VISIT US AT THE
WORLD DAIRY EXPO OCTOBER 4-7•BOOTH MC 33
DAIRY ST R
USDA announces historical investment in agriculture
September 24, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 24, No. 15
Fresh, local, delicious
Milk dispensary provides better product for Eden Valley-Watkins Projects to receive High School $2.8B for climatesmart production practices By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
ARKANSAW, Wis. – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced details of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program Sept. 14. The program is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the rst pool of funding. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for American agriculture to not only improve the bottom line but to improve conditions on the planet,” Vilsack said. “(We want to be) in a position where internationally we can say to the rest of the world, ‘Follow us. We’re leading.’” Vilsack was joined by representatives from Organic Valley, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and The DeLong Co. Inc., who are participating in the program, at a press conference Sept. 15 at the Anibas family farm near Arkansaw. The purpose of the program is to fund pilot projects that will create market opportunities for American commodities produced using climate-smart production practices. The program comes in response to the challenges facing producers today and a growing demand for sustainably produced products from the export market. Recipients of the program were selected from more than 1,000 applications from food companies. Originally, $1 billion was allocated from the Commodity Credit Corporation to the project. After receiving so many applications, however, additional funding was set aside for the program. “Basically, we have a $3.5 billion initiative,” Vilsack said. “What we are announcing is 70 projects in the larger grant pool,
Turn to VILSACK | Page 7
By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
EDEN VALLEY, Minn. – The rst day of school can bring excitement for many students and dread for others, but the school year at Eden Valley-Watkins High School in Eden Valley began with a popular change for most students. Gone were the familiar half-pint cartons of milk that have been placed on student trays since the 1940s and in was a new dairy dispenser, delivering cold, fresh milk into glasses. “The rst day I asked a
Waupun State Farm, dairy processing plant offer opportunity to prisoners
JAN LEFEBVRE/DAIRY STAR
Ryan Wirz and Cody Kipf grab a glass of milk from their school’s new dispenser Sept. 9 at Eden Valley-Watkins High School in Eden Valley, Minnesota. The dispenser has been a hit with students. few kids if they wanted some food service manager at the and said, ‘Yeah!’” milk, and they didn’t really Eden Valley-Watkins School The milk dispensary was react,” said Jessica Heying, District. “Then I said, ‘It’s fresh,’ and they were all excited Turn to EVW MILK | Page 6
Outside the fence
By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
WAUPUN, Wis. – From the road, it looks like any other farm. White barns and buildings sit wide open to the world at the end of a long, tree-lined drive. There is nothing to indicate that much of the labor on this farm near Waupun is supplied by men in state custody. Waupun State Farm is part of the Bureau of Correctional Enterprises. The 360-cow, 1,700-acre dairy farm employs prisoners from the John C. Burke Correctional Center – a minimum security facility in the city of Waupun. There are no wire fences here. The prisoners get a taste
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Wes Ray, director of the Bureau of CorrecƟonal Enterprises, (leŌ) and Jason Hensel, supervisor of Waupun State Farm, led a tour Sept. 8 at the Waupun State Farm located near Waupun, Wisconsin. The 360-cow, 1,700-acre dairy farm employs prisoners from the John C. Burke CorrecƟonal Center.
of freedom when they work on the farm. “Most of the men working here are toward the end
of their sentence,” said Jason Hensel, farm supervisor. “This is a chance for them to prove themselves.”
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Randy Romanski and Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr toured farm and dairy Sept. 8. BCE director Wes Ray led the tour. “From growing crops to maintaining livestock to producing milk, we’re doing a tremendous job with helping people change their lives and gain meaningful employment when they leave our care,” Ray said. Forty men from the center work on the farm – 28 on day shift and 12 on night shift. This work release program is designed to help reformed prisoners successfully transition back into their community one day. Craig, from Washington County, has been working on the farm for four months. He started out scraping manure and moving cows and is now a milker. He starts his shift at 4 Turn to WAUPUN | Page 8