Crates of fresh produce from SLO Farmers Co-op, February 23, 2022. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Three Northeast Wisconsin agriculture projects are getting grants to strengthening local food supply chains.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) are awarding $23.2 million for 30 projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI).
Among those 30 projects are: Seasonal Harvest in De Pere, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Bowler and the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative in Waupaca.
“Wisconsin’s farmers, producers, and our agricultural industries are a critical part of our state’s economic success and help make sure we’re getting food to tables, grocery stores, restaurants across our country and the world over,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “I’m incredibly grateful these investments will help strengthen our supply chains and bolster economic opportunity and resilience across our state.”
Click here to see a full list of projects.
“These Infrastructure Projects being funded through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program will build strength and resilience in Wisconsin’s food system, diversify agricultural markets, create new revenue streams for small and mid-sized producers, and provide economic opportunities for local communities,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is grateful for Wisconsin’s support strengthening local and regional agricultural supply chains.”
Seasonal Harvest says it will use the grant to strengthen its food aggregation hub by upgrading inventory management software, purchasing their first two delivery vehicles, and constructing a shared wash/pack facility. These upgrades will alleviate some of the logistical challenges of aggregating product from an increasing number of very small farms, some of which have no access to potable water or clean packing space. As a result of this grant, Seasonal Harvest will be able to procure from additional underserved farms to serve their growing community of customers, including the Green Bay Packers.
The Stockbridge-Munsee Community will use the money to construct a facility to process and store food such as Lenape beans, Mohican corn, and Indigenous squash grown on their Tribal farm as part of their strategic plan to protect and promote local food and community self-governance. This project is part of a set of proposals coordinated by the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition (GLIFC) designed to form a statewide network of mid-supply-chain infrastructure-supporting economic opportunities for underserved producers across the state.
Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative says it will build out its existing warehouse and trucking fleet, optimizing distribution routes to collaborate with and link together sub-hub, or smaller on-farm, and Tribal aggregation initiatives across the state. This improvement will benefit an estimated 250 local and regional producers. The improved aggregation infrastructure will be used to focus distribution efforts to distressed communities, schools, and early childhood education programs, and smaller-scale grocery and food service buyers.
The 30 grants announced Thursday and the previously announced 41 equipment grants total 71 projects in Wisconsin funded through RFSI.
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