USDA Invests $12.8 Million to Strengthen Wisconsin Farms and Businesses, Increase Competition and Lower Costs

STEVENS POINT, Wisc., Dec. 18, 2024 — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Wisconsin State Director Julie Lassa today announced that USDA is awarding a grant of $12,864,200 through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP) to help expand innovative fertilizer production in Wisconsin.

This Rural Development grant will be used by Generate MVR WWT Holdings, LLC to expand equipment at their on-farm liquid manure processing facilities in Fair Oaks, Indiana and Casco, Wisconsin (Kewaunee County). At the facilities, liquid manure is processed into organic dry fertilizer and liquid ammonium. The project will help increase annual product to 67,300 tons of dry fertilizer and 8.2 million gallons of liquid ammonium. The two facilities are anticipated to provide fertilizer to over 28,120 acres annually.

“Investing in projects to increase domestic fertilizer production helps lower costs for Wisconsin farmers and businesses by promoting more competition in addition to creating jobs here at home,” said Lassa. “These grants create a more competitive, resilient, and sustainable economy and are among the many ways the USDA is investing in the agricultural supply chain, supporting farmer income, and lowering costs for families.”

Today’s announcement is part of a national announcement today that USDA will provide $116 million through the FPEP to help eight facilities expand innovative fertilizer production in California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

FPEP is funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation and provides funding to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more.

Through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, USDA has invested $517 million in 76 fertilizer production facilities to expand access to domestic fertilizer options for American farmers in 34 states and Puerto Rico. These investments will increase U.S. fertilizer production by 11.8 million tons annually and create more than 1,300 jobs in rural communities.

President Biden and USDA created FPEP to combat issues facing American farmers due to rising fertilizer prices, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 due to a variety of factors such as war in Ukraine and a lack of competition in the fertilizer industry.

The Administration committed up to $900 million through the Commodity Credit Corporation for FPEP. Funding supports long-term investments that will strengthen supply chains, create new economic opportunities for American businesses and support climate-smart innovation.

Investments in this program also have advanced the President’s Investing in America agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and bottom up and to promote fair and competitive markets for American farmers and ranchers.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and healthcare; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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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.