Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative proudly asserts that they are "Passionate About Food".
They are a farmer-led cooperative owned by the producers of the Wisconsin Farmer's Union. They hail themselves as an "exciting new business opportunity" for local farmers because of their unique, private-public partnership, initiated by local farmers in Dane Country, Wisconsin. WFHC is a farmer-led cooperative who believe in the potential of collective collaboration and the sharing of sustainable, natural and organic farming practices.
Their mission is to create a community-based business model that not only best serves local farmers and ranchers — but ultimately assures that the members of their cooperative benefit from the collective efforts of all of the members of the Wisconsin Farmer's Union.
Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative' s strategy is to create new and prosperous business opportunities for Wisconsin's local, family-owned and operated farms and ranches. Working together, they believe that they can not only provide the freshest meats, dairy products, and vegetables to local retail and restaurant consumers, but they can also offer fair and sustainable business models to the members of their cooperative. Additionally, they believe that, together, they can share collaborative, sustainable farming methods and technologies for their members, while simultaneously promoting Wisconsin food brands.
With this collaborative strategy, members can utilize Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative's extensive distribution network — to easily sell their farm-to-table, fresh products — while focusing on what they do best… farming and ranching.
Becoming a member of the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, allows local farmers and ranchers to assure the highest quality food products while maintaining access to fair and equitable prices in the local markets. Additionally, it allows its members to build enduring connections and long-term personal relationships with the consumers who share their values and commitment to sustainability, environmental farming and ranching practices that not only benefit consumers but the community as a whole. In short, those who share a common philosophy that farming and ranching can be accomplished in a natural, wholesome way that produces the highest quality products while producing a minimal carbon footprint on the environment. Its all about caring for our land, our people and our communities — making sure that Wisconsin will be a leader in sustainable farming and ranching for generations to come.
The Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative is also about sharing the stories of the hard-working, dedicated family-owned businesses that share a common goal of teaching the public that farming and ranching can be done in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly manner. It's about producing the best possible meat products, dairy products and the freshest fruits and vegetables — while treating our natural environment with the highest possible respect. It's also about training future farmers and ranchers that farming and ranching businesses in Wisconsin can set an example for the nation as a leader in caring for our precious planet.
The Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative evolved out of a unique, private-public partnership in Dane County. It began with a feasibility study in late 2010, that was originally funded by a partnership between a federal grant by HUD's Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Committee through the Capital Area Regional Plan Commission. A truly community-government effort to study sustainable, environmentally friendly agriculture practices with the cooperation of a wide range of stakeholders and businesses in the Southern Wisconsin farming belt.
This collective government and community funded effort between HUD and Dane County resulted in a collaboration between owner-operated farms and ranches, and the Wisconsin Farmer's Union, known by the acronym "WFU". It was a true group effort to determine how to best support family-owned and operated farms while promoting Wisconsin food brands. To date, it has been a resounding success.
The cooperative was officially incorporated in late summer of 2012 and provided the necessary resources and information - including a vast distribution and promotional network — to allow family farms and ranches to focus on what they do best — to grow and produce the best foods that Wisconsin had to offer.
In addition to the grant by HUD and the support of the leaders of Dane County, the Wisconsin Food Hub Collective's feasibility study and early business planning were also received additional grant funding from the beautiful capital city of Wisconsin, Madison. Additional funding, support, and cooperation were provided by Madison Gas & Electric.
Additional credit and support were given by "Forward Community Investment", the USDA Rural Development Office's Development team and the UW (University of Wisconsin) Center for Cooperatives.
Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative is an inspirational model of how businesses, government, private enterprise and educational institutions can work collectively to not only stimulate the local economy, but also how cooperation between the federal government, private investors, and local, family-owned businesses can create new and sustainable ways of doing business. A business model in which all parties benefit — including providing the best possible products and services to the community.
If you are a farmer or rancher in Wisconsin, you may contact the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative by calling Ron Balsimo, at 608-444-1835. You may also email them at: sales@wifoodhub.coop
For questions regarding the WFHC; please contact their General Manager, Tara Roberts-Turner, by calling: 715-513-9435.
If you are interested in ordering directly from the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, you can browse their online catalog by clicking on the following link:
http://www.wifoodhub.com/buyfromwifoodhub/
Finally, Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative offers a hand-selected group of "Value-Added Producers", including: Renaissance Farms; Four Elements; Mandy Moods Foods; Gail Ambrosius; Alsum's Sweet Corn; Adams Sugar Bush and Slide Food Cart.
Sauk-Prairie Grill is proud to support the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative and we encourage you to visit their website and see how you can get involved in creating a brighter, more prosperous future for all of those who are proud to call Wisconsin their home.
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