The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association applauds today’s announcement regarding the creation of the Great Lakes Bio-energy Research Center (GLBRC).  Wisconsin’s agricultural community is beginning to reap the rewards of many of the Governor’s visionary programs and policies.  The awarding of this $125 million grant to the University of Wisconsin for bio-energy research proves that Wisconsin is recognized nationwide as being at the forefront of programs and policies that are significant contributions to our nation’s energy independence," said Dairy Business Association’s Executive Director Laurie Fischer.

Under this grant, The Great Lakes Bio-energy Research Center will focus its research on cost effective methods and practices to convert organic biomass materials like forest products, untreated wood products, corn, and animal waste into ethanol or other liquid fuels such as bio-diesel.  "In the past, some of these materials were seen as trash to be land filled.  In the future, they can become a significant part of America's independence from foreign oil," said Fischer.

The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association has supported efforts at finding alternative methods of handling animal waste to meet the green goals of our state.  If Wisconsin is to remain the leader in production of dairy products, cheese and milk, we must have dairy farms and the billions of dollars in revenue they contribute to our state's economy.  With Wisconsin becoming home to the Great Lakes Bio-energy Research Center, Wisconsin's agribusiness will be first to benefit from the research that will find those most cost efficient ways of turning agricultural products like corn, switch grass and other agricultural biomasses, such as animal waste, into usable and environmentally friendly energy sources.

The policies supported by our Governor and the Legislature in the past few years have been key to the economic stability of our dairy industry.  This federal research grant will allow the University of Wisconsin to become a stronger partner in the success and growth of one of the major sources of revenue for this state - its dairy industry.