MADISON – Today, more than 230 delegates at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s 105th Annual Meeting established new policy directives for the organization.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau delegates adopted the policies that will be included in the organization’s policy book in 2025. Resolutions were submitted by delegates as part of the organization’s annual grassroots policy development process. Topics discussed on the delegate floor included dairy, energy and transportation.
During the dairy discussion, delegates voted in support of increased transparency in milk pricing by requiring all entities that purchase milk to provide detailed and accessible breakdowns of milk checks to their producers. Delegates updated WFBF policy to no longer include support for the sale of raw milk. Delegates also voted in support of uniform clarification of regulations and restrictions on dairy farmers and requiring dairy inspectors to sign off with farm owners to clarify any marks. In federal dairy policy, delegates supported mandatory price reporting from all processors for federal orders.
During the education discussion, delegates voted to support Farm Business Management training at the local technical college level, with specific training geared towards beginning farmers, including financial and business management training, and beginning farmer support groups. Delegates also voted to support increase youth tractor safety class offerings across the state and utilizing qualified instructors or safety professional to provide more opportunities for students.
Delegates from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s 61 county Farm Bureaus also voted to:
- Support the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program.
- Support the use of biofuel blended fuels year-round.
- Support the creation of a program to connect farmers and agricultural service professionals wishing to transition out of production agriculture and agri-businesses with beginning farmers and service professionals.
- Oppose efforts to allow unrestricted foreign ownership of Wisconsin farmland.
- Support limiting restrictions and regulations on direct marketing of ag products, cottage food producers, farmers markets, etc.
- Support the development of cost share programs designed to aid livestock producers in implementing or updating biosecurity measures.
- Support increased investment in research and development aimed at identifying sustainable and environmentally beneficial solutions for agricultural plastics, ensuring responsible management and reduction of environmental impact.
On the federal level, delegates voted to:
- Oppose NRCS inflexibility in EQIP contracts.
- Support lowering Dairy Margin Coverage tier 1 coverage to 6 million pounds or less.
- Support the implementation of the Dairy Revitalization plan.
- Support GPS mapping services designating a difference between primary commercial routes and other secondary roads to increase safety and decrease the pressure on secondary roads caused by “shortest distance or fastest” mapping.
The federal resolutions will be forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration at its annual convention next month.
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