Wisconsin Farmers Union is reporting a spike in membership as producers turn to advocacy to navigate a volatile 2026.
President Darin Von Ruden says the organization now represents more than 2,200 family memberships, so a total of roughly 5,600 individuals. He says growth in the advocacy organization has come from a “perfect storm” of economic pressures:
- Market uncertainty and low fall sale prices have left up to 40 percent of farmers in some regions at risk of being denied the operating loans they need to survive the next season, he says.
- Von Ruden also notes that while a $12 billion federal bridge program is available, there’s an estimated $40 billion in national crop losses, leaving a $28 billion hole in farm incomes.
“The political climate in Washington, D.C. is adding a little bit of intensity to our members wanting to get more involved,” he says, noting that the disruption caused by ongoing tariffs remains a primary hurdle. “We need to have the federal government get out of the marketplace.”
The lack of a long-term Farm Bill is also a point of contention. Currently seven years behind schedule, the legislation is unlikely to see movement before September 2026 due to the upcoming election cycle.
“It’s a real frustration because it’s a project that starts the day after it gets passed,” Von Ruden explains. “We’re probably going to be eight [years behind] before it gets a good, serious look at it.”
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