Twelve local food projects across Wisconsin have been selected to receive grants through the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program.
Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, BLBW is a competitive grant program designed to strengthen Wisconsin's agriculture and food industries by helping farms and businesses more efficiently process, market, and distribute locally grown food products.
Grants provide consumers with access to more Wisconsin-grown food products, including organic vegetables, hops varieties, hazelnut products, locally grown grain, and other value-added products.
"We are pleased to offer these grant opportunities, which support the diverse sectors of Wisconsin agriculture and help Wisconsin communities gain access to more local foods," said State Agriculture Secretary Randy Romanski. "The grants help reduce marketing, distribution, and processing hurdles that impede the expansion of sales of Wisconsin food products to local purchasers."
The grant recipients are: Blue Moon Community Farm, Stoughton; Crimson Kitchen and Gardens, Watertown; Downtown West Bend Association, West Bend; Gander Family Farms, Beloit; Kenosha Common Markets, Kenosha; Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau, Manitowoc; Siren Shrub Company, Stevens Point; Telsaan Tea, Mount Horeb; Turners Fresh Market, Waupaca; Branches and Berries, Wauzeka; Verona Area Chamber of Commerce, Verona; and Washington Hotel & Studio, Washington Island.
Since its inception in 2008, the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program has funded 90 projects, totaling $2.6 million.
Categories: Wisconsin, Business