MADISON – Today, more than 230 delegates at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s 104th Annual Meeting established new policy directives for the organization.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau delegates adopted the policies that will be included in the organization’s policy book in 2024. Resolutions were submitted by delegates as part of the organization’s annual grassroots policy development process. Topics discussed on the delegate floor included dairy, energy and transportation.
During the dairy discussion, delegates supported the transfer of grade A permits from seller to buyer with a grace period to update current codes if necessary. Delegates also supported the implementation of a dairy revitalization plan on both the state and federal level.
During energy discussions, members were diligent in their support of preserving Wisconsin agriculture land for agricultural production. Delegates supported:
- Wisconsin law requiring an Agricultural Impact Statement (AIS) to construct solar and wind projects.
- Requiring new solar projects have to utilize brown fields, rooftops and degraded lands or low-yield, underutilized or marginalized farmland.
- Safety training for first responders around renewable energy sources.
- Making biofuels (both diesel and gas) more accessible for use across the state.
- Preserving Wisconsin agriculture land for agricultural production.
Delegates opposed farmland preservation tax credits to be claimed for land in solar energy projects unless it is an accessory use of the farm.
Delegates from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s 61 county Farm Bureaus also supported:
- Initiatives to expand access to affordable rural childcare.
- Increased financial support for crop damage due to wildlife.
- Creation and state funding for a Wisconsin Office of Agricultural Tourism.
- Reaffirmed support for a voluntary carbon credit market.
On the federal level, delegates:
- Supported easing Farm Service Agency Beginning Farmer Loan requirements for young farmers pursuing the purchase of a farm.
- Supported increasing the weight limit of drones.
The federal resolutions will be forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration at its annual convention next month.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization. Made up of 61 county Farm Bureaus, it represents farms of all sizes, commodities and management styles.
