Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)

A two-part application emailed to DATCP. This is a deadline round, not rolling intake — and as of September 2026 it is between cycles, so read the timing note below before you plan a trial.

Step 1 — Intent to Apply (mandatory pre-approval). "All grant applicants MUST submit an Intent to Apply form in order to receive required pre-approval of the project research study design prior to submitting an application." You email the Intent to Apply form (IntentToApplyNOPP.docx) to UW's NOPP Research Director; the most recent Request for Proposals gave "ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ONLY TO: MONICA.SCHAUER@WISC.EDU". Any change to the pre-approved design "must be discussed and approved by UW's NOPP Research Director prior to the submission of the final grant application," and "The final and approved Intent to Apply document will be submitted as part of the final application."

Step 2 — Final application. Submitted by email: "ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ONLY TO: DATCPNOPP@wisconsin.gov". It has two pieces: "Application Part 1" (General Project Information, a Word document) and "Application Part 2" (Budget and Work Plan, an Excel spreadsheet — "ONLY COMPLETE THE BUDGET SHEET TO MATCH THE CHOSEN OPTION").

Where the documents live. All of it is posted on DATCP's NOPP Application and Grantee Information page: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/NOPP-Application-and-Grantee-Information.aspx — the Request for Proposals, Intent to Apply, Application Part 1 and Part 2, plus an "FAQs for Application" PDF and a Technical Research Guide.

Timing. The last round has closed: DATCP states "2027 Award Year Application was due January 16, 2026" (that cycle's Intent to Apply was due December 19, 2025). The next round is not open yet — "2027-2028 Application/Cycle 5 anticipated to be available Fall 2026". Cycle 5 dates and submission addresses were not published as of September 2026, so confirm them against the new RFP when it posts, and subscribe for updates at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIDATCP/subscriber/new.

Choose your option before you budget — each has its own cap per producer. Option 1: "Full N-Rate Study with replicaton and randomization", 4-8 N-rates required, "Max budget of $40,000/producer". Option 2 (new producers only): Nitrogen Use Efficiency, "Requires at least 3 participants per project", "Max budget of $2,500/producer". Option 3 (new producers only): management comparison trial, two N-rates, "Max budget of $5,000/producer". A "new producer" is "a producer who has not previously been awarded a NOPP grant." Multiple producers may join one application — "an Option 1 project with two participating agricultural producers may apply for an award up to $80,000." You "DO NOT need to factor the UW System award for monitoring and research assistance into their proposed budget."

What Part 1 asks you to assemble: requested grant amount and project option, project title, project focus, the applying individual or organization (who signs the contract), the agricultural producer, a fiscal manager, a project manager, a payment address, roles and responsibilities for any collaborators, the research study design, your outreach plans, and an Equipment Purchase Request if you want equipment over $2,500 ("Pre-approval for equipment purchases over $2,500 is required from DATCP").

Don't under-prepare the project-location section — it asks for a map, not just coordinates: "Please provide a GPS point (latitude/longitude) for the project location and a map with county boundaries, project area, parcel numbers (if available), and field numbers (if available). This information is required for each field that is part of the project." Outreach is scored, so name something concrete: "Points will be given for projects which include outreach, such as a field day/field talk."

Two eligibility gates to check first: "Project must include two growing seasons" and "UWS institution should monitor the grant project on-site." Note also "Funding commitments are not final until a signed contract is in place including all parties," and on award, "If you have NOT received payments from the State of Wisconsin, please submit a W9 for the organization to be paid."

Questions. The RFP directs them: "PROGRAM MANAGER: SUSAN MOCKERT, 608-224-4648, SUSAN.MOCKERT@WISCONSIN.GOV" and "RESEARCH DESIGN: MONICA SCHAUER, 920-296-6170, MONICA.SCHAUER@WISC.EDU". Talk to Monica Schauer early — study-design pre-approval is a gate, not a formality.

Susan Mockert

DATCP NOPP Program Manager

Grants from Wisconsin DATCP to agricultural producers developing innovative commercial-nitrogen optimization practices, carried out with a University of Wisconsin monitoring partner.



Wisconsin agricultural producers. Projects must run at least two growing seasons with a UW-institution monitoring partner (UW-Madison Soil Science / Extension).

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Fertilizer

Waste & Manure Management

Weeds

Certification

Trials

Certified Organic

Inputs

Nutrient Management

Research

Route — your county office hands you the CREP application. DATCP does not take applications itself and publishes no form to download. Its instruction: "Landowners interested in enrolling in CREP should contact their county land and water conservation office or local Farm Service Agency office." The program brochure is more specific still, under the heading Enrollment: "Contact your county USDA Farm Service Agency, NRCS office, or your county land conservation office for a CREP application. A site visit will be completed to discuss with you the specific lands you want to enroll and what practices you would like to install." So there are three doors — county land conservation, FSA, or NRCS — and any of them can start you.

Expect a site visit, not a paper round. The visit is where you and the office settle which acres go in and which practice gets installed. Come to it having decided which enrollment option you want: "Enrollment options are either a 15-year agreement or a perpetual easement."

Find the office. County land and water conservation departments: https://wisconsinlandwater.org/members-hub/members . Wisconsin FSA offices: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=wi&agency=fsa .

Check eligibility before you call. DATCP states land is eligible if it "Is in one of the 52 Wisconsin CREP counties," "Has a history of crop or pasture use," and "Is within 150 feet of a ditch, stream, lake or wetland (or 1000 feet, for the Grassland Project Areas)." The brochure adds one more test for part of the state: land "Is considered highly erodible for practices in the southern grassland area." The project-area map is at https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/CREPProjectAreaMap.pdf and the brochure at https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/CREPBrochure.pdf — the brochure also names the practices you can choose from, by code (filter strips CP21, riparian buffers CP22, grassed waterways CP8a, wetland restoration CP23, marginal pastureland wildlife habitat buffers CP29; and in grassland project areas only, CP1, CP2 and CP25). A longer practices list is at https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/CREPPractices.pdf . To size the money first, DATCP publishes a spreadsheet: "Use our payment calculator to estimate the payments you could receive" (https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/CREPPaymentCalculator.xlsx).

Timing — no deadline or sign-up window is published. Neither the DATCP CREP pages nor the brochure names a due date or an enrollment period; the published route is simply to contact your county office and ask for an application. Because CREP runs through the federal Conservation Reserve Program, ask the office whether a federal sign-up period applies to the practice you want.

Who to ask at the state level. Brian Loeffelholz, brian.loeffelholz@wisconsin.gov, (608) 224-4632; Stacy Tierman, stacy.tierman@wisconsin.gov, (608) 224-4633. DATCP main line (608) 224-5012, 2811 Agriculture Dr., P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708-8911.

Brian Loeffelholz

CREP Program Contact

For Wisconsin agricultural landowners along rivers and streams who enroll filter strips, riparian buffers, or wetland restorations. Pays installation cost-share plus an upfront incentive and annual soil-rental payments; perpetual easements are also available. Co-administered by DATCP with USDA FSA and county land & water conservation offices.



Agricultural landowners with eligible acreage along rivers/streams. Filter strips can be as narrow as 30 feet, with no minimum acreage.

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Payment per unit of land to do or avoid certain practices related to land management.

Easement

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

High Tunnel

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Water Management

Combines installation cost-share, an upfront sign-up incentive, and annual soil-rental payments — roughly $2,900 lifetime value for 15-year contracts, or about $4,200/acre for perpetual easements on tilled land.

First-come, first-served. Applications for the 2026/27 program are expected to be available December 2026.

Wisconsin DATCP — Cover Crop Insurance Rebate

A Wisconsin DATCP rebate that reduces a farmer's crop-insurance premium bill by up to $5 per acre for verified cover-crop acres.



Wisconsin farmers with verified cover-crop acres who carry crop insurance. Acres already enrolled in EQIP, CSP, or another state cover-crop cost-share program are ineligible.

Conservation

Up to $5 per acre rebate on the crop-insurance premium bill. Program pool is roughly $800,000 per year, covering about 160,000 acres.

Applications are submitted in response to a Request for Proposals, with separate RFPs for dairy exports and for meat/crop exports. The most recent round closed April 9, 2025; DATCP awards these grants on an approximately two-year cycle, so no round is open as of September 2026. Projects may be funded for up to two years, with an option to request a third. Contact DATCPdadgrants@wisconsin.gov.

Wisconsin DATCP — Agricultural Development Grants

Grants from Wisconsin DATCP to help Wisconsin agricultural exporters expand into new markets.



Institutional applicant: Wisconsin-based not-for-profit organizations that currently serve, or can serve, Wisconsin agribusinesses — including agribusiness associations, technical colleges, universities, and economic development organizations. Not open to individual for-profit businesses or farmers directly.

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Trade Relief

Grants range from $25,000 to $100,000 per recipient — meat/crop export projects $25,000–$50,000; dairy export projects $25,000–$100,000. A 20% match (cash or in-kind) is required. Eligible costs include trade-promotion travel, event promotion, marketing materials, advertising, contractor fees, and translation services. Funded through the Wisconsin Initiative for Agricultural Exports (WIAE).

DATCP is currently accepting county applications on a rolling basis. To request a grant consultation or a copy of the application, contact program staff at DATCPWorkingLands@wisconsin.gov.

Wisconsin DATCP — Farmland Preservation / Working Lands

State grants from Wisconsin DATCP to counties to develop or update farmland preservation plans under the state's Farmland Preservation Program.



Institutional applicant: Wisconsin counties with agricultural lands. Not a direct-to-farmer grant — the resulting state-certified county farmland-preservation plan enables farmers in that county to claim farmland-preservation tax credits.

Business Plan

Cash Rent

Refinancing

Transition

Succession

Grants reimburse up to 50% of a county's cost to prepare or update a state-certified farmland preservation plan, capped at $30,000 per county. A certified plan is a prerequisite for landowners in the county to qualify for farmland-preservation tax credits.

There is no grant application. You claim this credit yourself on your Wisconsin income tax return — but you have to get one document from your county first, and there is no application round at all.

Step 1 — get a Certificate of Compliance from your county. "Landowners who are new to the program or need to obtain a copy of their Certificate of Compliance must contact the county land conservation department in the county their farmland is located." The certificate is issued by the county land conservation committee and shows you meet the state's soil and water conservation standards. "If you have not yet received a certificate of compliance, you must contact your county land conservation department to schedule a time to discuss your farm's compliance status." Find your county office through the County Conservation Department Directory at https://wisconsinlandwater.org/members-hub/members. While you are at it, "Contact your town or county zoning office to confirm eligible zoning."

Step 2 — file the right schedule with your income tax return. "Nearly all eligible landowners will need to submit Schedule FC-A when filing the tax credit claim. The only exception is for landowners with a farmland preservation agreement entered into prior to July 1, 2009 that has not been modified. These landowners must continue to use Schedule FC." If you hold a pre-July-2009 agreement and would rather claim the per-acre credit, you can modify the agreement instead — see https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/ModifyFPAgreement.aspx.

Step 3 — attach the certificate the first time, and again if your acreage changes. "If you are claiming the credit for the first time, or the number of acres on which the claim is based has changed, you will need to submit a copy of the certificate of compliance with your income tax return."

You no longer attach a zoning certificate — but keep your zoning office's number handy, because the state may come back and ask. DATCP's guide puts it this way: "No. The law no longer requires landowners to submit a zoning certificate. In some instances, the Department of Revenue may follow up with claimants to certify that the number of acres listed on Schedule FC-A are eligible for the tax credit. In these instances, the landowner should work with the county or town zoning office to obtain documentation showing that the acres are eligible for the credit. Acceptable documentation could include a letter from the appropriate zoning administrator."

Timing: no deadline round and no application window — you claim it annually with your Wisconsin income tax return, so your deadline is your tax filing deadline. Two conditions get checked for the year you claim: "Have the previous year's property taxes been paid?" and the gross farm revenue test — "Did my land produce $6,000 in gross farm revenue during the previous year or $18,000 in gross farm revenues during the previous three years?"

Guides worth reading before you file: DATCP's "Claiming the Farmland Preservation Tax Credit with Schedule FC-A" (https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/HowtoClaimFPFCA.pdf), which lays out the steps above, and Wisconsin Department of Revenue Publication 503, "Wisconsin Farmland Preservation Credit For Use in Preparing Claims" (https://www.revenue.wi.gov/DOR%20Publications/pb503.pdf).

Who to ask: DATCP's Working Lands staff — Wednesday Coye (608) 224-4611, Katy Smith (608) 224-4621, DATCPWorkingLands@wi.gov. For the tax mechanics, "contact DATCP at (608) 224-4611 or the Wisconsin Department of Revenue at (608) 266-2442."

A Wisconsin income-tax credit for owners of farmland located in a certified farmland-preservation zoning district and/or covered by an effective farmland-preservation agreement, who meet soil-and-water conservation standards.



Farmland owners in a certified farmland-preservation zoning district and/or effective preservation agreement who meet soil-and-water conservation standards and $6,000+ gross farm revenue per year (or $18,000 over three years). Requires a county Certificate of Compliance.

A reduction or waiving of fees for meeting a certain criteria.

Discount

Nutrition & Food Safety

$10/acre (zoning district only, or an agreement within an agricultural enterprise area) or $12.50/acre (both a zoning district and an agreement). Claimed as an income-tax credit.

A competitive annual round run by DATCP's Division of Agricultural Development. There is no portal and no rolling intake — DATCP posts the application and materials on the program page during the open window, and you submit them to DATCP.

Where to get the application: the program page, https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/AgDevelopment/MeatProcessorInfrastructureGrants.aspx. DATCP's announcement for the last round said exactly that — "Access the grant application and materials at https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/AgDevelopment/MeatProcessorInfrastructureGrants.aspx."

Timing — read this before you plan around it. The most recent round is closed and the next one has not been announced. The 2026 round ran January 12 to February 23, 2026 ("DATCP invites Wisconsin meat processors to apply for the Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant through February 23, 2026"), and recipients were announced June 15, 2026. As of early September 2026 the program page carries no open application and no 2027 deadline is published. DATCP still lists the grant under "Active Grants." Recent rounds have all opened in the colder half of the year, but not on a fixed month — the program page's own announcement list shows the 2026 round opening January 12, the 2024 round opening February 5 (closing March 8), and the round before that opening October 28, 2021 (closing January 14). So start watching in the autumn rather than waiting for January. To catch it, sign up for DATCP email updates from the Meat and Livestock Development page (https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/AgDevelopment/MeatAndLivestockDevelopment.aspx) and watch the DATCP newsroom.

What your application has to establish: "Eligible applicants must operate a meat processing establishment in Wisconsin licensed by DATCP or the U.S. Department of Agriculture and be engaged in livestock harvest or meat processing. Projects must increase harvest capacity or production, with a goal of increasing harvest or production by 20 percent."

So build the project narrative and budget around a measurable capacity increase, scope it to eligible costs — "expenses for engineering, architectural design, construction, food safety consultation, equipment, and equipment installation" — and be ready to document your match: "Processors must provide a match of 100% of the grant amount." Awards are "for up to $50,000 for projects that last up to two years," and "the selection process is competitive." There was "$700,000 available for the 2026 grant program"; the pot for the next round is not published.

Beyond that, DATCP does not publish the application form's contents, the required attachments, or the scoring criteria outside the open window. A recorded walkthrough helps: the "2026 Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant Presentation Recording" is linked from the program page, and DATCP's virtual meat industry "Office Hours" sessions cover the grant — the August 20, 2026 session "featured DATCP Livestock and Meat Specialist Jeff Swenson, who announced this year's Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant application period and other updates," with the recording and slides posted. Treat that blurb with care: it refers back to the closed 2026 round, and nothing else on the site announces a new one.

Who to ask: "Questions related to the grant application can be submitted to datcpdadgrants@wisconsin.gov."

Infrastructure grants from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to meat-processing establishments to grow the state's meat industry and support livestock-sector viability.



Wisconsin meat-processing establishments.

Buildings

Construction

Fencing

Greenhouse

HVAC

Irrigation

Lighting

Repairs

Storage

Maximum $50,000 per project; 100% match required. The 2026 round awarded $700,000 across 18 processors. Recurring annual program with January/February application deadlines.

There are two routes to this reimbursement and you may use only one. DATCP is explicit: "Please note that you may only apply for the Organic Certification Cost Share with FSA or DATCP."

Right now, apply through FSA. As of the update posted on DATCP's Organic Farming and Food page, "As of July 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not yet opened the Organic Certification Cost Share Program for 2025 or 2026 through the States' Departments of Agriculture," and DATCP "does not have any updates on when it will begin accepting applications." The state's last round is closed — "The last OCCSP application period closed in December 2024." In the meantime the federal route is open: "FSA offices are actively accepting applications. Those who need cost share funds promptly may apply with their local county FSA office." So the working route today is your local county USDA Farm Service Agency office.

The DATCP route, when it reopens. DATCP says it "will be running the 2025 and 2026 years concurrently" once the program opens. Applications are then submitted by one of "three application methods: mail, email or online form," all published on the program page at https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/AgDevelopment/OrganicFarmingAndFood.aspx. To hear about it: DATCP says "You can sign up to receive notifications about the program by text or email via the electronic mailing list" (https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIDATCP/subscriber/new) and that it "will update this webpage and send out notifications as soon as program details are announced."

What to assemble for the DATCP route

- Proof of certification and proof of payment, both required: "Supporting documentation includes both proof of certification and proof of payment." Watch the form of the receipt — "canceled checks or invoices that do not show proof of payment are not an acceptable form of documentation."
- New applicants only: a completed W-9 (https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents2/W9.pdf) and a DATCP New Supplier form (https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents2/DOA-6460NewSupplier.pdf).
- You do not have to wait for paperwork to file: "Applicants may submit applications without including supporting documentation or new applicant forms," and those can follow later by mail, email or the online form.
- Your certifier can send the documentation for you, but only with its agreement: "Certifiers may provide DATCP with supporting documentation, but certifying agencies must agree to do this."

Deadline. None is currently published. The state application period is closed and no reopening date has been announced; FSA intake is continuous in the meantime.

Who to ask. Jarret Miles-Kroening, Organic and Specialty Crops Program Specialist — DATCPorganiccostshare@wisconsin.gov, (608) 320-6685. General program questions also go to datcporganiccostshare@wi.gov.

Wisconsin DATCP — Organic Cost Share Program

Wisconsin's administration of the USDA Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), reimbursing certified-organic farms and processors a share of their organic certification costs.



Wisconsin certified-organic (or transitioning) crop, livestock, wild crop, and handler operations.

Marketing

Compliance

Legal & Finance

Reimburses 75% of certification costs, up to $750 per certification scope across as many as four scopes (crops, livestock, wild crops, handler). The last state application period closed in December 2024; applicants are directed to USDA FSA in the interim.

DATCP administers RFSI under a cooperative agreement with USDA-AMS. Wisconsin has awarded $27.2 million across 81 grants (51 Equipment, 30 Infrastructure). The most recent equipment-only round opened June 19, 2025 with recipients announced October 24, 2025; no application round is open as of September 2026 and the program is in the grant-management/reimbursement phase. Contact DATCPRFSI@wisconsin.gov or sign up for program updates.

Wisconsin DATCP - RFSI Program

Grace Puc

Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program Contact

Wisconsin's administration of USDA's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program, supporting middle-of-the-supply-chain infrastructure for local and regional food. Open to producers, processors, and nonprofits.



Producers, processors, aggregators, distributors, food hubs, and nonprofit organizations operating in the middle of the food supply chain (aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transport, wholesaling, distribution) for locally and regionally produced foods. Awarded under two tracks: Infrastructure Grants and Equipment-Only Grants.

Farmers Market

Food Systems

Federally funded through USDA-AMS (Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program) and administered by Wisconsin DATCP. To date $27.2 million has been awarded across 81 grants (51 Equipment, 30 Infrastructure). Match requirements vary by grant track under the USDA-AMS RFSI framework.

Counties apply through DATCP's annual SWRM joint grant allocation process (see the SWRM Joint Grant Application Instructions). Grant funds must be spent in the year awarded. Submit applications and materials to DATCPswrm@wisconsin.gov.

Wisconsin DATCP — Soil and Water Resource Management (SWRM) Grants

State grants from Wisconsin DATCP to county land conservation departments/committees to support soil-and-water resource management, including staffing and landowner cost-sharing.



Institutional applicant: Wisconsin counties (through their land conservation departments/committees) that hold a DATCP-approved Land and Water Resource Management Plan. Not a direct-to-farmer grant — farmers participate via county cost-share contracts for eligible conservation practices.

Water Quality

Waterway Protection

Wetland Conservation

State-funded grants (under ATCP 50) allocated annually to all 72 Wisconsin counties for county conservation staff and support, structural cost-share to landowners, nutrient-management cost-share, and engineering reserve awards. Landowner cost-share is typically 70% of practice cost, up to 90% in some cases. Funds must be spent in the year awarded.

Read the Request for Proposals carefully before completing an application.
Completed proposals must be submitted to Ryan Dunn at ryand.dunn@wisconsin.gov. All documents must be included in a single PDF or word file. 

Brian Williams

Grants Specialist Adv.

The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) program seeks to increase awareness and consumption&#x2004;of locally produced foods and related products and to increase the production and improve the distribution of foods and related products for local consumption. The Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Grant program is an economic development program designed to help the Wisconsin agricultural and food industry find ways to improve food production, processing, marketing, and distribution with the ultimate goal of expanding Wisconsin’s local food system. BLBW grant funds are administered by the Division of Agricultural Development at the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP). 

DATCP may award grants to individuals or organizations to fund projects that are designed to increase the sale of Wisconsin agricultural or food products to local purchasers. This includes grants for projects to create, expand, diversify, or promote any of the following:

- Local food marketing systems and market outlets. 

- Local food and cultural tourism routes. 

- Production, processing, marketing, and distribution of Wisconsin food products primarily for sale to local purchasers. 



The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) program seeks to increase awareness and consumption of locally produced foods and related products and to increase the production and improve the distribution of foods and related products for local consumption. The Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Grant program is an economic development program designed to help the Wisconsin agricultural and food industry find ways to improve food production, processing, marketing, and distribution with the ultimate goal of expanding Wisconsin’s local food system. BLBW grant funds are administered by the Division of Agricultural Development at the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP). 
DATCP may award grants to individuals or organizations to fund projects that are designed to increase the sale of Wisconsin agricultural or food products to local purchasers. This includes grants for projects to create, expand, diversify, or promote any of the following:
- Local food marketing systems and market outlets. 
- Local food and cultural tourism routes. 
- Production, processing, marketing, and distribution of Wisconsin food products primarily for sale to local purchasers. 

Eligible Applicants include:
- Individual independent producers selling locally
- Individual independent processors using WI ingredients that make up 51% of their product by weight
- Groups of independent producers
- Farmer/Rancher Cooperatives
- Grower Associations
- Schools and institutions
- Food service operations
- Non-profits

- FY 2026 BLBW Request for Proposals
- ​Grant Application

Local Food

- Budgets must show at least a 1-to-1 funds match. 
- Project must be completed within 24 months after contract is signed by DATCP. A no-cost extension of up to one year is available upon request and is granted at the discretion of DATCP. 
- Requests must be between $5,000 and $50,000. 
- Primary beneficiaries are Wisconsin agriculture products based businesses 
- Private farms or agribusinesses applying for funds must be selling at least 51% of their agricultural products locally. Value-added food businesses, or processors must be purchasing, or growing at least 51% of their product (by weight) ingredients locally. 
- If you have received funding from the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grant program within the last four years, you are not eligible to apply. 
- If you currently have any grant with DATCP’s Division of Agricultural Development you are not eligible to apply (this includes Specialty Crop Block Grants and Dairy Processor Grants). 
- Dairy processors looking for grant funds should apply for DATCP’s Division of Agricultural Development’s Dairy Processors Grant.

Applications are submitted online via AccessGov using a MyWisconsin ID; first-time applicants may submit paper applications by email or mail to the Clean Sweep office. Applications for 2027 grants were due 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 22, 2026; the program runs annually with the next round expected in spring 2027.

Wisconsin DATCP — Clean Sweep Program

State grants from Wisconsin DATCP to counties and municipalities to collect and safely dispose of agricultural and household pesticides and unwanted prescription/pharmaceutical drugs.



Institutional applicant: Wisconsin governmental entities (counties and municipalities) and Tribes. Very-small-quantity hazardous-waste businesses may also participate in collections. Not a direct-to-farmer grant — farmers use the collection events these grantees run to dispose of unwanted agricultural pesticides and chemicals.

Reimbursement grants funding the collection and safe disposal of agricultural pesticides and farm chemicals, household hazardous waste, and unwanted prescription drugs. Total annual allocation is $1 million — $775,000 for household hazardous waste, $175,000 for agricultural collections, and $50,000 for unwanted prescription-drug collection.

The application form is located on the DATCP website and below.
Read the Request for Proposals carefully before filling out the application.
Applications must be emailed to ryand.dunn@wisconsin.gov by 5:00pm on Monday, January 30, 2022. 
If you do not have computer access to download and complete the application, contact Ryan Dunn at 608-590-7239

Ryan Dunn

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection administers a Dairy Processor Grant program whose goal is to foster innovation, improve profitability and sustain the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processing facilities.


Eligible applicants must operate a licensed dairy&#x2004;processing plant in Wisconsin engaged in pasteurizing, processing or manufacturing milk or dairy products. Recipients are chosen through a competitive process. A total grant up to $50,000 is available per dairy processor per year. The dairy processor is required to provide a match of at least 20 percent of the grant amount.


Grant applications are customized by each processor and can be used to hire consultants to address a wide range of business needs including food safety, staff training or modernization.



The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection administers a Dairy Processor Grant program whose goal is to foster innovation, improve profitability and sustain the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processing facilities.

Eligible applicants must operate a licensed dairy processing plant in Wisconsin engaged in pasteurizing, processing or manufacturing milk or dairy products. Recipients are chosen through a competitive process. A total grant up to $50,000 is available per dairy processor per year. The dairy processor is required to provide a match of at least 20 percent of the grant amount.

Grant applications are customized by each processor and can be used to hire consultants to address a wide range of business needs including food safety, staff training or modernization.

Applicants must satisfy the following criteria to be deemed eligible for funding under the Dairy Processor Grant Program. An applicant must: 
- Operate a licensed dairy processing plant engaged in pasteurizing or manufacturing dairy products, or processing dairy products into other dairy products, for sale or distribution that is located in WI 
- Have a project(s) that will make operational improvements, improve profitability, and/or involve a new process or innovation 
- Have no outstanding state penalties or violations and be in good standing with Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions 
- Employees of Wisconsin DATCP and immediate family members (i.e. mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, and children) are not eligible to receive a grant 
- Entities with a current, open DATCP Dairy Processor Grant cannot apply for funding to further the same project
Eligible Projects
- The DATCP Dairy Processor Grant is designed to provide access to services and resources for proposed dairy processing plant projects that enhance or develop the current business, solve an existing problem or concern at the plant, improve production or profitability, and/or help the processor innovate. 
Eligible Expenses
Eligible project expenses include, but are not limited to: 
- Operating expenses directly related to the grant project, including expenses for salaries and wages, contract and consulting services, and *travel. (*all travel reimbursements must follow state rate requirements.) 
- Training costs to improve employee skills (eg. food safety, skills for operating new technology, managerial training, etc.) 
- Equipment rental 
- The purchase of supplies that the full value is ordinarily depreciable within one year and costs less than $5000 (software, etc.)
Ineligible Expenses
- Real estate purchases 
- Repayment of loans or mortgages 
- Rent or contract payments for time periods extending beyond the term of the grant contract 
- Equipment purchases, construction, or capital expenses (items whose cost is $5000 or more and depreciates over more than one year) 
- Administrative or overhead costs that are not direct costs of the grant project 
- Advertising expenses 
- Legal fees 
- Lobbying, fundraising, or other political activity 
- Any costs incurred by any firm for work performed in the preparation of and production of a proposal or for any work performed prior to the formal execution of a contract

Dairy

Butter

Cheese

Milk

Yogurt

Cow Milk

Goat Milk

- 2023 Request for Proposals
- Application​
- Press Release - DATCP Dairy Processor Grant Application Open through January 7
- 2021 Dairy Processor Grant Recipients ​

Recipients are chosen through a competitive process. A total grant up to $50,000 is available per dairy processor per year. The dairy processor is required to provide a match of at least 20 percent of the grant amount.

Applications are submitted online at wi.accessgov.com in response to the annual RFP. 2026 applications were due March 3, 2026; the program runs annually, with the next round expected in early 2027. Contact DATCPdadgrants@wisconsin.gov.

Jarret Miles-Kroening

Organic and Specialty Crop Program Contact

Wisconsin's administration of the USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, funding projects that enhance the competitiveness of Wisconsin specialty crops.



Wisconsin farmers, non-profit organizations, producer organizations, government agencies, universities, and other agricultural groups. Projects must benefit the specialty-crop industry broadly rather than yield direct profit to a single organization or individual. Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).

Project awards range from $10,000 to $100,000. Federal pass-through funding from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, administered by Wisconsin DATCP.

List of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Funding Opportunities