Organic agriculture has a rich history in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is currently ranked #2 in the nation for organic farms with 1,455 which is also 8% of the nation’s total. Because of organic agriculture’s widespread presence in our state, our elected officials are paying attention to what those farmers need to be successful.
Senator Tammy Baldwin has introduced two legislative packages to support organic agriculture. The first package that she introduced in September is the Organic Market Development Act. “It deals with all sectors of the organic agriculture industry,” Senator Baldwin shared. “What we see right now in this area is an increase in demand for organic products.”
Farmers have also shared with Senator Baldwin that they are having a hard time keeping up to the demand. The Organic Market Development Act will provide grants for farmers to reach new markets, innovate new products, as well as growing their businesses. “Businesses could use these grants to purchase new equipment, add steady new product formulations, or really expand and upgrade their facilities to accommodate new products,” Baldwin remarked.
The other is the Organic Dairy Assistance, Investment, and Reporting Yields Act of 2023. This just announced legislative package will offer crucial emergency assistance to assist with the strong headwinds facing organic dairy. “These headwinds that we’ve seen include volatile markets, rising production cost, unstable feed supplies, and weather events,” stated Senator Baldwin. “So we wanted to really invest in solutions that keep our organic dairy industry strong.”
In addition to the emergency funding. dollars are allocated to essential dairy infrastructure investments. Senator Baldwin says, “this can go anywhere from establishing new processing plants or enhancing on farm infrastructure.” There is also an investment in research and data collection focusing specifically on organic dairy.
Senator Baldwin believes it is important to provide extra funding to support organic farmers at this time. “I look at our states rich tradition of leading in the organic movement in organic farming,” Baldwin reflected. “It’s great to see organic expand, the demand for organic expand, and it’s exciting to see Wisconsin’s leadership role in this movement.”
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