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Project receives grant

State promotes Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin

Living the Waupaca Way is among the latest recipients of Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

The coalition plans to use the grant to expand the access and reach of the Waupaca Farmers Market.

Living the Waupaca Way also supports the Farm to Table Dinner, Farm to School and working with organizers of local events to help them provide healthier menu options.

Its mission is to coordinate and empower community groups to enhance overall health through good nutrition and physical activity.

A top focus of the group is to expand the farmers market by increasing the number of vendors at it and adding activities.

Living the Waupaca Way is the result of a merger between the Waupaca County Nutrition and Activity Coalition and Waupaca Community Health Action Team’s healthy living work group.

Due to their common goals for the community, members of the two groups began meeting in 2016 and decided to join efforts under a new name: Living the Waupaca Way.
Five other projects in the state also received grants.

The grants are intended to provide consumers with access to more Wisconsin-grown food products.

The department received 25 funding requests totaling about $980,000.

Six projects totaling $200,000 were selected to receive grants.

“Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants support the diverse sectors of Wisconsin agriculture, and outcomes generated by the grant recipients provide benefits to local communities and serve as models for others in the local food industry,” said Kietra Olson, the department’s Wisconsin Foods Program manager. “The grants help reduce marketing, distribution and processing hurdles that impede the expansion of sales of Wisconsin food products to local purchasers.”

The program has been funded since 2008.

Since its inception, the program has funded 58 projects, totaling more than $1.6 million.

Previous grant recipients have generated almost $10 million in new local food sales, created and retained 211 jobs and benefited more than 2,700 producers and 2,900 markets.

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