News

Wisconsin grazing grants

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has announced $344,980 in Grazing Lands and Conservation Initiative (GLCI) grants to fund nine projects across the state:

• 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.

Doyle says the grants strengthen Wisconsin’s $59 billion farm economy. “The GLCI grants protect the land and water of the state through education, technical planning assistance, and research for dairy and livestock farmers.”