(WLUK) — Several meat processors across the state, including some in Northeast Wisconsin, received grants to help modernize and grow their businesses.

As part of June Dairy Month, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced 18 Wisconsin meat processors will receive grants through the 2026 Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant Program.

Created by Gov. Evers in 2021, these grants help local meat processors modernize and grow their businesses, produce new products, or expand their markets, while improving profitability and sustaining the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s meat processing facilities.

“Here in Wisconsin, we’ve worked hard to ensure our farmers, producers, and processors have the resources and support they need to grow and expand their businesses and continue making the high-quality products Wisconsin is known for,” said Gov. Evers. “That includes our meat processors, and I’m proud that we were able to continue to make smart investments in their success in our most recent state budget, and I’m excited to see how these grants help our processors expand their business, increase product output, and invest in reliable processing infrastructure for the future of their business and the future of this industry here in Wisconsin.”

Grant recipients were selected through a competitive review process and are required to provide a match of 100% of the grant amount.

DATCP received 47 applications totaling $1.77 million in grant requests. An additional $700,000 in grants will be available in 2027.

The Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant recipients and their planned projects are:

• Almena Meat Company Inc. in Almena to replace the harvest floor carcass cooler and refrigeration system.
• Bark River Poultry Farms in Hartland to update processing equipment within the licensed mobile processing unit.
• Black River Meats LLC in Withee to expand cooler capacity to support continued growth and operational efficiency.
• Blair Meat Market in Blair to replace reduced oxygen packaging equipment.
• Bloomington Meats II in Bloomington to replace a 60-year-old bacon slicer.
• Durand Smokehouse in Durand to install smokehouse grease traps to separate grease from wastewater.
• Fayes Frozen Foods LLC in Sheboygan to expand the production, packaging, and freezing line.
• Fox Brothers Piggly Wiggly in Hartland to purchase a grinder to improve the speed of production.
• Frontpage Processing in Scandinavia for a physical infrastructure expansion.
• Hoesly’s Meats in New Glarus for a freezer expansion, compressor, and evaporator upgrades.
• Marchant’s Meats & Sausage in Sturgeon Bay for a 1,100 square foot building expansion.
• The Meat Block LLC in Greenville to purchase a blast chiller and oven.
• Northstar Bison in Cameron for a reefer truck purchase.
• Riverside Meat in Waukesha for equipment purchases to add production lines.
• Roskom Meats LLC in Kaukauna to purchase a high-capacity sausage stuffer.
• Salchert’s Market Inc. in Saint Cloud to modernize the existing freezer and install bone processing equipment.
• Sheboygan Pasty Co. in Sheboygan for packaging line upgrades.
• TMB East LLC (DBA Haen Meats) in Kaukauna for a cooler addition to separate raw product from RTE.

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Despite offering just a few days ago, the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball program has added a new face.

Minnesota center Jack Thelen officially announced his commitment to the Badgers on Saturday, June 13.

His announcement comes days after the team landed top-100 recruit Jalen Brown.

In less than a week, Greg Gard went from zero commitments to two. The seven-foot-one center joins Brown as Gard’s class of 2027 begins to take shape.

Thelen is currently an unranked recruit on 247Sports. He currently plays for Maple Grove High School in Osseo, MN. According to 247Sports, his only other offers came from Murray State, Montana, Minnesota, and Miami (OH).

Thelen’s commitment follows the trend of Wisconsin adding seven-footers in the post. Whether or not he’ll be able to shoot the three-ball like some of the bigs in the past remains to be seen, but for now, this is an incredibly intriguing addition.

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