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Can Wisconsin be a new produce mega-producer?
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Tony Jay looks over the onion seedlings growing in the greenhouse on the farm he runs with his wife, Laura Jay, just outside Monroe. Currently the couple intensively plants about 1.5 acres of produce. A new study concludes it is feasible for the immediate region, including Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, to scale up produce production for wholesale markets and compete with mega-producers in California and Mexico. (Times photo: Anthony Wahl)
MONROE - A new feasibility study of regional fruit and vegetable production concludes that the area can flourish and even compete against mega-producers like California and Mexico, if there is a coordinated effort to change agriculture policies and build up the right infrastructure. It doesn't take an expert to notice the irony of Midwestern produce consumption. All it takes is a walk through any grocery store's produce section in July or August.