Wisconsin farmers have mixed reactions to the dairy task force proposals

With 638 Wisconsin farms shut down in 2018, it is no secret the state is battling a dairy crisis. A joint effort between the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the University of Wisconsin system, the task force’s goal is to ensure a successful and profitable future for the industry, much like the first dairy task force tried to do in 1985. The new proposals, passed December 13, hinge on state funding. The first plan recommends an expansion to Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) loan programs that farmers currently use, essentially giving farmers access to more capital when applying for loans. “The state would use funding to guarantee a loan for special purpose facilities in rural communities,” Task Force Chairman Mark Stephenson explains. He adds that what is available to them now is considerably less than what is being proposed—and that those current limits often are not enough to help them move forward with expansions. The second proposal—ranked by task force members as their highest priority—involves an injection of $7.6 million annually into the UW system to fund a dairy research innovation hub on three of the system’s agricultural campuses. The research hub would focus on four topics, including better stewardship of farming land and resources, new product development for human health, improved animal health, and boosting farm businesses in rural communities. The proposals are not being met with unanimous approval in the farming community, however. Pleasant View Dairy farm owner James Juedes feels he speaks for many farmers when he says the task force is not addressing the true needs of Wisconsin farmers.“It doesn’t do anything to solve the problem we have of over-supply. It just kind of throws money at it,” he said.