The past year has been a very difficult time for Wisconsin dairy farmers and their families.  I have heard the personal stories from farmers across the state who are going to extraordinary lengths to get through this crisis.  We must find both an immediate and a long-term solution so we can save farms and preserve the livelihood of farmers in western Wisconsin and across the country.

The depth of the current downturn and the inability of the current programs to adequately assist farmers show that the system we have is broken and a new framework is needed. As a founding member of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus, I am working to push Congress and the Administration to provide immediate relief while also trying to craft a new, national dairy policy that better meets the needs of dairy farmers in today’s economy.

A national dairy policy could include a provision from my 2007 farm bill proposal for tax free savings accounts, so that farmers would be able to save when times are good and draw from the accounts when times are bad.  This would prevent farmers from having to depend on big government payouts and would allow the industry to more easily withstand changes in the market.  Tax free savings accounts also provide a stable method for getting away from MILC payments and government dairy purchases, which often distort the market.  A national, long-term solution must look at the industry as a whole so that we can assure farmers that the future of the dairy market is reliable. In the coming weeks I will be seeking input from farmers and other industry stakeholders to develop this policy.

The Dairy Industry Advisory Committee, currently being assembled by Secretary Vilsack, will gather input from various parts of the country and will be invaluable as USDA and Congress work together to create a new dairy framework.  Because many qualified Wisconsin farmers, processors, and other industry participants were nominated, I am hopeful that our state’s interests will be well represented on the panel.  

Together we can and must find a solution to this dairy crisis.  A new, forward-looking national dairy policy is the only way to help stabilize the market, help farmers weather the economic changes, and ensure our dairy industry is profitable in a 21st Century marketplace.