Madison (News Release) - Governor Jim Doyle today announced $344,980 in Grazing Lands and Conservation Initiative (GLCI) grants to fund 9 projects across the state. The GLCI grants protect the land and water of the state through education, technical planning assistance, and research for dairy and livestock farmers.
"Grazing takes agriculture back to its roots, and it's a practice that is strengthening our state's $59 billion farm economy," Governor Doyle said. "Grazing not only helps to protect our state's land and water, it produces good, healthy, happy cows, and it's cost effective for farmers. Through the success of this program, almost half of all of new dairy farmers in Wisconsin are using grazing."
Grazing moves animals to a fresh pasture on a regular basis while resting unused pastures so the plants can regrow before being grazed again. Beginning farmers are more likely to use a managed grazing system to get started in agriculture because it doesn't require a huge capital investment in buildings and machinery.
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.
2011 GLCI grants were awarded to the following projects:
Glacierland Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. – Green Bay
$33,000 technical assistance grant to assist a wide array of farm families in developing grazing plans and grazing plan revisions in Northeastern Wisconsin.
Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. – Stevens Point
$61,309 technical assistance grant for veteran and beginning graziers in nine Central Wisconsin counties.
River Country Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. -- Altoona
$80,000 technical assistance for farmers in the counties of St. Croix, Pierce, Dunn, and Pepin.
Columbia County Land and Water Conservation Department -- Portage
A $7,840 Technical Assistance grant to provide and make available local opportunities for technical assistance to farmers new to grazing and existing grazing operations that will include all aspects of managed grazing planning.
GrassWorks, Inc. -- Cadott
$29,875 education grant to provide a statewide grazing conference that will include educational workshops, informational resources, access to service agencies and product vendors as well as networking opportunities for new and experienced graziers of all livestock species.
Pri Ru Ta Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. -- Spooner
$12,760 education grant to increase the number of farmers utilizing prescribed/managed grazing, and improve both new and experienced graziers' understanding and management practices.
Waushara County UW Extension -- Wautoma
$12,760 education grant to provide pasture walks, forage demonstration plots, and educational programs on managed grazing in Juneau, Wood, Portage, Waushara, Marquette, Green Lake, and Adams Counties.
Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy & Livestock Farmers – University of Wisconsin - Madison
$57,537 education grant to help individuals get started in pasture-based dairy or livestock farming through classes on campus as well as through distance education technology at 12 off-site locations around Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin -College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
$49,899 research grant to evaluate the effectiveness and economics of farmer selected management methods for reducing losses in pasture forage quality, quantity, and utilization from Canada thistle.
