Baldwin Secures Big Wins for Wisconsin Agriculture and Rural Communities in Senate Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) highlighted the victories she secured for Wisconsinites in the Senate Farm Bill to support Wisconsin’s farmers, families, and rural communities, and called for Congress to pass the bill before the end of the year. The Farm Bill, or Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, championed by Agriculture Committee Chair Stabenow includes several bipartisan bills and initiatives led by Senator Baldwin that help dairy operations grow their business, deliver mental health support to farmers, protect Wisconsin agricultural land from foreign investments, and improve the quality of life for families in rural communities.

“Wisconsin farmers, rural communities, and families deserve a Farm Bill that helps them take on their challenges, grow their businesses, and support our rural economies. We cannot kick this can down the road further and the time for Democrats and Republicans to come together and deliver for our hardworking farmers is now,” said Senator Baldwin. “I fought hard to include programs that I know will benefit America’s Dairyland in the farm bill – from helping dairy businesses innovate to ensuring our rural communities have access to clean water.”

The Farm Bill is renewed every five years and includes modernizations to traditional risk management programs, as well as and new programs to address the evolving need of farmers and rural communities. The 2018 Farm Bill was most recently reauthorized in September 2023 and was extended through December 20^th, 2024. While members of Congress consider another extension of the 2018 legislation, Baldwin is calling for the passage of the new Senate Farm Bill, which includes over 100 bipartisan bills that builds on our commitment to rural communities, provides certainty to farmers, and ensures that nutrition aid for hungry families keeps up with the realities of American life.  

The Senate Farm Bill also includes several Baldwin-led initiatives:

Supporting Wisconsin’s Dairy Industry: The bill includes Senator Baldwin’s bipartisan Dairy Business Innovation Act of 2023 to reauthorize and increase the authorization level from $20 million to $36 million annually for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives program. It also builds on the successful Dairy Margin Coverage safety net to help dairy farmers protect against milk price drops or high feed costs.

Upgrading Critical Water Infrastructure: The bill includes Baldwin’s Healthy H2O Act to improve rural testing for drinking water contaminants. It authorizes $10 million through 2029 for rural water testing and treatment.

Protecting American Farmland from Foreign Investment: It includes provisions from Senator Baldwin’s Farmland Security Act of 2023 to improve how the United States Department of Agriculture tracks foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land.

Connecting Wisconsin Farmers with Mental Health Resources: The bill includes Baldwin’s Farmers First Act of 2023 to extend the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network through 2029 and increases funding from $10 million to $15 million annually.

Advancing Agriculture Research and Innovation: The bill includes components of Senator Baldwin’s Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act, which promotes the development of ready-to-use, regionally adapted, and publicly available seed varieties and animal breeds, giving farmers more tools to confront drought and varying growing conditions.

Full bill text can be found here and a summary of the bill can be found here. 

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