(The Center Square) – A total of 30 Wisconsin projects will receive a portion of $23.2 million granted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service aimed at building up the local and regional food supply chain.
The funds come through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program are added to 41 equipment grants previously announced through the program.
The largest grants are $2.8 million for a processing facility to warehouse, clean, package and distribute organic ingredients such as specialty grains, corn and beans at Doudlah Farms Organics at Evansville in Rock County, $2.5 million for a cold storage, produce processing and food production facility in Dane County for the Community Action Coalition of South Central Wisconsin and $2.4 million to expand processing and distribution for craft cider and spirits at Superior View Farms in Bayfield.
“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,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful these investments will help strengthen our supply chains and bolster economic opportunity and resilience across our state.”
The grants include $1.7 million for specialty berry diversification at Arise Nutrition in Wood County, $1.7 million for tribal food networks for the Forest County Potawatomi Community, $1.3 million for supply chain expansion for Olden Produce in Fond du Lac, $1.2 million for grain handling and storage at Bickford Farms’ Meadowlark Organics in Iowa County and $1 million for vegetable procession, commercial kitchen and storage at Little Society Farm in Sauk County.
“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.
The other grants went to Alsum Sweet Corn in Marquette County, Brix Cider in Dane County, Cattail Organics in Marathon County, Central Rivers Farmshed in Portage County, Chippewa Valley Produce in Dunn County, Clario Farms in Door County, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Garden To Be in Dane County and the Linda and Gene Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability in Dane County.
Nasonville Dairy in Marathon County, Ohe-Laku and the Oneida Nation in Brown County, Peck and Bushel Fruit Company in Washington County, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Red Door Family Farm in Marathon County and Season Harvest in Brown County received grants.
Grants were also awarded to the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Shawano, Vitruvian Farms in Dane County, Wello in Brown County, the Wisconsin Farmers Union Service Association in Chippewa County, the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative in Waupaca and Yes We Can Kitchen’s Bushel and Peck’s in Rock County.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is proposing a requirement that the Wisconsin Legislature allow citizens to propose binding referenda to enact statutory and constitutional changes through a majority vote at the ballot box and without the Legislature’s approval.
Evers said that will include the proposal in his biennial budget. It comes after five statewide referenda questions were proposed to voters in 2024, which Evers said were put on the ballot by Republican legislators.
“The will of the people should be the law of the land,” Evers said. “Republican lawmakers have repeatedly worked to put constitutional amendments on the ballot that Republicans drafted, and Republicans passed, all while Republicans refuse to give that same power to the people of Wisconsin. And that’s wrong,”
Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said in response that the proposal should not be included in a budget proposal.
“The budget should be a budget, not a policy document. Instead of proposing a laundry list of policy items,” LeMahieu wrote. “@GovEvers should be focusing his effort on using the state surplus to address rising costs.”
Evers said that the Legislature did not listen to policies that have “broad public support” in the state and that residents do not have recourse where their thoughts are ignored by the Legislature.
Evers specifically pointed to legislation to legalize and tax marijuana, expand BadgerCare, restore Roe v. Wade abortion rules, add red flag gun laws, additional paid family medical leave and redistricting changes. He said that a majority of Wisconsin residents support those plans but the Legislature refuses to pass them.
“That has to change,” Evers said. “If Republican lawmakers are going to continue to try and legislate by constitutional amendment, then they should give the people that same power and that’s what I’ll be asking them to do in my next budget.”
Evers said that 20 other states, including Michigan, Illinois and Ohio, allow for binding citizen-led referenda.
“Ballot initiatives are what gave American farmers California’s awful Prop 12 law,” Wisconsin Farm Bureau Executive Director of Government Relations Jason Mugnaini wrote on social media. “It has destroyed family hog farms and raised costs for everyone. Consumers saw up to 40% price increases on pork in California.”