MADISON – Today, more than 200 delegates at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s 102nd Annual Meeting established new policy directives for the organization.
Farm Bureau delegates adopted the policies that will be included in the organization’s policy book in 2022. Suggestions and policy ideas come directly from members who propose and vote on them at county Farm Bureau annual meetings. WFBF’s policy is established by members through a structured policy development process. Resolutions were submitted by delegates as part of a grassroots policy development process.
On the floor, delegates discussed carbon credits. They voted to support a voluntary carbon credit market that is instituted by U.S.-based companies and reflects the supply and demand of carbon credits.
In the area of natural resources and the environment, members support certified private sector professionals to be allowed to assist the DNR by utilizing their expertise to provide requirements that meet DNR permit requirements. They support all CAFO permits having a final determination within 12 months after original submittal or automatically approved by the department. In addition, they support state funding for planting of cover crops.
On the floor, delegates discussed alternative energy. They passed a resolution proposing local government have input over the control siting/placement of alternative energy projects. The delegates added policy supporting all alternative energy businesses to fund bonding that would require the businesses to pay for cleanup and restoration of the land.
Members support the ability to manage nuisance elk within the wildlife damage and claim program without requiring public hunting access to private lands.
Additionally, delegates discussed and voted to support the continued education of producers on the Dairy Revitalization Plan as based on the research by the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.
Delegates from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s 61 county Farm Bureaus:
- support all state indemnity payments be paid directly to producers, not to processors and not through processors.
- support having someone from county FSA committee sit on the land conservation committee with voting rights.
- support programs that emphasize innovations in product development, manufacturing and marketing strategies for all agricultural products.
- support the Public Service Commission holding companies accountable that receive public project funding for rural broadband.
- oppose the use of cumulative impact studies regarding high capacity well approvals.
On the federal level, delegates:
- support all indemnity payments be paid directly to producers, not to processors and not through processors.
- opposed to an increase in the inheritance tax and the loss of stepped-up basis.
- support developing and implementing a more responsive price discovery tool to replace the Federal Milk Marketing Order to better reflect the value of milk.
- support the same tax benefits for transitioning the farm to non-related family succession as to related family.
The federal resolutions will be forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration.
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.
