Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Madison: Sauerkraut company moves their headquarters to Madison from Florida.
Love it or hate it, you can’t deny the popularity of sauerkraut, especially in Wisconsin. Our love of the fermented cabbage condiment has lead Fermented Food Holdings (FFH) to move its headquarters from Miami to Madison. They also plan to expand their sauerkraut factory in northeastern Wisconsin. FFH formed in 2021 and has been gobbling up fermented food brands since. One of those brands is Great lakes Kraut in Bear Creek. The factory, west of Green Bay, is slated for a $13 million expansion. Moving the headquarters to Wisconsin where German heritage remains strong was a natural for the company’s leadership team. Wisconsin is the fourth-largest producer of cabbage in the country. FFH’s CEO said in a statement, “A big motivation for us is to get closer to the source and strengthen our relationships with local farms. We were buying from brokers, buying from farms that were certified organic — but we didn’t know the people growing the product.” One of the world’s largest producers of sauerkraut and fermented foods, FFH ships its products to all 50 states and internationally. Full Story
Stevens Point: $4 million grant supports forest products research at UW-Stevens Point.
You might not know this, but Forest products are a $24.4 billion industry in Wisconsin, which makes it the state’s fourth-largest manufacturing sector. That might explain why Wisconsin’s economic development agency awarded a $4 million grant to support innovation in forest product development at UW-Stevens Points Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology. A report in the Wausau Daily Herald said WIST received the grant in March after the institute’s application for a federal grant made it to a final round but was not selected. Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation leaders saw the value of the institute’s work and decided to award the grant from the state’s funds. Since receiving the grant, Paul Fowler, executive director of WIST, has added four new staff members, student interns and laboratory equipment to help research on compostable materials and plant growth applications. One specific project the institute is working on is compostability and recyclability testing in fiber-based products, which may provide data to businesses with product development and market entry. Full Story
Green Bay: Stillmank Brewing unveils new Green Bay Draft Beer in special can.
When was the last time you sent a postcard? There’s something happening in Green bay that is being called “a postcard you can put in your fridge.” Stillmank Brewing Company has released their new Green bay Draft Beer and it comes in beautiful, colorful cans that can be considered hand-held art. The Press Gazette reports that the can is a colorful collage by well-known local muralist Beau Thomas. It features iconic things associated with Green Bay and the surrounding area, from the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge to the Tyrannosaurus rex sculptures outside the Neville Public Museum to the National Railroad Museum’s train history — and all the beer, brats, wildlife and waterways in between. Brad Stillmank, brewmaster and owner of Stillmank Brewing said, “We wanted to highlight as many Green Bay landmarks and images associated with Green Bay as possible, so when people are coming in from out of town, they maybe give (the beer) a try when they’re at a restaurant or somewhere.” Green Bay Draft Beer is a honey malt lager that Stillmank describes as clean, crisp and on the lighter side. The honey malt gives it a bit of a biscuity-type flavor and a touch of sweetness. Sounds delicious. Full Story
