The Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative is the result of a unique private-public partnership kicked off by Dane County. Dane County started with a Feasibility Study in late 2010, funded by a HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant through the Capital Area Regional Plan Commission. The study included outreach to and involvement by a wide range of stakeholders and market actors and the Southern Wisconsin Food Hub Feasibility Study was completed in September, 2011. Following the Study, Dane County issued a request for information (RFI) for an owner-operator, resulting in a partnership between Dane County, the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) and farmers interested in being part of this new enterprise. A business planning process was then started by Dane County. Wisconsin Farmers Union took over the reins in the late summer of 2012 and provided resources and financing to finish the business plan and move towards business launch with pre-development funds. The cooperative was officially incorporated in October of 2012 and the by-laws were adopted by the founder members at the first annual meeting of the co-op, held in April 2013. During the feasibility study and early business planning process grant funding from the City of Madison, Dane County and Madison Gas & Electric also aided the project. In addition the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative has received support from Forward Community Investment, the UW Center for Cooperatives, USDA Rural Development office Cooperative Development Services personnel as well as the award of a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant.