On Mar. 29, more than 250 farmers and agriculturists gathered at the Monona Terrace in Madison for Ag Day at the Capitol.
Ag Day is WFBF’s annual event for farmers and agriculturists to learn more about state issues affecting agriculture and meet with their state legislators on the industry’s biggest legislative priorities in the 2023-25 state budget.
“We appreciate our members taking time off their farms to speak up on key issues impacting our rural communities,” said WFBF Executive Director of Governmental Relations Jason Mugnaini. “The strength of our rural community lies within the voices of our state’s farmers and the ability to share their stories with their legislators.”
Attendees started the day with DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski who outlined initiatives impacting agriculture in the Biennial State Budget. Following the Secretary’s speech, the afternoon session was a legislative panel comprised of Senators Howard Marklein and Joan Ballweg, and Representatives Tony Kurtz and Nancy VanderMeer. The program concluded with issue briefings with a strong focus on farm supply chain protection. Topics included improvements to local transportation, labor, animal health and disease prevention, and food distribution and aggregation solutions. Additional issue briefings focused on farmer-led conservation, rural prosperity, and the organization’s legislative session priorities.
Click here to listen to a recap of a day at the Capitol from the Mid-West Farm report.
