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DID YOU KNOW small businesses create 60 to 80 % of new jobs and pay more than 45 % of the U.S. payroll every year AND 99% of new jobs in rural areas are from expansion of existing businesses or new business startups. Crawford County is a great place for business!
Business Resources
Starting a Business in Crawford County
Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club
Training & Technical Assistance
Grants, Loans, Financing, & Incentives
Commercial Banks and Lending Institutions
Business Networks & Services
Building Sites Real Estate, and Industrial Parks
Sustainable & Green Business Resources
New Agricultural Ventures
Economic Development Resources For Communities
Demographics
Regional Population Trends * Regional Economy * Workforce & Education * Tax Climate
Community Information and Maps
Quality of Life
Community Organizations
Tourism
Arts, Parks, and Recreation
Sustainability Initiatives
Hotels (number of rooms)
Housing (property tax information, size and available of existing homes, etc)
Health Care
Media outlets
Exploring Your Business Idea
Wisconsin Small Business Development Center
Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Network and WEN grant programs
Business Counseling and Business Plan Development
Couleecap Job and Business Development Program Income requirements may apply
Small Business Development Center
Couleecap Business assistance and loan programs and low income workers skills enhancement program
Small Business Development Centers- Platteville and Lacrosse
Workforce Connections, Inc. is located in the Crawford County Administration building, 225 North Beaumont Road Suite 318, Prairie du Chien. Crawford County residents may visit the resource room to search jobs, work on resumés and receive assistance on accessing Wisconsin’s Job Center of Wisconsin from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Workforce Connections, Inc. has a variety of employment and training programs to serve adult and youth job seekers, as well as anyone who has been laid off from employment. Other programs assist with transportation needs, serve those with disabilities, and help businesses and organizations to assist with workforce development needs.
Southwest Technical College More adult info and job training/ specialty training
University of Wisconsin Lacrosse
University of Wisconsin Platteville
Upper Iowa University- Also has a center in Prairie du Chien, WI. Course offerings in PDC:
Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
Viterbo University, Lacrosse
Western Technical College, Viroqua WIsconsin Some Job training info here: (i.e. Welding, etc)
The Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation- Small Business Loans Programs and Services (available to both men and women owned businesses)
Mississippi River Regional Plan Commission Growth Development Revolving Loan Fund- $7000-$85,000 minimum interest rate of 4%, one job created per $12,000
Couleecap Revolving Loan Fund- up to $50,000 at 3%
Department of Commerce Tax Credit and Incentive Programs
Alliant Energy Incentives - This site contains information for development assistance. Included is information on grants for environmental clean up, employee training, entrepreneurial grants, and loans associated with business start up cost. Also added would be information on tax credits, as well as development zone programs.
Patriot Express Loan Program - Small Business Administration
Anchor Bank
Citizens Bank
Royal Bank- Located in Gays Mills. Loan services for real estate, equipment upgrades as well as revolving lines of credit and working capital loans.
People’s State Bank Offers Loans for Farms, business and residential purposes, as well as Auto loans. Located in Prairie du Chien, Seneca, Boscobel, Soldiers Grove and Wauzeka. Link found here.
Badgerland Farm Credit- Offers loans for homes, hobby farms, recreational land as well as construction and lot loans. Farm loans including for the purchase of cattle and machinery upgrades are some of the services offered. Insurance services are also offered by Badgerland Farm Credit. Located in Prairie du Chien.
Harris Bank-
Associated Bank Offers Small business services including loans, Employee direct deposit, and international banking among others. Larger Commercial services would include asset based lending, international banking, and insurance serves as well as many others. Individual services would include home, auto loans as well as individual health savings accounts plus many more.
River Bank Located in Ferryville, WI
Marine Credit Union
Prairie du Chien Wisconsin Area Chamber of Commerce
McGregor/Marquette Iowa Chamber of Commerce
Fennimore Wisconsin Chamber
Inventors and Entreprenerus Clubs
Forward Wisconsin
Location One Information System - Community Profiles and availble building sites
Industrial Park Profiles and Contact Information
Prairie du Chien
Contact: Garth Frable, Prairie du Chien City planner
Wauzeka Industrial Park Map (PDF)
Contact:
Gays Mills Industrial Park Map ( PDF)
Contact: Dawn McCann, Village Clerk
Soldiers Grove Industrial Park
Contact: Soldiers Grove Community Development Corporation
Coming soon
Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection
Click here to see information relating to Growing Wisconsin Agriculture. This includes information on up to a $50,000 tax credit for dairy farmers looking to expand their business, as well as some resources regarding new laws and loans.
Click here to see the page that contains information for programs related to agriculture fields in several different areas. Information on these programs can be found here by field of production.
Transition to Organic Information
MOSES offers a mentoring program in which an organic farmer will partner with a farmer transitioning to organic to go through the regulations and make the transition easier. Published Studies on the benefits of organic production are also on the Moses site, as is the steps and guidelines on how to become a certified organic grower. Farmer Transition Hotline | 1-888-551-GROW (4769) (From Moses) Hotline for farmers making transition to organic
The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI)
This program helps farmers develop grazing plans on their farm as well as providing information as well as financial incentives such as grants to new grazers.
Value Added Production - Coming soon
The Crawford / Vernon County Regional Inventors and Entrepreneurs (I&E) club
can help you explore your idea and turn it into a product or business. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come early to meet other creative people, and browse the resource table. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month Gays Mills Community Building, Gays Mills (Click for map) Doors open at 6:00 pm. Program starts at 6:30 pm
NEW! Youth Entrepreneurship Club
Young adults are invited to join a newly forming Youth Entrepreneurship Club to explore business or product ideas or just get some creative juices flowing. The club will meet from 5:00-6:15 on Tuesday February 10 at the Gays Mills Community Building. Participants will be identifying areas of interest for activities and field trips, meeting other young entrepreneurs, and exploring the idea of starting a “team business.” New ideas are welcome! The club was inspired by a successful “Youth Entrepreneurship Day” held last September in Viroqua which featured national speaker and youth entrepreneur Ben Casnocha as well as business and creativity workshops. Over 130 students from nine local school districts attended the event organized by Crawford County UW Extension and Vernon Economic Development Corporation. Adult leaders are needed too! Let us know if you’re interested by contacting Amy Mitchell or Laura Brown at 608-326-0223
2009 BEST Conference Presentation
Resources For Small Town Economies in Tough Times
In tough times like these, small communities like Prairie du Chien, Ferryville, Seneca, and Gays Mills may find it difficult to compete with larger communities for jobs and tax base. According to several articles in the Winter issue of the Land Use Tracker, these communities are better off focusing on characteristics of “livability” than on economic development strategies traditionally used by larger communities (i.e. attracting large industry). Read “Liveable Communities: A Blueprint for Small Communities” and “Planning for Walkable/Bikeable Communities” online at
Downtown Economics is a newsletter published by the UW Extension Center for Community and Economic Development.
Latest issues:
- Helping Downtown Businesses During Difficult Economic Times.
- Consumer Behavior During Difficult Economic Times (November 2008, No. 147)
- Identifying Businesses in Trouble During Difficult Economic Times (October 2008, No. 146)
New to Crawford County? See what there is to do by clicking here!
Communities practice economic and tourism development to improve the well being of local residents. Successful community economic development supports a diverse range of industries, makes the most of a community’s unique character and resources, and builds the capacity of local residents and organizations. For many of Wisconsin’s rural communities, including Crawford County, Tourism plays an important role in achieving these goals.
Handouts from our presentation at the Governor's Conference on Tourism March 17, 2009
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Food and Culture Tourism Resports (see links below)
Crawford County Tourism Assessment
NEW! Food and Culture Tourism Study Reports
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison and the University Extension conducted this survey in 2008 to evaluate the impact of food and agritourism in Crawford and Vernon Counties. This three part report includes surveys of food producers, food retailers that specialize in marketing local foods, and food related festivals.
An Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism Crawford Restaurants & Retailers Report* (Combined Crawford/Vernon Report)
An Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism Crawford Producers * (Combined Crawford/Vernon Report)
An Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism Festivals Report
Zip Code Analysis
A comprehensive plan outlines a community’s long term vision and goals for the future. The plan serves as the community’s guide for land use, transportation, agricultural natural and cultural resources, housing, transportation, utilities and community facilities, economic development and provides specific recommendations for ways to implement goals in each of these areas. Counties, towns, or villages in Wisconsin that wish touse zoning or subdivision regulations must have their own comprehensive plan in place by January 1, 2010 to comply with state statutes
You'll find agenda's minutes, meeting annoucements, draft chapters and more information about the county planning process on the Crawford County Comprehensive Planning Website. The following communities have also posted links or draft chapters on the county website:
Town of Haney
Village of Gays Mills ( Flood Recovery Plan)
City of Prairie du Chien
( link to City website)
Getting Started: What is Comprehensive Planning?
Getting Started: Learn About Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Statute
Engaging Public Input and Participation
Writing the Plan
Data to Use in Your Plan: Demographics & Statistics
Note: In 2007 Crawford County conducted a countywide survey for the county comprehensive plan. The results of this survey are now available by town. Please contact the Crawford County UW Extension office to receive a memo summary of the survey results for your town . Completed town survey results are listed below.
AmeriCorps State has awarded Crawford and Vernon Counties a unique Farm to School grant that will bring locally grown foods to area schools. With office sites located in Prarie du Chien (Crawford) and Viroqua (Vernon), two part-time volunteers, trained by Americorps, will provide nutritional education and work with local farms to source foods from local farms for school meal and snack programs. You can learn more about farm to school by visiting the links below:
Click here to view the Directory of Local Food in Southwest Wisconsin
Click here to view a map of all Local Food producers in Southern Wisconsin
Click here to view the Southern WIsconsin Farm Fresh Atlas
Community Supported Agriculture in the Area
Abundant Grace Family Farm-
Area Farmer's Markets
NEW! Food and Culture Tourism Study Reports
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison and the University Extension conducted this survey in 2008 to evaluate the impact of food and agritourism in Crawford and Vernon Counties. This three part report includes surveys of food producers, food retailers that specialize in marketing local foods, and food related festivals.
An Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism Crawford Restaurants & Retailers Report* (Combined Crawford/Vernon Report)
An Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism Crawford Producers * (Combined Crawford/Vernon Report)
An Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism Festivals Report
2008- 2009 Building Communities Educational Wisline Series: Focus on Sustainability
Building Communities Websinar Education Series: Focus on Sustainability is a monthly class that meets every second Tuesday through 2009 at City Hall in Prairie du Chien . These workshops are offered to the public for no fee thanks to our local sponsor, Vierbicher Associates.
Please click here to access read the 2008-2009 Sustainability Series schedule
The Building Communities educational series will be offered via live, interactive Web programs which are accessed by the user with a simple web browser and a speakerphone. Using WisLine audio and browser-based software, participants can meet, interact, learn, and collaborate with others. If you plan to attend please pre-register for one or all programs by contacting the Crawford County UW Extension Office at 608-326-0223.
CLICK HERE FOR FLOOD RECOVERY RESOURCES
" From Saturday, August 18 through Sunday, August 19, 2007, southwestern Wisconsin received over twelve inches of rain causing extreme overland and river flooding along the Kickapoo River. The villages of Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove and nearby rural areas were most affected; at its peak the Kickapoo River at Gays Mills reached a crest of 19.79 feet or 6.79 feet above flood stage. According to County Sheriff Jerry Moran (as printed in the Crawford County Independent on August 23, 2007) “It’s the worst flooding we’ve ever seen…worse than the 1978 flood for sure.” The previous river peak record was set at 19.8 feet in 1978 and serious flooding had occurred in the area, on average, every 20 years or so. In a report of the August flooding event, the La Crosse National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration writes “When asked to provide a recurrence interval estimate for this event, an investigator should note the enormous gap between the 100-year 24-hour threshold (six inches), and the fifteen or more inches that fell during a 24-hour period on that ill-fated weekend.” The report places the probability of the flood “considerably below” one percent and closer to a 1,000 year flood." - from Center for Land Use Tracker Spring 08 Article WITH GROWING HOPE: A STUDY OF THE AUGUST 2007 KICKAPOO FLOOD IN THE VILLAGE OF GAYS MILLS By Laura Brown, Crawford County Community Development Educator
Flood Response
Information for Taxpayers Affected by Flooding
Taxpayers affected by flooding are encouraged to view a new IRS publication 4492-B, “Information for Affected Taxpayers in the Midwestern Disaster Area,” available online at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4492b.pdf Publication 970 on Education Credits is also helpful. Other important forms include: Form 8914 Exemption Amount for Taxpayers Housing Midwestern Displaced Individuals, Form 982 Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness, and Form 8930 Qualified Disaster Recovery Assistance Retirement Plan Distributions and Repayments. For more information contact Kathy Mostowski at 414 231-2147 or at Kathleen.M.Mostowik@irs.gov.
at the Crawford County Office
For all WisLines listed: Fees $20 and are available at any WisLine site. Contact WisLine Registrations at (608) 262-0810 or consult the registration brochure online:
The Crawford County Community Fund (CCCF), a charitable component of CFSW, will allow individuals and groups to contribute time and money toward the betterment of Crawford County. CFSW is a tax-exempt, publicly supported, nonprofit organization whose mission is to match personal philanthropy with community need. CCCF’s goal is to build a permanent endowment fund to support both current and future needs of the county through charitable grants made from the investment earnings. As the Fund grows through financial gifts and wise investment, the size and number of grants grow as well.
An anonymous donor has challenged the community with a matching gift of up to $25,000 to establish this endowment fund through CFSW. The generous donor will match gifts dollar for dollar up to $25,000. All funds must be received by CFSW by December 22, 2008, to be eligible for the match. The minimum amount required to establish a community fund through CFSW is $50,000.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laura Brown
Community Development Educator
Crawford County - UW Cooperative Extension
225 N. Beaumont, Suite 240
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
Phone: 608-326-0224
Fax: 608-326-0226
Email: laura.brown@ces.uwex.edu |
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