Strategic partnership with the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to create an ongoing partnership to build capacity in South African Farmers and the Co-Op planning principles

Wisconsin has a strong agricultural heritage. Those traditions carry on today making Wisconsin one of the most diverse agricultural states in the nation, producing a variety of dairy, livestock, vegetables and specialty crops. Wisconsin agriculture also generates $88.3 billion to the state’s economy.

Most people know Wisconsin as America’s Dairyland. In 2016, the state’s 1.28 million dairy cattle produced more than 30 billion pounds of milk, a national leader next to California. The milk is then used by Wisconsin cheesemakers, who rely on 160 years of quality and craftsmanship to produce more than 600 varieties, types and styles of award-winning cheese, from traditional cheddar and mozzarella to hand-crafted artisan styles. It will be through this partnership that we will provide a capacity-building initiative that will create a culture of a collaboration cooperative within the next generation of South African farmers.