• West Central

Green Lake, Marquette, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara Counties

GENEX forms joint partnership with Australian firm

GENEX, a Shawano-based cooperative that provides genetic, breeding and herd monitoring services, has formed a joint venture with Genetics Australia based in Camperdown, Victoria.

While URUS, the parent company of GENEX, is the majority shareholder of the new joint venture, GENEX will serve as the operating partner.

Genetics Australia will gain access to a wide range of innovative products and services from GENEX, including genetics derived through the PEAK Genetics breeding program. The joint venture grants access to Genetics Australia’s diverse grazing genetics and local Australian semen production capabilities, along with the opportunity to expand its global footprint.

“This joint venture is a testament to our commitment to drive innovation and deliver top-notch genetic solutions to our members and customers,” said Huub te Plate, CEO of GENEX. “Genetics Australia shares our passion for excellence, and we are excited to combine our expertise and resources to shape the future of the cattle genetics and reproductive services industry. Since GENEX and Genetics Australia are both cooperatives with a deep history and passion for our members and customers, this joint venture makes perfect sense.”

Echoing the sentiment, Genetics Australia CEO Anthony Shelly said: “We are thrilled to join forces with URUS and become an operational partner with GENEX, a global leader in the industry.”

Boys & Girls Club of Tri-County Area plans expansion

The Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area is planning an expansion with a new facility in Ripon.

Serving Green Lake, Waushara and surrounding communities, the organization launched a campaign last year to raise $10 million. The 30,000-square-foot, two-story complex will include four early childhood classrooms, extensive youth program areas, a gymnasium, a performing arts studio and a skilled trades center for teens.

Two recent donations include $150,000 from the Foundation for Ripon Community and $100,000 from Walsworth, a printing company with a plant in Ripon.

The Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area, which has been operating since 1997, currently has sites in Berlin and Green Lake.

“We’ve seen firsthand how much pride Ripon takes in its community and those that reside there,” said CEO Jason Presto. “By bringing a club to Ripon, the community is not only impacting youth who live here now, but they are impacting generations to come. They are changing the trajectory of so many youths’ lives, and we are excited to be part of that journey as we work together to create great futures.”

• The Northwoods

Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties

Mine site designated as ‘culturally significant’

A section of the Menominee River known as Anaem Omot (Dog’s Belly) was approved as a culturally significant site by the U.S. National Park Service.

The request came from the Menominee Indian Tribe and includes land where a planned gold mine development has drawn objections.

The application for the designation states that the land contains dance rings, burial mounds and other culturally significant ties to the tribe that had once lived in the area.

Gold Resource Corp. has worked to develop The Back Forty project in the area. The company obtained the project when it acquired Toronto-based Aquila Resources in late 2021.

Aquila planned to build a 750-foot deep, open-pit mine on 83 acres to extract gold, zinc and other metals. The project would have come within 150 feet of the Menominee River.

The tribe as well as other environmental organizations have actively objected to the mine site, claiming that it would damage the area and the watershed.

The company said it was aware of the designation in a statement.

“Protecting culturally significant sites is a key value for us. We have been eager to collaborate with the Menominee Tribe to ensure we contribute to the protection of this historic heritage site,” said Allen Palmiere, the company’s CEO and president.

NWTC welcomes new Oconto Falls leader

The Northeast Wisconsin Technical College regional center at Oconto Falls welcomed Ryan Herald as its new operations coordinator.

Herald’s predecessor, Lisa Gipp-Jandrin, retired after serving the college for more than 23 years, the last three as a regional learning coordinator.

Herald will oversee the programming and services offered at Oconto Falls. He will also manage office operations and assist with marketing efforts. He was previously a financial aid advisor for NWTC. Herald earned an associate degree in marketing from NWTC and a bachelor’s degree in human studies from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

• The Lakeshore

Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties

The Production Farm receives $40,000 gift

The Production Farm, a nonprofit mental and behavioral health service agency, announced it has received a first-time gift from the highly regarded Otto Bremer Trust. The $40,000 gift is unrestricted and therefore can be used in a variety of ways.

In Manitowoc County, TPF primarily serves clients ages 5 to 18 and in Sheboygan County offers services for young people as well as adults. Services including outpatient skill development, school-based mental health, psychotherapy and psychoeducation are tailored to meet client needs. TPF also provides additional resources such as food, clothing, transportation and personal hygiene items.

“The Production Farm is doing innovative work providing behavioral and mental health plans for youth and their families,” said Frank M. Miley, co-CEO and trustee of OBT.

TPF delivered more than 12,000 hours of therapeutic services in 2022 and is projecting that will increase by 30% this year.

“We continually see the need for our services increase exponentially, and we’re extremely grateful to the Otto Bremer Trust for recognizing and supporting us as we work to cultivate hope and healing through play, art, nature, music and community,” said Wyatt Kuether, president, CEO and founder of TPF.

LTC partners with UW-Milwaukee on degree pathway

Students in the lakeshore area now have another option along the path to a bachelor’s degree thanks to a new partnership between Lakeshore Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The partnership agreement allows LTC students who graduate with the college’s associate of arts or associate of science degree to enroll at UWM with guaranteed junior standing.

This fall marks the second year LTC is offering the AA and AS degrees. Both degrees cover general education requirements for a student whose goal is to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor’s degree. Students enrolling in the AA and AS degrees have access to federal financial aid and veterans’ benefits while taking their general education courses at LTC.

“Our new partnership with UW-Milwaukee offers our students and community even more options for continuing their educational journeys in cities not far from our college,” said LTC President Paul Carlsen. “Students can now graduate from Lakeshore and complete their bachelor’s degree[s] in a wider variety of academic programs at UW-Milwaukee, UW Oshkosh, UW-Green Bay or Lakeland University.”

LTC’s general studies degrees require 60 credits, including elective courses that allow students to select classes that appeal to their future career plans. The degrees can be completed in two years, positioning students to complete the remaining 60 credits required by the partner universities for bachelor’s degrees in another two years.

According to Carlsen, more than 400 students transfer their LTC credits each year to four-year colleges.

• Interstate 41 Corridor

Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago Counties

Microgrants awarded to 20 New North organizations

Twenty nonprofit organizations within the New North region received awards totaling $110,000 from a microgrant fund designed to support ethnic and diverse businesses in their startup or growth phases.

The fund was established in March by New North, Inc. in partnership with The Business Council and the Ethnic & Diverse Business Coalition.

Microgrant applications were evaluated on the potential impact of their intended projects, the overall feasibility and sustainability of an initiative, and alignment with the goals of the New North-TBC-EDBC partnership. Award amounts were based on each organization’s proposal and its budgetary needs.

Use of grant funds ranges from impactful assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs through learning sessions, marketing and technical support to a variety of events designed to spotlight small and diverse-owned businesses.

Applications were accepted this past March and April, and microgrant funds are required to be used for initiatives or events taking place prior to Dec. 31.

The Business Council is a business membership organization that helps provide resources, education and tools to assist ethnically diverse businesses. Member organizations of the Ethnic & Diverse Business Coalition, part of TBC, are focused on working collaboratively to facilitate entrepreneurship and growth, to advocate collectively and to share organizational efficiency.

A second round of microgrant fund applications is expected in 2024.

Edge obtains $50M for sustainability projects

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative in Green Bay and Farmers for Sustainable Food, a nonprofit organization of food system partners, were awarded a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a broad climate-smart initiative.

Following months of negotiating and planning, the partners announced that Edge officially signed an agreement with USDA for its new climate-smart grant.

Under this grant, Edge will spearhead a multi-partner project — Farmer-led Climate Smart Commodities Initiative: Building Success from the Ground Up — aimed at expanding climate-smart markets and establishing dairy and beet sugar as climate-smart commodities. The co-op applied for the grant last year through the USDA’s new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.

Edge is the third largest dairy cooperative in the country based on milk volume. Member farms are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Farmers for Sustainable Food is a collaborative, industry-supported effort to promote and support farmer-led solutions to environmental challenges.