Standing Up for Wisconsin Farmers

Wisconsin is now and will always be America's Dairyland. We have efficient, hard-working farmers, plentiful water and feed supplies, great land, an entrepreneurial spirit, and an unyielding pride in our dairy heritage which gives us the competitive edge for success.  However, Wisconsin agriculture is not just about dairy farming.  The state is home to beef, poultry, veal and fish farms.  Our farmers grow cranberries, potatoes, ginseng and nursery plants, along with hay, corn and soybeans.  All of these contribute to the richness of our state's flourishing agricultural industry.  I have worked hard in the Senate to help protect and promote the interests of all Wisconsin farmers and our rural communities.  These interests are my highest priorities.

In recent years, I have:

  • Led efforts to defeat the Northeast Dairy Compact;
  • Helped create and strengthen the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC), a counter-cyclical dairy support program which provides a safety net for all dairy producers;
  • Pushed a pioneering health care cooperative so that Wisconsin farmers have better health care options;
  • Funded dairy research and innovation through the Value-Added Dairy Initiative which helps homegrown entrepreneurs create competitive dairy businesses; and
  • Fought for better conservation programs so we can protect the wetlands and waterways so critical to our state and the good quality of the land.
  • Fought for changes to allow interstate commerce of state-inspected meat products.