READ – Gov. Evers Urges Congress to Reauthorize Federal Farm Bill

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today, in a letter to members of the Wisconsin Congressional delegation, again urged bipartisan support for reauthorization of the U.S. Farm Bill, which is critical legislation for Wisconsin’s farmers and producers and helps support critical programs like food assistance. The governor’s letter advocating for Congress to act urgently to support the state’s and nation’s agricultural industry comes on Day 31 of the federal government shutdown, which is putting additional strain on hardworking farmers, their families, and agricultural communities in Wisconsin and across the country, who help put food on tables in the United States and around the world.

The governor’s letter notes the federal government shutdown is only compounding the consequences of President Donald Trump’s and the Trump Administration’s reckless decisions that have caused economic volatility and uncertainty for farmers, producers, and agricultural industries in America’s Dairyland and across the country. Farmers, producers, and ranchers are being impacted daily by President Trump’s erratic tariff taxes and trade wars affecting important Wisconsin exports, from soybeans and ginseng to dairy and beef. This includes, most recently, when farmers lost their biggest soybean buyer, China—which bought over $12 billion worth of soybeans in 2024—to South America, and as President Trump indicates he plans to increase foreign beef imports, which will harm American cattle farmers. While China has since decided to resume purchasing U.S. soybeans, the uncertainty caused by the Trump Administration’s on-again-off-again tariff taxes continues to threaten farmers and their livelihoods across the country.

“I write to emphasize the urgent need to advance federal legislation to support our nation’s farmer and producers through a reauthorization of the federal Farm Bill. Despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, Wisconsin’s farmers need our congressional delegation to show up and continue to make progress on this critical piece of legislation,” wrote Gov. Evers in the letter. “Indeed, it is in large part because of the ongoing federal government shutdown and the impact it is having on our farmers and producers that timely passage of a comprehensive Farm Bill is perhaps more important than ever as President Trump prioritizes foreign nations’ farmers and producers over American farmers, producers, and our agricultural industries.

“As Congress continues to draft revised Farm Bill legislation to reauthorize and invest in critical federal programs for our farmers and producers, I once again highlight specific programs critical for Wisconsin farmers and respectfully ask for your advocacy on these important programs,” Gov. Evers continued. “Here in America’s Dairyland, our farmers and producers and their families have been the backbone of our state for generations. I urge you to consider these important programs and recommendations as you continue to develop a timely, comprehensive, farmer-focused Farm Bill, most especially as decisions made in Washington are making things increasingly difficult for farmers and producers in Wisconsin.”

In addition to the president’s reckless trade wars, this letter also comes as Republicans’ federal government shutdown is entering Day 31 due to President Trump’s and Republicans’ refusal to negotiate on extending tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that ensure millions of Americans have access to healthcare, including farmers and their families, while also threatening basic needs programs that ensure access to basic food and groceries. If the government shutdown continues, nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites who rely on FoodShare, also known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will lose access to basic food and groceries when the program funding runs out tomorrow.

Wisconsin’s FoodShare program directly and indirectly impacts farmers across the state, from expanding Wisconsinites’ access to purchasing fresh, local produce directly from farmers and stimulating the statewide agricultural economy to protecting Wisconsin’s water resources and providing the necessary funding to farmers and landowners for runoff management practices. More information on Gov. Evers’ efforts to urge the Trump Administration to not only end the government shutdown but use available federal funding to extend food assistance into November is available here.

In addition to advocating for federal support of SNAP and Wisconsin’s FoodShare program, the governor’s letter highlights additional investments and recommendations for the Farm Bill that would support and uplift Wisconsin’s agricultural industry, including but not limited to:

• Reauthorizing programs that support Wisconsin’s producers, including the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which supports growers of the dozens of crops Wisconsin is home to by providing funding for research, market development, and education;
• Continuing programs that assist Wisconsin farmers in accessing international markets, including increasing funding for trade promotion, development, and assistance programs;
• Providing additional funding for the Wisconsin Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program to help address agricultural supply chain issues and ensure a seamless pipeline for Wisconsin products to get to Wisconsinites;
• Advocating for continued funding for free and confidential mediation services that help reduce farm stress and lower suicide rates by allowing trained professionals to guide farmers through conflicts, debt challenges, and other stressful situations;
• Uplifting “America’s Dairyland” through the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative;
• Increasing funding for animal disease and response research to help safeguard livestock, maintain the strength of the agricultural economy, and ensure a stable food supply;
• Safeguarding Wisconsin’s water resources, sustaining wildlife habitat, and strengthening the economic vitality of rural communities across the state through the continuation of voluntary conservation programs;
• Addressing and mitigating PFAS and other contaminants in water across the state to ensure farmers and their communities have access to safe, clean water, including by supporting U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wisconsin) bipartisan Healthy H2O Act;
• Supporting Wisconsin’s forestry industry by assisting woodland owners in promoting healthy, resilient forests that ensure a secure supply of fiber for the forest industry and provide various ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat, water quality, and air quality; and
• Supporting public access to private lands for wildlife-focused recreation through programs such as the federal Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program.

A copy of Gov. Evers’ letter to members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation is available here.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON GOV. EVERS’ INVESTMENTS TO SUPPORT WISCONSIN’S FARMERS, PRODUCERS, AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES STATEWIDE

Gov. Evers, over the past six years, has secured critical investments for farmers, producers, and their families, including supporting the state’s meat and dairy producers, investing in farmer mental health resources, and bolstering Wisconsin’s exports worldwide. Gov. Evers recognizes that Wisconsin’s $116 billion agricultural industry is as critical to the state economy as it is to Wisconsin’s heritage and culture, and ensuring its continued growth and success for generations to come will be critical to ensuring Wisconsin’s continued growth and success.

Building upon efforts of the Evers Administration to date to support Wisconsin’s agricultural industry and proud heritage as “America’s Dairyland,” the 2025-27 Biennial Budget provides:

• Continuing support for the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program, created by Gov. Evers in the 2023-25 biennium, with a $150 million investment to continue repairing and improving Wisconsin’s rural roads to help farmers and producers and the state’s agricultural and forestry industries move products to market safely and efficiently;
  • $30 million of the $150 million secured for ARIP will be specifically targeted to bridge and culvert repair to help improve and repair deteriorating bridges across the state.
• $20 million to create a new state program designed to support dairy and agriculture resilience;
• $10 million to continue the Food Security Initiative, a program created by Gov. Evers that connects local nonprofit food assistance programs, such as food pantries, with local producers to keep shelves stocked;
• $3 million to continue the Tribal Elder Food Security program that helps Tribal elders access nutritious, culturally-relevant food while supporting Wisconsin producers;
• $800,000 to increase the available funding for the successful Dairy Processor Grant Program;
• $1 million to bolster and support the Meat Processor Grant Program;
• Over $2.4 million over the biennium for the Meat Inspection Program to ensure meat products are produced safely and match nutrition labels;
• $200,000 to support farmers and their families’ mental health;
• $500,000 to increase funding for the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program, which helps enable producers and producer-led groups to implement nonpoint source pollution abatement strategies to improve Wisconsin’s soil and water quality;
• $2 million to continue the commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, which aims to protect vital soil and water resources; and
• An additional $1.6 million to support the cover crop insurance program, which helps assist farmers with rebates of $5 per acre of a cover crop planted for crop insurance premiums paid on those acres.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.