The Sun Prairie-based Compeer Financial has awarded another 32 groups with General Use Grants to help fund initiatives that aim to enrich agriculture and the rural economy. It's part of the cooperative's Fund for Rural America giving program, in which over $850,000 have been dispersed throughout three states.
"The effects of COVID-19 and food insecurity are prevalent and continue to impact rural communities," said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer. "Many groups continue to find ways to support rural communities and enrich agriculture in their communities. We saw many applicants continue to find new and innovative ways to assist those impacted by the pandemic and food insecurity."
The following organizations from Wisconsin were among the grant recipients:
** Dodge County Farmer for Healthy Soil- Healthy Water: creating and editing informational videos of conservation and regenerative agricultural practices
** Fondy Food Pantry: acquisition of a global industries pallet jack with scale
** Indianhead Community Action Agency, Inc.: purchasing a refrigerated truck
** Lancaster Food Pantry: a refrigerator for milk
** Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service: educational events for the From Bootless to In Her Boots program
** New Richmond High School: hutches, water totes and heaters, feeder, gravity box with cover, garden weed barrier, fence posts and fencing, classroom set of bee jackets and gloves and classroom honey harvesting equipment for SOAR Educational Center
** Operation HELP: farmers market and food harvest vouchers
** REAP Food Group: upgrading the FarmFreshAtlas.org web-based platform
** ROOTED WI INC: improving greenhouse facilities, compost spreading equipment and irrigation hardware
** Savanna Institute: experiential and technical education, and diversity and inclusion training for Agroforestry Apprenticeship Program
Categories: Wisconsin, Business