Three New Farm Bills Aim to Help Struggling Wisconsin Farmers
Wednesday, September 4th, 2019 -- 8:38 AM
(WRN) -Three new farm bills aimed at helping struggling Wisconsin farmers were announced at the Capitol on Tuesday.Three new farm bills aimed at helping struggling Wisconsin farmers were announced at the Capitol on Tuesday. One of the bills would create a permanent position at the UW-Extension to help farmers with estate planning. Baraboo assemblyman Dave Considine says that's critical in keeping family farms running.
"Just a few years ago, my family had what we called our 'farm talk', or our succession planning meeting. I also hear about succession planning in almost every farm I tour."
Beloit Assemblyman Mark Spreitzer says the average age of a Wisconsin farmer is past 50, and is only getting older.
"To continue Wisconsin's strong tradition of farmers that feed our state and beyond, we must recruit and retain the next generation of beginning farmers."
Milton Assemblyman Don Vruwink says the wide variety of farm operations in his district shows that Wisconsin ag isn't just beans, corn and cows.
"People who grow mushrooms, I have a cherry orchard, a blueberry farm, a raspberry farm, a lot of different diversity. And that's what this bill is designed to do, is to help these people continue to expand or continue these operations."
The other bills would help support new farmers, incentivize small scale farmers to diversify the sorts of crops and livestock they handle, create special positions with the UW-Extension to focus on estate planning for farmers and give young farmers funding to start new operations, and would create a pair of positions at the UW-Extension to help farmers plan out their estates.
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