Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Waupaca, has been awarded a $250,000 (US$250,000) grant to increase the supply of minimally processed vegetables to schools and childcare centres across the state.
According to USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director Andrew C. Iverson, the funding will provide working capital to supply fresh broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and radishes in grab-and-go formats.
The selected vegetables will be available year-round through cooperative members and processed by Olden Produce LLC in Ripon. Carrots, kohlrabi, and radishes will be cut into matchsticks, while broccoli and cauliflower will be processed into florets.
Olden Produce, a fourth-generation farm, produces vegetables including squash, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and mixed greens. The farm operates across 12 hectares of field production and 1,394 square metres of high tunnel production.
The Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative is a farmer-led organisation formed through a private-public partnership initiated by Dane County. The cooperative supports local producers by facilitating access to retail, institutional, and foodservice markets through aggregation, logistics, and sales.
More than 20 farmers across Wisconsin are members of the cooperative, producing a range of vegetables and fruit. Member farms include operations specialising in vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and mixed greens, alongside fruit production including apples, strawberries, and blueberries.
The initiative is intended to expand distribution channels for locally grown vegetables while supporting supply to institutional buyers.
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Source: Wisconsin State Farmer
