USDA and Wisconsin Award $23.2 Million to Projects that Strengthen Food Supply Chain Infrastructure

MADISON, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to award $23.2 million for 30 projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). The 30 Infrastructure Grants being announced today and the previously announced 41 Equipment Grants total 71 projects in Wisconsin funded through RFSI to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain while strengthening local and regional food systems.

“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.”

“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, and 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.”

Examples of funded Infrastructure Grant projects follow (access the full grantee list):

• Doudlah Farms Organics, a farmer-owned processing enterprise in Evansville, Wisconsin, will increase Wisconsin’s capacity to warehouse, clean, package, and distribute organic ingredients such as specialty grains, corn, and beans. Their RFSI-funded 20,000-foot processing facility will benefit an estimated 550 local and regional agricultural producers by reducing barriers to market entry; improving aggregation and distribution capacity for organic, value-added products through new sales channels; and increasing consumer choices for Wisconsin-sourced products.
• Nasonville Dairy operates a cheese plant in Marshfield, Wisconsin, that currently processes 510 million pounds of milk per year from 171 central Wisconsin farms. Their new cold milk separator system funded by the RFSI Infrastructure Grant will allow them to process an estimated 25 million more pounds of milk each year into five new value-added products including sweet cream.
• Red Door Family Farm in Athens, Wisconsin, will construct a packing shed and cold storage facility to package and store their organically grown vegetables as well as those of 20 other farms. The purchase of a refrigerated truck will allow Red Door to transport produce from partner farms and distribute it to local and regional wholesalers, retailers, and food access organizations such as Feeding America and Marathon County Hunger Coalition.
• Seasonal Harvest in De Pere, Wisconsin, will strength 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 in Bowler, Wisconsin, will 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 in Waupaca, Wisconsin, 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.

This awarded funding is part of the $420 million available through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant program to build capacity within the middle of the supply chain and support local and regional producers. It is funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Through this program, AMS has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies, commissions, or departments responsible for agriculture, commercial food processing, seafood, or food system and distribution activities or commerce activities in states or U.S. territories.

For more information, visit the AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure webpage https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/rfsi/rfsi-rfa-status. The status of each state and territory’s RFSI program is available on USDA’s State Grant webpage https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/rfsi/rfsi-rfa-status.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.