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The agriculture industry is the heart of Wisconsin’s
economy. With a $59.16 billion contribution to Wisconsin's
economy each year, Wisconsin is the leading state in
numerous agricultural products. With an array of products
available from right here in Wisconsin, we're helping you
access and purchase locally grown, produced, and manufactured
products to support Wisconsin's local producers and businesses.
With this, the planning for the SavorWisconsin.com
project started in late 2002. The project has been guided by
three
entities -- the Wisconsin Department
of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), University of Wisconsin-Extension,
and the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association (WAGA). In 2003, DATCP received
$3.1 million in Federal Specialty Crop Grants. A portion of that was given
to the WAGA as a grant for their initiative to develop a web-based resource
for locally grown products. With so many of consumers' favorites coming from
the state of Wisconsin, the name "SavorWisconsin.com" was chosen
for this new online resource to represent the desire for quality.
A partnership was developed to help ensure the depth of Wisconsin's
agricultural industry would be well represented using the
latest technology. Skyline Technologies
of Appleton, WI, was selected by the WAGA as the web developer. The
project was in full speed in mid - 2003 and has been in
steady development for the
consumer/public launch in January 2004. While the WAGA owns the site, DATCP
provides staff time to administer the site and the University of Wisconsin-Extension
provides ongoing input and promotion.
The site is designed with the latest in web technology to
connect consumers to businesses, using top web search capabilities.
It is the goal of the
developing partners to enable consumers across the state, nation and
world to find their
favorite Wisconsin products easily, searching from their home computer.
Agriculture encompasses everything from the food we eat to some of the
clothes that we
wear, as well as the trees and plants in our communities, and some of
the fuels we put in our vehicles. We hope you will find
SavorWisconsin.com
to be a useful
resource in finding the products you savor from this great state.
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