buy_Wisconsin. For more information, contact Teresa Engel, the Program Manager, at teresa.engel@wisconsin.gov or 608-224-5101.