Gov. Doyle: Announces $177,700 in 2010 Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants

Contacts: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162

Lee Sensenbrenner, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, 608-224-5020

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced $177,700 for five projects to increase local food purchases and stimulate Wisconsin’s agricultural community. The state’s “Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin” grant program provides the funding for these projects that will keep food produced or grown in Wisconsin in our local communities.

“Buying local food supports Wisconsin farmers, businesses, communities, and our economy,” Governor Doyle said. “These grant recipients will increase opportunities for local food sales and serve as examples for others to follow.”

The five grant recipients will serve their communities, regions, and state by supporting the development, processing, and distribution of local foods while educating producers and consumers.

“Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin” grant recipients from the 2010 funding cycle are:

Northside Planning Council, Inc., Madison – $45,000

The Northside Planning Council, Inc. is receiving $45,000 to develop the Food Enterprise & Economic Development of Madison (FEED Madison) Co-Packing Service. This initiative will allow growers in Dane, Sauk, Columbia, and Rock counties to increase their sale possibilities by being able to offer packaged, processed, and value-added products through wholesale and retail outlets.

Clock Shadow Creamery, Milwaukee – $45,000

Cedar Grove Cheese, Inc. is receiving $45,000 to develop Clock Shadow Creamery, Milwaukee’s first urban cheese factory. This project will provide consumers and food service establishments with fresh and ethnic dairy products, teach environmentally responsible manufacturing, provide training for urban workers, and help ex-urban farms resist development.

Neesvig’s, Inc., Windsor – $45,000

Neesvig’s Inc. is receiving $45,000 to employ a fulltime associate focused solely on researching Wisconsin suppliers and farms that sell and produce products for the local food service community. The position will allow this distributor to develop a model for sustainable local food program for distribution companies.

Coolwater Farms, LLC – $25,000

Coolwater Farms, LLC is receiving $25,000 to develop methods for efficiently transporting and processing fish being raised by small Wisconsin fish farms that cannot efficiently process their own products. This project will also promote the sale of locally raised Wisconsin seafood products.

West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc., – $17,700

The West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc. will receive $17,700 to establish a regional Local Foods Buying Club network, in partnership with supportive institutions and businesses, to expand marketing of local products to both individuals and institutions. This producer-managed network will establish an efficient local supply chain for production, processing, and distribution.

To learn more about local food system development, all are encouraged to attend the fifth annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake on January 13 and 14, 2011. There will be presentations, breakout sessions, and group discussions. To register or learn more, visit http://wisconsinlocalfood.wetpaint.com/.

Under Governor Doyle’s leadership, Wisconsin has invested and promoted its diverse agricultural economy, which has now grown to approximately $59 billion annually and is responsible for more than 1 in 10 jobs in Wisconsin. Incentives to help modernize the dairy industry have helped increase milk production to record levels and have strengthened the state’s status as the number one producer of cheese in the country. In addition, Wisconsin is second in the nation in the number of organic farms. At the same time, efforts to strengthen diversity in agriculture have made Wisconsin a leading producer of cranberries, specialty cheeses, organic vegetables and many other products. To enable successful farming for future generations, the state’s best farmland is protected under the Working Lands Initiative that Governor Doyle signed into law in 2009.

Earlier this year, Governor Doyle signed into law several bills to create jobs and support investment in the state’s agricultural industries. These bills created a food processing tax credit to create investment opportunities for Wisconsin food processing and distribution businesses; extended the dairy modernization tax credits through 2012 to help hard-pressed dairy farmers invest in their operations; and created a Farm to School program to help more Wisconsin schools have easier access to locally grown fruits and vegetables.