It doesn’t say supply management, but Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation delegates on have left potential dairy growth-management tools in their toolbox when they voted to approve a policy for the organization to research dairy-growth management options.
The call for researching growth management was included in the state Farm Bureau’s dairy policies Monday’s policy meeting at the 100th annual Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation convention at Wisconsin Dells.
“It is changed from last year,” said WFBF governmental relations executive director Karen Gefvert. “There is a concerted effort to have research done on different opportunities for supply and growth management.”
Members favoring the action want to see what might be viable to help dairy farmers to find ways toward profitability.
The status quo, the free market system isn’t working. If we want this to continue to be America’s Dairyland….we need to have some options on the table,” Gefvert said.
Development of the plan will require many conversations between membership and the WFBF Board and staff, with some of the members asked to step forward with their ideas.
“We can’t do this alone,” Gefvert said. “Dairy policy is very complicated, so when we have people very well-versed on a topic, we need to take advantage of utilizing their expertise.”
There were efforts during the policy debates to amend and even eliminate the growth-management section. One defeated amendment would have replaced the words “we support” with “we oppose” when referring to the dairy-growth management research.
Steve Strey, a delegate from Osseo, said his work in cattle procurement for a central Wisconsin sales company has shown him that something needs to be changed in policies to help dairy producers. When visiting farms to set up cattle sales, he said he often hears farmers say their bank is foreclosing, a divorce is imminent or that the farmer has considered suicide.
Growth management might not ultimately be something that should be done, but he said it’s always good to have options.
“The farmers need every tool that they can get in the toolbox,” Strey said. “Let’s not take a tool out of the toolbox.”
Some of the other tools included in this year’s WFBF policy toolbox:
– Supporting requirements that gasoline contain 15 percent ethanol through the entire year;
– Pushing the federal Food and Drug Administration to upgrade standards-of-identity to include current milk-processing technologies;
– Supporting opportunities for farmers to diversify operations to allow more agricultural experiences – including agricultural event venues;
– Supporting eased regulations to allow producers to market vegetables, meat, fruit and other products directly to consumers without local, county or state difficulties.
– Supporting a cost-sharing program for farmers who experienced losses caused by wolves.
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