In an effort to streamline Wisconsin’s agricultural resources, REAP Food Group has announced a partnership with Wisconsin Farmers Union to expand the reach of the Farm Fresh Atlas. The collaboration comes as the atlas prepares for its landmark 25th-anniversary publication in 2026.
Aidan Coffin Ness, director of the Farm Fresh Atlas at REAP Food Group, tells Mid-West Farm Report that the program started as a small guide for the Dane County Farmers’ Market. Now, it’s a statewide resource that reaches over 125,000 people annually.
By partnering with WFU, the atlas aims to become the most robust directory in the state, helping everyone from individual families to school lunch programs source local ingredients.
“Anything we can do to make it as easy as possible for anyone who’s wanting to buy local, whether it’s a consumer or someone who’s, you know, feeding consumers in other ways… that’s ultimately the goal,” Coffin Ness says.
The partnership also addresses a critical need for stability in the food system, she explains. As federal funding for other directories fluctuates, this “unified front” ensures that Wisconsin’s 500+ local food businesses remain visible to the public.
“I think it’s a really good partnership of us being able to have that data and organization… and then Farmers Union being able to have such a great reach with farmers around Wisconsin,” says Coffin Ness.
See the Farm Fresh Atlas: https://farmfreshatlas.org/
Farmers Union is a good organization. Our family was and is members for many many years. Our oldest daughter, after attending camp for many years, became the camp director, and loved being there and working with the youth.