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More Wisconsin farmers feeling the squeeze from tariffs

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Wisconsin farmers are feeling the squeeze as the trade war intensifies.

Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association Executive Director Tamas Houlihan says specific tariffs on frozen potato products are going to make it to Wisconsin farmers.

“Wisconsin does not export a lot of potatoes, but when our friends out west, like Idaho, Washington, Oregon, when they can’t export then their potatoes have to stay on the domestic market which hurts everybody in the US.”

Houlihan says he’d much rather be able to not have to deal with retaliatory tariffs. “Our goal is to expand potato trade. It’s a priority over these mitigation efforts.”

Those mitigation efforts include a plan to distribute $12 billion to American farmers.

Houlihan says he’d much rather see better trade deals and reductions in tariffs rather than aid packages. He says a loss of trade now might never be restored.

Wisconsin senators react to proposed farmer bailout package

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The Trump Administration is planning to deliver a massive payout to American farmers hurt by a trade war.

That’s in line with a letter Senator Tammy Baldwin sent to the Ag Department earlier on Tuesday that called for farmer assistance.

“On top of every other challenge that our agricultural economy faces, especially dairy, the retaliatory tariffs are causing major harm.”

Under the proposal, the Trump Administration would deliver $12 billion in aid to farmers across the country. Baldwin’s letter to the USDA calls for long term fixes, and to instead focus on Chinese money manipulation and Canadian dairy tariffs.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson says farmers “want trade, not aid” while other critics say the administration is putting farmers on “welfare.”

Senator Johnson also suggested in front of reporters from Politico and The Hill that the Trump Administration is steering the country’s free market economy toward a “Soviet-style” system where “commissars” decide how to sprinkle out benefits.

County fair season is starting, says Secretary Harsdorf

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A mainstay Wisconsin tradition is likely starting near you somewhere soon as county fairs get underway this summer.

Many of the fairs around Wisconsin have been operating for over 150 years and state ag secretary Sheila Harsdorf says the county fair is a great time to go and connect as a family. “Go to the fair for fun, getting to know your friends and neighbors, eating great food, and learning more about agriculture.”

She adds that they make a great chance to connect with your friends and neighbors, because they’re probably helping to run the event. “It’s important to acknowledge and recognize the hundreds of volunteers that go into making a fair, whether it’s the local county fair or the state fair, a success.”

Kids looking for something to do this summer should also consider entering a project for their fair. “There’s literally projects for everyone, from computers to rocketry. Even non farm kids can connect with a farmer and have a management project and show an animal.”

The State Fair is set to open next month from August 2nd to the 12th.

You can find out more about that and your local fair online at www.wifairs.com

Baldwin and Johnson split on Senate Farm Bill vote

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Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

The U.S. Senate has passed a five-year farm bill. The measure now heads to what will almost certainly be a contentious negotiating process with members of the House.

“Wisconsin farmers are a key driver of our agriculture economy and rural communities,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. The Wisconsin Democrat voted for the package, and said it included several provisions that she authored.  

Wisconsin Republican, Senator Ron Johnson, voted against the bill. “While the bill voted on today included many worthy provisions, it failed to take even small steps to reform runaway government spending on programs that have little if anything to do with Wisconsin’s farm families.” Johnson said. He added that he hoped to be able to support a final, improved version.The Senate passed its $428 billion bill on Thursday, on a 86-to-11 vote. The House version passed last week with no Democratic support. It imposes strict new work requirements on able-bodied adults seeking food stamps. The Senate version, which needed Democratic votes to pass, does not include major changes to food stamps.

Walker says goal should be no tariffs

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With the announcement that Milwaukee based Harley-Davidson plans to shift production of some motorcycles to Europe due to tariffs on US products, Governor Scott Walker is calling for an end to tariffs across the board. “The interest of the United States is not to put more tariffs on, but rather to create a level playing field where there are no tariffs in the future,” Walker said Monday in Wausau.

The Republican governor said that during a recent trip to Washington he discussed what the tariffs would mean with several other governors and federal officials, and they came to an agreement that the best course of action would be no tariffs at all.

Walker also hinted that another tax break could be coming for residents after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of South Dakota in a recent case involving the taxation of online purchases. He said the goal would be to offset the online taxation in some way, so it does not become an extra tax on residents. Possibilities included an income tax break or the extension of the upcoming child tax credit.

Walker made the comments in Wausau on Monday after announcing a $500,000 state grant to the Great Lakes Cheese company to help train some 200 anticipated new employees at its Wausau location. Walker — who is running for reelection in November — proclaimed Monday as “Wisconsin Cheese Day.”

DATCP culls CWD positive deer herd

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A deer farm in Iowa County had to be depopulated after animals tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

State officials ordered the move after deer shot in Waupaca County that tested positive for CWD were traced back to the farm.

State ag spokeswoman Leeann Duwe says the culling was required because the only way to test for CWD is after death. “This farm was depopulated, and those 21 CWD positives are a result of those animals being tested.” A total of 103 animals were culled for testing.

Duwe says better testing among game farms is helping the state better track CWD infections. “It allows us to determine to where animals are transmitting the disease, where they are coming from, so we can do traceback from all animals in those locations.”

The farm will now have to undergo cleaning, and won’t be able to be used to raise deer in the future.

Walker unveils new dairy task force

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A task force will work to come up with recommendations on ways Wisconsin dairy farmers can remain viable and profitable in a tough marketplace.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection and the University of Wisconsin System will provide experts to sit on the panel.

During a stop in Wausau on Tuesday, Governor Scott Walker said the group will focus on everything “from opening up more markets across the county and the world to trade and looking at ways we can keep cost down for our dairy farmers.”

Walker said he would like those discussions to also include ways to help grow the next generation of dairy farmers.

The dairy industry is struggling to deal with falling milk and commodity prices. An abundance of product on the market has kept prices low for the last three years. Wisconsin dairy herds are down about 20 percent from five years ago and 500 dairy farms went out of business last year.

WSAU

Supreme Court rules in favor of Wood County dairy farm

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has overruled an appeals court and granted the owners of a proposed dairy operation in the Central Wisconsin town of Saratoga the right to use over 6300 acres of land despite a town zoning ordinance

The case of Golden Sands Dairy LLC vs the Town of Saratoga was announced Tuesday morning. At stake was whether the Wysocki family can expand their operation to cover 6,388 acres, allowing for over 5 thousand head of cattle and supporting crops.

The two sides have been at odds over the expansion for the better part of five years. A previous Appeals Court ruling in 2014 determined that the family was legal in obtaining a permit for seven buildings on the land.

Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Shirley Abrahamson both dissented. Abrahamson wrote that decision creates uncertainty in the building permit process.

The current issue was with the acres outside the area where the buildings will be constructed. At the time of the application that land was zoned as unrestricted, meaning it could be used for any lawful purpose. The town re-zoned that land shortly after the initial permit application was submitted in a way that prohibited Golden Sands’ planned agricultural use. The issue has been tied up in the court system ever since.

Town officials have stated that it’s not possible for an expanded Golden Sands Dairy to keep its pollution levels down, saying in November of 2016 that the area’s drinking water was already showing an unhealthy level of nitrates.

The Wysocki family says it still plans to work with the Town to alleviate their concerns.

WSAU

DATCP quarantines two farms with positive CWD samples

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A deer farm in Dane County and an elk farm in Richland County have been quarantined. Those quarantines are due to chronic wasting disease at both facilities.

A release by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, says samples from a whitetail doe and elk cow tested positive for CWD.

The 10-acre Dane County farm has had 20 deer sampled for CWD since 2010. The 20-acre Richland County elk farm has had 25 elk sampled for the disease since 2007.

Watch for noxious seeds in wildflower plantings

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Farmers and landowners looking to plant ‘conservation plants’ on their properties need to be on the lookout for a noxious weed that’s been working its way into these seed mixes.

The plant is called Palmer amaranth. It’s a very tall, fast growing plant native to the arid southwest United States. The plant grows on average from six to eight feet tall, but can reach 10 feet. It can also produce 500,000 seeds per plant, making it extremely prolific.

That wide dispersion of seeds is the problem, says state ag spokeswoman Donna Gilson. “You can see how it could spread very very quickly, and it can just decimate a soybean or corn field.”

The amaranth and its seeds are also resistant to traditional forms of pesticide or weed killers, which makes removing the plants from a field an uphill battle. “Those seeds can remain dormant for several years too,” says Gilson, “so if you have to fight it it’s going to be a long expensive battle.”

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says the Palmer amaranth was being distributed in specially packed ‘conservation mixes’ for farmers looking to attract pollinators and other beneficial wildlife to their properties, but that the plant could grow wildly out of sync and start overtaking native plants. New emergency rules have classified the amaranth as a noxious seed, making it illegal for growers and distributors to bring the seed into the state.

Anyone planting a pollinator or conservation seed mix should:

  • Be aware of what Palmer amaranth looks like. You can find many clear photos in an online image search.
  • Buy local seed mixes if possible, with no pigweed or amaranth listed on the label.
  • Thoroughly clean equipment after seeding, especially if your seed mix came from out of state.
  • Call your University of Wisconsin-Extension office if you suspect you have found Palmer amaranth.

You can find out more about the plant or get help finding local mixes by contacting your local ag office or DATCP at their website.