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This Weeks Articles for 10/2/2025 ...

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Westby Creamery announces $14 million expansion

Farmer-owned cooperative is the only cottage cheese manufacturer in WI

WESTBY – A $14 million expansion is underway at Westby Cooperative Creamery as the company ramps up cottage cheese production to meet growing demand.

Emily Bialkowski – sales and marketing director at Westby, located at 206 S. Main St. – said the culture cheese product manufacturer is the only cottage cheese producer in the dairy state.

“We are cultured dairy specialists – meaning we do cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurts and sour cream-based dips – and we are the only cottage cheese manufacturer in the State of Wisconsin,” she said. “So, we are really cottage cheese specialists.”

Though there is no lack of creameries across Wisconsin, Bialkowski said it’s typical for businesses to specialize their offerings...

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Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP)

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will post an Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) video tutorial containing information on the 2026-2027 Program Cycle on:

Monday, October 6 at 1:00 pm.

Interested participants will learn more about the recently released Round 1 project solicitation, application procedures, eligibility requirements, and other related information.

A link to the tutorial will also be available on the WisDOT ARIP webpage at:

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/local-gov/astnce-pgms/highway/arip.aspx

A recording can be viewed on demand via the following YouTube weblink AFTER the presentation:

https://youtu.be/bYX87GN8TZE

If you have any questions about the video, please contact us at:

DOTLocalPrograms@dot.wi.gov.

For questions about ARIP, please contact the Program Manager, Hillary Pelton, at:

hillary.pelton@dot.wi.gov.

Thank you,
WisDOT Local Programs

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Vernon County aims to increase housing options

VERNON COUNTY, Wis. — Weeks after Milwaukee rolled out a new initiative to spur more affordable housing and Madison unveiled new plans for more residential housing solutions, smaller, more rural communities statewide are coming up with housing solutions. They all face the same statewide issue: How to develop more affordable homes for more Wisconsinites in the future.

"Vernon County is poised for growth over the next decade," said Amy Oliver, the community development director for Vernon County. "We`re projected to grow by about 1,400 people over the next 10 years."

To that end, Oliver said Vernon County is aiming to start adding up to 60 new residential options each year as soon as possible...

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WI Small Business Summit

SAVE THE DATE

WI Small Business Summit &
Celebrate Small Business Luncheon

November 13, 2025

8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

UW-La Crosse Student Union

The WI Small Business Summit is a full day event for
existing and start-up businesses in Wisconsin.

Existing businesses will be able to choose the resources they need by accessing various education topics and 1x1 sessions with business professionals and other resources.

Start-ups can access start-up sessions and support to learn and get assistance to get started.

This year’s WI Small Business Summit will feature the Celebrate Small Business luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

Save Thursday, November 13, 2025, on your calendar.

You can find more about and register to attend by accessing the SBDC calendar: CLICK HERE

If you have any questions, please email sbdc@uwlax.edu or call 1-608-785-8782.

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Tucker and Becky Gretebeck named 2025 Monroe County Conservation Farmers of the Year

Sydney Widell | Coon Creek Community Watershed Council – Watershed Coordinator

The Coon Creek Community Watershed Council is thrilled to share that Monroe County recognized our Vice President Tucker Gretebeck, and his wife, Becky Gretebeck as its 2025 Conservation Farmers of the Year. The annual award, which is in its 50th year, celebrates Monroe County farmers for outstanding stewardship, including community involvement and conservation education. Award recipients are nominated by their peers and mentors, and selected by a Monroe County committee.

If you know the Gretebeck Family, you know just how well-deserved this recognition is. To spend time with them or step foot on their farm is to be inspired by their bold conservation vision, and to be moved by their strong community ethic..

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Regional Economic Development Entities

Mississippi River Regional Planning Commision	SouthWest NorthWest State	Coulee Regional Business Center	THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE
	Vernon Co. Economic Development	La Crosse Area Development Corporation	SBDC La Crosse
Economic Development	Community Development	Economic Development	Economic Development

Trempealeau County Economic Development	The Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)	Vernon Economic Development Association	Workforce Connections, Inc.
The Pierce County EDC EDC quarterly	Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council	Job and Business Development (JBD) Program
Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority	USDA Rural Development Wisconsin	Xcel Energy Economic Development	Economic Development

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Harvesting opportunity, one apple at a time

Ecker’s Apple Farm provides locals a family-owned fall experience

Twenty thousand caramel apples.

Seven thousand pies.

Five thousand gallons of hard cider.

Located along the scenic Great River Road in Trempeleau, Co-owners and sisters Jessica Ecker and Sara Ecker-Foster said Ecker’s Apple Farm in Trempeleau isn’t just celebrating agritourism – it’s producing it by the truckload.

What began as a simple family orchard in 1945, the sisters said, has since evolved into a full-scale retail and experiential destination...

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Ken Notes: It`s not too late to visit an orchard this fall.

Economic Indicators Breakfast & Survey

Permission to Build: Unlocking Abundance Through Housing Reform

Panelists to include:
Steve O’Malley, Former La Crosse County Administrator
Marvin Wanders, Owner, Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions, LLC

Register by October 24, 2025

Wednesday, October 29, 2025
7:00 – 9:00 a.m.
The Bluffs at the UWL Student Union

Presented by State Bank Financial
Hosted by the College of Business Administration, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse

In a time of urgent needs—for more housing, more infrastructure, more energy—Americans across the political spectrum are increasingly confronting the ways in which regulation, permitting delays, and bureaucratic inertia slow progress. Inspired by the book Abundance, this year’s Economic Indicators Breakfast explores a rare opportunity for cross-partisan agreement: the need to build faster, better, and more effectively.

This timely event will examine how...

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Kickapoo Valley Forest School moves to La Farge campus, expands with $1.1 million grant

LA FARGE, Wis. — The Kickapoo Valley Forest School, a tuition-free, nature-immersion public charter school authorized by the La Farge School District, has grown steadily since its founding in 2020. For the 2025–26 school year, the school now serves students in 4K through fourth grade.

In May, the KVFS Governance Council was awarded a second charter school implementation grant of $1.1 million from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The funding will support the development of an upper elementary program, the Kickapoo Valley Field School, which will launch at the start of the 2026–27 school year. At that time, the organization will transition into two programs: a lower elementary Forest School (grades 4K–2) and an upper elementary Field School (grades 3–5)...

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A-maze-ing adventures for fall at Schwertel Family Farms

Trempealeau farm thrives as multi-season venue for visitors

Though open year-round, Schwertel Family Farms in Trempealeau is perhaps most well known for its seasonal corn mazes.

TREMPELEAU – Fall in Trempealeau means crisp air, colorful trees and a visit to Schwertel Family Farms – home to one of the area’s well-known seasonal corn mazes.

Co-owners, Kristina and Ryan Schwertel, said the farm (W27348 State Road 54/35) – conveniently located between a winery and an apple orchard – is a popular stop for fall outings, drawing in visitors eager to navigate the maze, pick up seasonal produce or enjoy the charm of a countryside autumn.

“You can get your produce, pet farm animals and make a day of it, and it’s reasonable family entertainment,” Kristina said. “I firmly believe in providing families a place they can come and not spend money if they don’t want to.”

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The Great River Road

MAP		Discover Wisconsin Great River Road Video

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Couple’s conservation commitment preserves hillside farm in Kickapoo Valley

GAYS MILLS, Wis. — When Beth and Niels Jensen bought a steep, 39-acre hillside farm in Crawford County in 2014, they didn’t come armed with a conservation plan. What they brought instead was a shared agricultural heritage, a deep respect for the land, and a willingness to learn.

“I had hunted mushrooms and collected gooseberries,” said Beth Jensen, who spent childhood weekends on her grandparents’ farm in Illinois. “But we didn’t know much about land management.”

Niels Jensen, a native of Denmark, grew up farming with his family and later worked on farms in the United States. “We knew it wasn’t good farmland,” he said. “But we saw something special in the layers of the land.”...

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Former “Around the Table” host using event to bring awareness to mental health in agriculture

Former host of “Around the Farm Table” Inga Orth invited the community to her farm Sunday. For several years, the dairy farmer used Isidore’s Dairy in Trempealeau County to support other local farmers with her annual market.

“So, we have our annual event here at the farm every September where we want to invite the public out to see what’s happening on a working dairy. Today, we are supporting a cause that’s near and dear to my heart, which is the Farmer’s Angel Network,” said Orth.

She is now using this time to further support farmers on a deeper level.

“So, today, I am going to auction off all of the clothes I used to wear on Around the Farm Table for that cause. I want to give all the money to the Farmer’s Angel Network. Because, they’re also an organization that helped me out of my own burnout and my own depression,” said Orth...

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MRRPC Launches Small Business Development Grant Program: Turning Ideas into Action

The Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC) is proud to announce the Small Business Development Grant - Business Plan and Pitch Contest, a program designed to help entrepreneurs transform their ideas into thriving businesses.

In partnership with the UW-La Crosse Small Business Development Center and the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) - La Crosse Office, and with $18,000 in funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), MRRPC is offering training, resources, and support to strengthen the regional economy through entrepreneurship.

Program Highlights:

Business Plan Contest: Open to new or existing businesses in the MRRPC nine-county region. Participants will develop a detailed business plan (up to 24 pages, not including cover page) covering areas such as executive summary, company description, market analysis, organizational structure, products and services, marketing strategy, financial projections, and supporting materials.

Prizes Totaling $12,000!

1st Place: $5,000
2nd Place: $3,000
3rd Place: $2,000
4th Place: $1,000
5th Place: $500
6th Place: $250
7th Place: $250

Pitch Contest: The top seven business plan winners will advance to pitch their idea in a 5-7 minute presentation to a panel of judges for a share of an additional $6,000 in funding.

Eligibility:

Entrepreneurs in the idea stage or startup stage
Existing businesses seeking expansion, operational improvements, or new market opportunities
Located within MRRPC’s nine-county region

All applications must be submitted by:
February 13th at 12:00 PM to jon@mrrpc.com.

Contact:

Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission
811 Monitor Street, Suite 201
La Crosse, WI 54603
Phone: 608.785.9396
Email: jon@mrrpc.com Website: www.mrrpc.com

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Tourism Resources and Events in Our Region

Monroe County Events Calendar	Crawford County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Vernon County Events Calendar Visitor Guide
La Crosse County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Trempealeau County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Buffalo County Events Calendar
Pepin County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Pierce County Events Calendar	Jackson County Events Calendar Visitor Guide

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Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC)

Working together to make the Mississippi River Region a great place to live and work.

The Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission provides planning and economic development services to improve the region`s environment, economy and quality of life. We serve a nine county region, providing studies and planning services, resources and data to help with your grant applications or reporting needs, and business loans.