Contact:
Rose Lynch, 608/266-6753
Madison — Governor Jim Doyle announced today that the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will receive $1,288,614 National Emergency Grant (NEG) award funds from the US Department of Labor to assist agricultural workers throughout Wisconsin.
“I am pleased that the Future Fields project will be continued,” Governor Doyle said. “Our hope is by providing these funds and job-related resources, farmers and family members at risk of losing the family farm will find work and be able to keep working and support their families.”
The grant will allow for the continuation of the very successful Future Fields project, which has assisted hundreds of farmers and farm family members find employment off the farm to supplement their income. In some cases, the additional income has allowed a family to continue operating farms that have been in the family for generations.
The funding will assist approximately 413 individuals such as self-employed farmers, eligible family members and agricultural workers who lost their jobs as a result of economic conditions in the agricultural industry within Wisconsin. Once approved for funding, farmers will receive services including remediation, job search and placement assistance, occupational skills training and supportive services to assist workers in meeting the needs of employers in the current job market.
The project will be operated statewide through the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board in Dodgeville
