Regenerative agriculture practices grant program
The bill requires DATCP to award grants to provide cost-sharing for
conducting soil tests and other carbon sequestration analyses; updating nutrient
management software; studying the feasibility of a statewide carbon market;
assessing the market value of carbon sequestration; and, for agricultural producers,
implementing regenerative agricultural practices. DATCP may not allocate more
than $370,000 for these grants in any single fiscal year.
In conjunction with providing these grants, DATCP must also evaluate the
accuracy and efficiency of existing tools that calculate carbon credits generated by
producer-led watershed protection grant recipients; identify opportunities and
facilitate groups of agricultural producers to work together to generate carbon
credits; provide technical assistance to farmers and agricultural agencies and
professionals regarding carbon credit generation to help them choose whether to
collaborate with carbon credit project developers in the future; study the feasibility
of a statewide carbon market; and assess the market value of carbon sequestration.
Technical assistance for resource conservation
The bill creates a resource conservation technical assistance program in
DATCP for providing technical assistance to farmers related to increasing or
maintaining agricultural yields while promoting soil health, water quality, and
regenerative agricultural practices and for providing grants to local governments,

nongovernmental organizations, federally recognized American Indian tribes or
bands, businesses, and individuals.
Grants for hiring farm business consultants
The bill authorizes DATCP to provide grants to county agriculture agents of the
UW–Extension to help farm operators hire business consultants and attorneys to
examine their farm business plans and help them create farm succession plans.
Farm to School program: preference to districts with high free or
reduced-price meal eligibility
Current law requires DATCP to promote farm to school programs, which
connect schools with nearby farms to provide children with locally produced foods in
school meals. The bill requires that in awarding grants under the farm to school
program DATCP must give preference to school districts that have a high percentage
of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under federal law.
Farm to Fork grant program
The bill creates a farm to fork program, similar to the existing farm to school
program. Under the program, DATCP may provide grants to entities (other than
school districts) that have cafeterias to connect them to nearby farms to provide
locally produced foods in meals and snacks, to help the public develop healthy eating
habits, to provide nutritional and agricultural education, and to improve farmers'
incomes and direct access to markets.
Grants for meat processing facilities
The bill allows DATCP to award grants to meat processing facilities for the
purpose of promoting the growth of the meat industry in this state.
Meat processing tuition grants
The bill requires DATCP to provide grants to universities, colleges, and
technical colleges to reimburse tuition costs of students enrolled in a meat processing
program. Each tuition reimbursement covers up to 80 percent of the tuition cost for
enrolling in a meat processing program, limited to a maximum reimbursement of
$7,500.
Farmland preservation implementation grants
The bill authorizes DATCP to award grants to counties to implement a certified
county farmland preservation plan.
Grants for rural business and economic development
Current law allows DATCP to use certain funds to make loans for the
development of rural businesses or rural economic development. The bill allows
DATCP to also use these funds to provide grants for this purpose.
Grants for food waste reduction pilot projects
The bill requires DATCP to provide grants for food waste reduction pilot
projects that have an objective of preventing food waste, redirecting surplus food to
hunger relief organizations, and composting food waste. Under the bill, DATCP
must give preference to grant proposals that serve census tracts for which the
median household income is below the statewide median household income and in
which no grocery store is located.

County land conservation staff for climate change activities
Under current law, as part of the soil and water resource management program,
DATCP provides funding to counties for county conservation staffing. Current law
specifies the activities in which county conservation staff may engage with funding
provided under this program. The bill provides that this program may be used to
fund county conservation staff who focus on climate change and climate change
resiliency. The bill also creates an appropriation specifically for this purpose. A
county that seeks funding for this purpose must specifically indicate as such in its
annual grant request.
Concentrated animal feeding operations
Under current law, a person who operates a concentrated animal feeding
operation (CAFO) must have a Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(WPDES) permit from DNR. A CAFO is a livestock operation that contains at least
1,000 animal units, that discharges pollutants into a navigable water, or that
contaminates a well. Current law requires a CAFO operator with a WPDES permit
to pay an annual fee of $345 to DNR. The bill increases the amount of this annual
fee to $545. The bill also requires a CAFO operator applying for a new WPDES
permit to pay a $3,270 application fee.
Water stewardship certification
The bill creates a grant program for DATCP to provide grants to reimburse the
costs for agricultural producers to apply for a certification of water stewardship from
the Alliance for Water Stewardship. The grants must be made directly to the
producer, and may not be used to pay the costs of operational changes needed to
achieve certification.
Planning grants for establishing regional biodigesters
Under the bill, DATCP must provide planning grants for establishing regional
biodigesters in the state. Biodigesters are used to break down organic material into
gas, liquids, and solids.