Wisconsin Receives $1 Million In Specialty Crop Grants
Governor Jim Doyle today announced over $1 million in grants to invest in the development of specialty crops to help make Wisconsin agriculture more diverse and competitive.
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Randy Romanski made the announcement today on behalf of the Governor in Wisconsin Rapids, where growers are at the height of cranberry harvest.
“Agriculture is Wisconsin’s past and our future,” Governor Doyle said. “One of Wisconsin’s greatest agricultural strengths is its diversity, and these grants will take advantage of our tremendous capacity for research and innovation to keep farmers on the competitive edge as they compete worldwide.”
The grants aim to foster research, make distribution of these crops more efficient, enhance food safety, address invasive species and pests, and promote sustainable production.
Crops being funded through the efforts include cranberries, ginseng, potatoes, grapes, honey, hazelnuts and corn.
Grants will also fund efforts to market and boost sales of specialty Wisconsin products and develop safe pesticide applications.
The funds come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture specialty crop block grant program.
In central Wisconsin today, DATCP Secretary Romanski highlighted a grant awarded to the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association to research and enhance sustainability efforts.
Wisconsin cranberry growers produce half the world’s cranberry supply.
Under Governor Doyle’s leadership, Wisconsin has invested and promoted its diverse agricultural economy, which has now grown to approximately $59 billion annually and is responsible for more than 1 in 10 jobs in Wisconsin.
Incentives to help modernize the dairy industry have helped increase milk production to record levels and have strengthened the state’s status as the number one producer of cheese in the country.
In addition, Wisconsin is second in the nation in the number of organic farms.
At the same time, efforts to strengthen diversity in agriculture have made Wisconsin a leading producer of cranberries, specialty cheeses, organic vegetables and many other products.
To enable successful farming for future generations, the state’s best farmland is protected under the Working Lands Initiative that Governor Doyle signed into law in 2009.
Earlier this year, Governor Doyle signed into law several bills to create jobs and support investment in the state’s agricultural industries.
These bills created a food processing tax credit to create investment opportunities for Wisconsin food processing and distribution businesses; extended the dairy modernization tax credits through 2012 to help hard-pressed dairy farmers invest in their operations; and created a Farm to School program to help more Wisconsin schools have easier access to locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Wisconsin organizations to receive funding are:
Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers
- $80,000 to improve processed potato quality by minimizing the negative effects of sugar end defect.
- $74,100 to assess soil fumigation and fumigation alternatives in Wisconsin potato production
- $70,000 to develop potato production systems with drip irrigation and bed configuration to improve efficiency of water and resource use
- $44,300 to develop alternative sprout management systems in potatoes
University of Wisconsin – Madison
- $49,200 to work with the cranberry industry to develop a customized sustainability standards program that reflects the uniqueness of cranberry production
- $30,000 to work with cranberry growers to develop recommendations for utilizing automated cycled irrigation systems to conserve water in cranberry production
- $28,500 to work with the cranberry industry to develop recommended practices for cranberry growers to conserve water through the use of soil moisture probes for irrigation
- $38,400 to develop new regional grape cultivars based on grape quality and cold hardiness for Wisconsin grape growers
Wisconsin Grape Growers
- $54,400 to employ a Viticulture Consultant to work with Wisconsin grape growers to overcome the barriers of producing and marketing wines made with Wisconsin grape varieties.
- $21,700 to continue the field trial of new seedless table grape cultivars in Southwest Wisconsin for fresh market production
The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin
- $68,200 to obtain registrations of alternative pesticides and fungicides to target problematic pests dramatically impacting developing ginseng crops.
Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center
- $56,000 to create and manage a virtual marketplace for Wisconsin-made cranberry products
Wisconsin Honey Producers
- $53,500 for a cost share program to defray the cost of honey purity testing for the Wisconsin Certified label program
Wisconsin Mint Board
- $52,700 to develop integrated management systems for improved mint growth
Midwest Food Processors
- $36,500 to conduct field studies to evaluate nitrate leaching in sweet corn production
The Commercial flower Growers of Wisconsin
- $21,000 to test two new low-risk fungicides for combating two common diseases that can decimate the 3 top cut flower crops in the state
A consortium of WI grower and producer groups
- $20,000 to facilitate effective communication between the specialty crop grower, pesticide applicator and stewards of surrounding at risk habitat through the Driftwatch.org Pesticide Sensitive Crop Registry.
Bayfield County UW-Extension
- $20,000 to develop greater hazelnut processing capacity
Wisconsin Nursery Growers
$14,700 to conduct a survey about potentially invasive species
Midwest Pickle Association
- $7700 to determine a definitive recommendation for calcium application to be applied to pickling cucumbers to produce the highest quality green and brine product
Wisconsin Apple Growers Association, UW Extension, and DATCP’s Agriculture Development Division
- $23,900 to continue to develop SavorWisconsin.com as a free online marketing tool to facilitate the connection of Wisconsin producers to consumers hungry for local goods, boosting overall sales of Wisconsin’s specialty crops
DATCP will also conduct projects and programs to enhance specialty crop industries
DATCP Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Service
- $53,000 for continuation of a cost-share program for producers to increase the affordability of GAP / GHP audits for independent third-party certification that fruits and vegetables are grown, harvested, and packaged using safe practices
DATCP Farm Center
- $32,000 to offer workshops on pest and disease management and food safety to underserved fresh market growers
Topics: 2010, Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crop Block Grant, agriculture, business, cheese, corn, cranberries, cranberry, DATCP, Department of Agriculture, economic development, economic growth, Economy, education, employment, Farm to School program, farmers, farms, food safety, ginseng, Governor Jim Doyle, grapes, hazelnuts, honey, incentives, investment, jobs, moniter, monitor, news, nursery crops, organic vegetables, potatoes, society, specialty cheeses, Specialty Crop Grants, Trade and Consumer Protection, U.S., United States, USDA, vegetables, Wisconsin
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