Resolution Authorizing the County Administrator to Accept a Grant for Local Projects and Enter into a Grant Agreement and Land Use Restriction Agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Administration; Amending the Land Resources and Environment Departmen

The Sauk County Board of Supervisors adopted the Sauk County Farm Master Plan in March 2022 (Resolution No. 35-2022). The Plan ensures the continued management of the site’s agricultural and natural resources, preservation of its historic features, and the transformation of the space into an educational resource for the communities of Sauk County. Over the next 20 years, the County Farm is envisioned to become an important educational resource for Sauk County residents of all ages and backgrounds to learn about regenerative, profitable, and resilient agricultural practices through on-site demonstrations, research and collaborative partnerships. In October 2023, the Sauk County Board of Supervisors adopted the Sauk County Farm Education Hub Development Plan as an Appendix to the 2022-2042 Sauk County Farm Property Master Plan (Resolution 82-2023). The Education Hub Development Plan is an overlaying 20-year engineered blueprint outlining the development of a future educational hub for indoor/outdoor events, programming, recreational trails, community gardens, and habitat restoration. The planning process for both plans included a significant amount of stakeholder engagement to develop, review, and refine the plan.

Sauk County has been awarded a Grant for Local Projects (Non-State Grant Program) to expand planned improvements at the Sauk County Farm. The purpose of the Non-State Grant Program is to offer funding to organizations for capital infrastructure projects that benefit the broader public. This project falls under the “Economic and Workforce Development” category which includes projects that stimulate job growth and economic prosperity in Wisconsin. This encompasses initiatives to attract new businesses, expand existing businesses, invest in tourism-related endeavors, or provide workforce training and education. The planned improvements include restoring the carriage doors and upgrading the electrical components of the historic firehouse, moving the entrance of the driveway and constructing appropriate stormwater collection basins, burying the existing power line, installing a welcome kiosk, and planting prairie and foraging tree species.