MORE THAN JUST MILK

This baby cow has some time to go before she produces milk, but for now, she’s contributing to Vir-Clar Farm’s energy output.  (You've heard me talk for a few years now about a renewable and plentiful Wisconsin energy source at the back end of livestock.) Years ago Vir-Clar Farms, just outside Fond du Lac, invested in a biodigester that converts organic waste from the farm into renewable energy. They then sell the Kilowatts they make in the biodigestion process back to the energy company which uses the electricity to power about 800 homes. 

Vir-Clar is family-owned but big; they have about 2000 animals. Many have asked me whether biodigesters- expensive investments- are even within reach for a small farm. My answer can be found in our Public Service Commision's exploration of suggestions for the future of WI biodigesters... some think a "hub and spoke" model...with a central, shared biodigester (the hub) and a number of contributing farms (spokes) is a way to get more farms involved in this novel way to reuse waste.

Biodigesters' byproducts are not limited to electricity, either... some suggest that natural gas and vehicle fuel are more valuable outputs. Regardless of the energy output, the biodigesters will also reliably produce fluffy dry bedding for livestock, a condensed crop fertilizer and water. Because of this, there's less of a "dairyair" smell that neighbors may not love, and more potential electric grid security as we identify new energy "micro-providers"... farms.  

Coincidentally this week I spoke at the 2017 Wisconsin Energy Providers Conference about the importance of renewable energy. Wisconsin has 34 farms deploying biodigesters and is a national leader.   Wisconsin is also home to several companies and colleges that know how to design, engineer, build and operate these systems.  The way I see it, biodigesters are a win-win-win-win for the environment, farmers, renewable energy, and jobs.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 

You may not need to be smarter than a 5th grader if they have been through the STEP (Student Tools for Emergency Planning) program! These 5th graders learn to be family and community leaders in the event of a disaster. Along with Adjutant General Donald Dunbar from the Wisconsin National Guard, I talked with students from Waubesa Intermediate School in McFarland about the importance of having a family readiness plan in a worst case scenario.  Thanks to a partnership between AT&T and Wisconsin Emergency Management, each student in the STEP program received a bag that they will fill with emergency go-to items like radios and flashlights.

Never Have I Ever...

Never have I ever seen a school STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning lab look so much like a fantastic children's museum.  Go up the road on highway 151, pass Fond du Lac and drive north along the eastside of Lake Winnebago and you’ll come to Brillion Elementary.  For those who are frequent followers of my newsletter you know that I have been to lots of Fab Labs (fabrication laboratories) and Innovation and Design Centers across the state.  Brillion, however, is the first elementary school in the state to have a STEM Center.  The 3,500 square foot facility was an investment that the school board and the community both voted to support. Most of the funding came through private donations. Talk about local control!  By the time these students are in the fifth grade, they will have already been exposed to elementary concepts in chemical and biomedical engineering, laying the foundation for future careers in high-demand fields.

TopTech Awards

Another week, another stop at a Wisconsin tech college!  At Lakeshore Technical College I was honored to give the keynote address at the TopTech awards, which recognized educators and businesses for their efforts to bring technical education into the K-12 classroom.  Everywhere you look in Wisconsin, there are teachers working long hours to assemble and implement STEM curricula in their classrooms or business leaders partnering with the members of the school board to coordinate the funding.  They know that the future of Wisconsin’s economy hinges on workforce development, and schools like Brillion show the benefits.  The jobs in Wisconsin exist; this week we had about 85,000 open jobs...our task is to work together to create skills training opportunities so we have people ready to fill them.   

A Note About Mental Health

This week I also visited our Drug Abuse Correction Center and our Winnebago Mental Health Institute. In both cases I met with both providers and customers. Each week I get a binder that includes reports from each of our agencies, chronicling the hard and good work they are doing. In the case of our Depts. of Corrections and Health Services, that often includes dealing with some of the most intense cases of troubled lives and mental health concerns in our entire state. Whether they are being de-stigmatized or simply diagnosed more, mental health and addiction cases are more frequently a part of the wellness conversation. I'm glad to have the first hand knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes at these facilities.

Forward,

Rebecca Kleefisch
Lt. Governor