Production and Marketing Materials

Welcome to the Wisconsin Food Locator Website Production and Marketing Materials Page

The page has materials developed by UW-Extension to aid in marketing your products; as well as, several publications and links to information on production and marketing from UW-Extension and other state and federal agencies.  Use the links listed below to help navigate this page.

For more information on production and/or business development contact your local University of Wisconsin Extension Office.

 

Marketing Materials

Materials listed below were developed to aid farmers in marketing their products on the Wisconsin Local Food Locator website.

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Food Safety and Licensing Fact Sheets and Links

Selling Home‐Canned Foods: Do It Safe, Do It Legal (PDF, 1 pg, 136 KB)

To process most foods in Wisconsin for sale, you must be licensed. This requirement provides assurance to you and your customers that the food that you process is safe and wholesome. A law passed in 2009, Wisconsin Act 101 (the Pickle Bill), allows you to sell some home-canned foods without a license under certain circumstances.  This fact sheet is from the University of Wisconsin Food Safety & Health program.  For more information on selling acidified canned food visit the UW Food Safety & Health Small-Scale Production of Acidified Canned Food website.

Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Food and Product Licensing Links

For more information on licensing requirements see the UW Food Safety & Health Wisconsin Food Safety Regulations Fact Sheet. (PDF, 2 pages, 103 KB)

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University of Wisconsin – Extension Production and Marketing Publications and Links

Publications listed below are available free of charge unless specified.  More publications are available for download or purchase from the University of Wisconsin – Extension Learning Store.

Wisconsin Food Processing Guide, UW-Extension Publication, N4094 (PDF, 120 pages, 2,713 KB)

The Wisconsin Food Processing Guide presents a comprehensive array of topics that must be considered by the food entrepreneur. It provides a point of reference and reflection for those starting up, scaling up, or even those who are just dreaming.

On-Farm Cold Storage of Fall-Harvested Fruit and Vegetable Crops: Planning, Design and Operation, UW-Extension Publication A4105,   (Spiral Bound Book available for purchase from the UW-Extension Learning Store.  It is also available in an electronic file (PDF) that is available immediately upon purchase.)

Using proper storage methods, crops harvested in the fall can be stored in bins or bulk piles for 2–12 months depending on the crop. This guide helps growers plan, design, specify equipment, and operate a cold storage facility tailored to their specific requirements. (84 pages)

Direct Marketing Meat, UW-Extension & Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), UW-Extension Publication A3809 (PDF, 188 pages, 4.74 MB)

This detailed book is built around information presented at meat marketing workshops and is intended to support producers who direct market beef, pork, lamb, and poultry as well as less traditional meats from bison, ostrich, and other alternative species.  See DATCP’s Meat Safety Inspection Program site for detailed information on selling meat products in Wisconsin.

UW-Extension Emerging Agricultural Markets Publications

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Other Resources

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Farm Center – The Wisconsin Farm Center provides information and support to farmers and their families in order to help grow Wisconsin’s agricultural economy. The Center partners with industry groups, government and educational entities, and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

USDA New Farmer Program – USDA launched a updated website to provide even more information to help new and beginning farmers. The site features advice and guidance on everything a new farm business owner needs to know, from writing a business plan, to obtaining a loan to grow their business, to filing taxes as a new small business owner. By answering a series of questions about their operation, farmers can use the site’s Discovery Tool to build a personalized set of recommendations of USDA programs and services that may meet their needs.  Find your local USDA Service Center.

Wisconsin Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education (SARE) Program – Since 1988, the SARE program has been the go-to USDA grants and outreach program for farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators who want to develop innovations that improve farm profitability, protect water and land, and revitalize communities. To date, SARE has awarded $6.8 million funding 216 grant projects in Wisconsin.

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