Source: WEDC

To help ethnic minority-owned micro-businesses cope with the economic impact of COVID-19, the Ethnic Minority Emergency Grant Initiative is being launched with a total of $2 million to be made available to 1,000 Wisconsin micro-businesses.

A business may apply for a one-time grant of $2,000 for short-term operations assistance through Wisconsin’s Collective Ethnic and Diverse Organizations. Applicants will be subject to underwriting, and grant recipients will be required to submit a report indicating how the funds were used. Applications will be accepted from May 18-24, 2020.

Eligible applicants are minority-owned businesses with five or fewer full-time equivalent employees (including the owner) in the retail, service or hospitality sectors that have not received assistance through WEDC’s Small Business 20/20 Program or the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through the federal CARES Act.

For frequently asked questions, view the program overview.

Before you get started, please have the following documents ready:

• 2018 or 2019 federal tax return (If you started your business in 2020, you are not eligible for this grant)
• W-9 form, found at www.irs.gov – please be sure the W9 is signed before submission
• Proof of being in business as of Feb. 29, 2020. Some examples of documentation include:
• Profit and loss (P&L) statement for the month of February 2020; or
• Payroll records for February 2020; or
• Sales tax log for the month of February 2020

 

The organizations, with support from UW-Oshkosh, are distributing the survey to businesses in their communities through Saturday, May 16, 2020.

The Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) continues its partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC),Wisconsin’s eight other regional economic development organizations (EDOs) and UW-Oshkosh to create and distribute a data collection tool to businesses in the Region who are experiencing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second observation period of a statewide survey, measuring the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wisconsin businesses, is underway. The survey is open – for both past participants and new participants – until May 16.

Those businesses who took part in the initial observation period should go to http://uwo.sh/covid-19-econ-may to share their current situation. Interested businesses who previously did not participate are encouraged to do so at http://uwosh.edu/ccrs/covid-19-survey .

According to MadREP President Paul Jadin, the results of the survey will inform the state and federal response to pandemic. “Participation by all types of Wisconsin businesses is vital to ensuring our future efforts offer the most appropriate support. The surveys have also been translated to engage our state’s Spanish-speaking and Hmong populations.”

Survey results from businesses responding to the initial sampling period (April 1-10, 2020) showed that 8,795 jobs were lost and that 35 percent of Wisconsin businesses said they may be forced to close if current conditions persisted for more than three months. The findings were based upon responses from 2,538 businesses statewide. The results are available at https://uwosh.edu/ccrs/covid-19-survey/ .

Nine local food projects have been selected to receive grants through the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) program, a competitive grant program designed to strengthen Wisconsin’s food industries by helping farms and businesses more efficiently process, market and distribute locally grown food products.

Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), the 2020 BLBW grants will provide consumers access to even more Wisconsin-grown food products, including organic vegetables, hops varieties, hazelnut products, and locally grown grain, and other value-added products.

“DATCP is pleased to provide support for these innovative local food projects,” said Kara Kasten-Olson, agriculture program supervisor for DATCP’s Division of Agricultural Development (DAD). “The grants are intended to 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.”

DATCP received 33 funding requests totaling about $1.16 million. Ultimately, nine projects totaling $300,000 were selected to receive FY2020 grants.

The 2020 grantees are:

• Hulings Rice Food Center (Ashland) – Develop three value-added hazelnut products (spreadable nut butter, milk beverage, vegan cookie dough), and develop manufacturing protocols, branding and packaging recommendations, product reports and marketing plans with Northland College students.|
• Cattail Organics. LLC (Athens) – Scale up organic product line using an integrated approach of branding and integration of marketing outlets/materials; and creation of best practices in food safety and efficient packing. Project provides a roadmap for market development for small-acreage vegetable farms.
• Menomonie Market Food Coop (Menomonie) – Grant funds will facilitate purchase of equipment, and increase capacity to process, preserve and store food, allowing the co-op to purchase unsold produce and consigned crops grown by local producers and expand its offering of deli and frozen grocery items.
• Meadowlark Community Mill (Ridgeway) – Purchase grain from area farmers and create organic stone ground flour and other value-added products for bread, pastry and other culinary applications to sell regionally to bakers, chefs, retail outlets and consumers.
• Keene Garlic, LLC (Sun Prairie) – Increase Wisconsin garlic sales by creating a value-added garlic food line from garlic “seconds” to provide convenience processed garlic products, and implement strategic marketing plan.
• Central Rivers Farmshed (Stevens Point) – Central Rivers, three Community Supported Agriculture farms and the University of Wisconsin Food Finance Institute will test new strategies and develop an expanded business plan for frozen assets that benchmark financial targets and opportunities for food processing partners and investors.
• Stevens Point Area Cooperative (Stevens Point) – Project will allow the co-op to lease space in an off-site warehouse, thereby increasing access to Wisconsin food products location and scale up a distribution network for small business & retailers.
• Salchert Market, Inc. (St. Cloud) – Funds will be used to establish an effective brand and brand strategy and an operational food safety program, developing a sales model to be shared with other meat processors or meat markets.
• Wisconsin Hop Exchange Cooperative (Waterloo) – Project involves launching a major new marketing initiative to increase sales of sustainably-grown, Wisconsin-branded, quality-certified hop varieties.

Since its inception in 2008, the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program has funded 76 projects, totaling $1.925 million. Previous grant recipients have generated more than $10 million in new local food sales, created and retained more than 220 jobs, and benefitted more than 2,800 producers and nearly 3,000 markets.

Due to the significant impact and growing interest in the program, Governor Evers’ biennial budget provided an additional $100,000 per year for the program, increasing total available grant funds to $300,000. Learn more about the program here.

As large meat processing factories across the Midwest work to reopen, smaller operations in Wisconsin are working to meet the growing need.

Dan Ryan is the COO of Neesvig’s, which has a small processing facility based in Windsor. He said the business is based on connecting with local farmers to supply local retailers and restaurants.

When farmers couldn’t sell to their usual markets, Ryan said he wanted to find a way to help.

“Farmers right now as I’ve been told are really wrestling with issues where they’re contemplating the need to euthanize significant amounts of the hogs that are part of their farm,” he said.

Through a partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Ryan was able to offer a solution. Another locally-owned processor People’s Meat Market of Steven’s Point would take care of the first step, serving as a slaughterhouse for Wisconsin hog farmers.

“They’re doing maybe 20 to 25 times what they would normally be doing,” Ryan said.

From there Neesvig’s takes over to turn that meat into the cuts you’d find at the grocery store.

“We go out there and kind of redistribute and sometimes manufacture and redistribute product to restaurants, retailers and everyone else,” Ryan said.

That process ensures Wisconsin-produced meat won’t go to waste and will make it to grocery store shelves. From there grocers like Tim Metcalfe said shoppers need to do their part.

“Don’t take more than what you need because that’s going to create problems for the system,” he said.

The Metcalfe’s owner and president said as of Friday, there’s enough meat in Madison stores for everyone who wants it, but shoppers may not see their usual brands.

“We’ll always have chicken. We’ll always have pork. We’ll always have beef,” he said.

Metcalfe said shoppers should only buy what they need for one to two weeks. He said panic buying won’t help anyone.

As for the cost to consumers, he said some prices have gone up slightly due to price increases from suppliers, but he expects prices to stabilize in a few weeks as processors reopen.

https://wkow.com/amp/small-wisconsin-processors-step-up-to-keep-supply-chain-running

Madison College and the Dane County Latino Chamber of Commerce (LCC) have signed an articulation agreement that will help train, support and segue future Latino business owners into the local commercial ecosystem.

“Amid these uncertain times, when many Latino-owned businesses do not qualify for COVID-19 assistance programs, strategic partnerships like this serve as avenues of hope for the most disenfranchised segments of our community,” said Jessica Cavazos, president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, more than 60 people a year graduate from the LCC’s “Tu Empresa” entrepreneurial training program – a number it hopes to increase through its partnership with Madison College.

“It demonstrates that through engaging the local community in strategic collaboration, the promises of today inspire a hope that will beckon a more inclusive and prosperous tomorrow for the communities we serve,” said Dr. Jack Daniels, president of Madison College.

The new agreement is expected to increase the diversity of Madison College’s educational pipeline, as well as its long-term regional economic imperative.