GCDC

News

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October 2026

New Microloan for Maria's Flavor House

We're excited to share our newest Microloan recipient, Maria Temoxtle Sanchez with Maria's Flavor House! This authentic Mexican restaurant will be using the funds for refrigeration and kitchen equipment to get this new business started. Congratulations Maria!

GCDC has recently been awarded a $5500 Community Impact Grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin. The grant will support a new Hometown Internship & Emerging Leaders program. The goal of the program is to assist Green County businesses that offer internships, drawing talented young individuals and encouraging them to stay after their internships come to an end. Thank you to the Community Foundation for your support in this exciting new program!

Nikki Austin with Thrivent will be presenting at a lunch and learn workshop on strengthening business value and creating future opportunities. It will be held on Thursday, November 5th from 11:30am-1pm at the Monroe Bank of New Glarus meeting room. Lunch will be provided. This is a focused workshop designed for business owners who want to protect what they’ve built, and plan for what’s next. Goals include aligning your business, personal and financial goals, strengthening and accelerating business value—whether for growth or future transition, and exploring transition options aligned with your goals and vision.

Registration is required to attend this free event.

Click here to register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/7tsmtfv

Otte speaks at Rooted & Rising Conference

Olivia spoke at the Compeer Rooted & Rising Rural Forum Conference in Owatonna, Minnesota last month, discussing the topics of Rural economic development and housing. This inaugural event brought great discussion and highlighted that when it comes to rural communities, people are our greatest asset. They are the innovators, connectors, problem-solvers, and champions who move communities forward. We're excited to see how the conversations, connections, and ideas from this event continue to grow into action.

The Workforce and Entrepreneurial Leadership Development (WELD) Program is designed for individuals in the workforce and entrepreneurs looking to expand their business. Participants will gain skills in areas including:

• Developing effective communication and conflict management
• Leading teams and managing projects
• Gaining connections to community resources
• Growing civic engagement and community building

This program is offered in English and Spanish for people who live or work in Green or Lafayette Counties. Program application window closes October 16th.

WELD is possible due to strong collaboration between UW-Madison Division of Extension Green and Lafayette Counties, Green County Development Corporation, Lafayette County Development Corporation, and the generous support of local businesses.

See the website for details and to apply

Workforce and Entrepreneurial Leadership Development – Extension Green County

2026 Student Business Pitch Contest kickoff

This is a 4-part Pitch Contest to give students the chance to develop their business plan, building up to a Pitch Presentation, awarding $10,000 in prize money to get your business started. All Four sessions are from 4-6pm and will take place in the Launch Center at the new Monroe High School.

Wed. October 21st- Kickoff! Learn how to build a business plan

Wed. November 4th- Meet with mentors and refine the plan

Wed. November 18th- Meet with mentors, finalize and practice the pitch

Wed. December 2nd- Pitch your business plan to the judges & prizes are awarded!

Contact Teresa with any questions at teresa@greencountydevelopment.com

Any HS Student in Green County is welcome to attend! Register here:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/uz6de94

GCDC Dairy export project featured in Growing Wisconsin magazine

A recent article in "Growing Wisconsin" magazine, discussed the DATCP grant program, which GCDC was one of last years awardees. Through grant funding, GCDC and UW-Extension analyzed Green County’s dairy supply chain and agricultural industry to identify local actions for industry support. The study highlighted critical areas, including succession planning, operational diversification and automation. These shifts help farmers increase production for processors aiming to expand into competitive international markets.

“We have already seen these investments multiply beyond our original expectations,” Otte says. “It has opened the door to building relationships with our farmers and helping them think ahead about the future of their farms.”

See the article here:

Wisconsin Export Expansion Grants Connect Farmers to Global Markets

$213,000 Grant awarded to GCDC partnership exploring land trusts

GCDC has partnered with Marbleseed, a sustainable agriculture organization, to utilize a grant awarded from the Environmental Protection Agency, to look into feasibility studies of land trusts for housing and agriculture. This is another great example of GCDC partnering with other organizations to assist with grant writing and facilitating local connections.

The Welcome Home Green County program has started out with a strong first month! This first-time homebuyer program provides a $10,000 grant toward the purchase or construction of a home in Green County in exchange for volunteer service in the community. Our first two applicants have gone through the process and are waiting on their new homes to close!

Under the program, eligible first-time homebuyers receive a $10,000 grant at closing, secured by a subordinate mortgage on the property. In exchange, recipients complete 100 hours of volunteer service over five years, 20 hours per year, with an approved Green County nonprofit organization. After five years of continuous ownership and completion of the volunteer requirement, the grant is fully forgiven and the lien is released.

Help spread the word to any first-time homebuyer looking for a home in the county! Visit the website for more information and fill out the prequalification questionnaire: Welcome Home Green County | Green County Development

WEDC International market grants available

Applications are now being accepted for International Market Access Grants (IMAG) up to $30,000 to help your business expand its international reach.

Applications are reviewed and approved on a rolling basis, so companies are encouraged to apply as soon as possible after a new fiscal year begins on July 1 of each year for their best chance of being funded. See website for more info:

International Market Access Grant Program | WEDC

Applications open for DATCP

Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants

A new round of grant funding has opened for the DATCP Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants. Application deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 4th. This grant program is designed to strengthen Wisconsin's agriculture and food industries by helping farms and businesses more efficiently process, market, and distribute locally grown food products. BLBW grants provide consumers with access to more Wisconsin-grown food products.

See website for more info:

https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/BuyLocalBuyWisconsinGrants.aspx.

The HCC house is off to a great start with the new 2026-2027 student crew! They're learning a lot already, both on site, and getting some classroom time on the basics of home construction. The foundation was finished up, and the basement floor concrete was poured. Now the basement beams are up and the floor for the main level is going in. Before you know it, we'll have walls! Both sides of this twin home are available separately for pre-sale, so spread the word!

ServSafe certification classes available in Spanish

A ServSafe certification program is being offered for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs and food service professionals in Grant, Green, and Lafayette counties.

The program includes online instruction in Spanish, digital course materials, an in-person exam, and a printed certificate upon successful completion of the course.

A limited number of scholarships are available funded by the WEDC grant to help cover the $225 certification cost.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this opportunity, please help us spread the word!

Information Session (via Zoom) at 5pm Oct 11th

See the 2025 GCDC Annual Report

Check out what we've got going on and the impact we're making in the newly updated Annual Report. It's worth the read!

See the report here:

https://greencountydevelopment.com/investors/#reports