Hello, this is Representative Sondy Pope with this week’s Democratic Radio Address.
June is Dairy Month, and we all know that no one does dairy better than Wisconsin. In 2021, Wisconsin was ranked first in total cheese production, producing nearly three and a half billion pounds of over 600 different kinds of cheese, accounting for 25% of cheese production in the United States.
My Republican colleagues like to talk about supporting our dairy farmers. Governor Evers does more than talk. He provided $100 million in federal funds to support farmers and their families, which resulted in direct aid payments to over 20,000 Wisconsin farmers. In his 2021-2023 budget, the Governor doubled the annual funding for Wisconsin’s dairy processor grants. And just last week, Governor Evers announced a multimillion-dollar investment for the expansion of Masters Gallery Foods, located in Plymouth, the “Cheese Capital of the World.”
We need more than the hollow words of support that the Republicans are offering. We need safeguards against unfair, anti-competitive, and abusive business practices that threaten our small farmers.
Democrats are proud to stand with Governor Evers to protect and improve the quality of life for our family farmers and rural communities. Happy Dairy Month, Wisconsin!
