Senator Baldwin Delivers $6 Million Investment to Support Wisconsin’s Agriculture Businesses

STRATFORD, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin toured the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station (MARS) to learn how $6 million she secured in federal funding will help expand the facility to better support researchers and the Wisconsin agricultural community. Senator Baldwin also highlighted new projects that have been selected to receive funding through the Baldwin-supported Wisconsin Rural Partnership initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“We rely on our farmers, ranchers, and producers to put food on our tables and fuel in our tanks, and we need to ensure they have the tools and resources to weather the storms and keep their farms up and running,” said Senator Baldwin. “The Marshfield Ag Research Station has been at the forefront of much of the research that our dairy farmers have relied on for more than a century, supplying our agriculture sector with knowledge and tools they need to keep their operations in businesses. That’s why I am proud to have secured $6 million in federal funds for the Marshfield Ag Research Station to expand its research capabilities and help equip Wisconsin farmers with the best practices to keep their businesses open and thriving.”

MARS was established in 1912 and is home to the nation’s premier dairy heifer research facilities. Research focuses at the station include dairy replacement heifer rearing and management, feed efficiency, soil and water conservation farming practices, perennial crops and nutrient management, with one-hundred acres supporting the crop research program for university and USDA scientists. As then-Chair of the Subcommittee on Agriculture Appropriations, Senator Baldwin secured $6 million in last year’s funding legislation for the construction and expansion of the facilities at MARS. This investment will help finish the original station plan which remains incomplete by constructing permanent office space, restrooms, facilities for 24-hour animal studies, and indoor meeting space for stakeholders and community groups.

During Senator Baldwin’s visit, University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Rural Partnership initiative also announced funding for four projects that aim to support rural communities and tribal nations in Wisconsin. Senator Baldwin worked to establish the Institutes for Rural Partnership, securing $30 million in the Fiscal Year 2022 federal funding bill to establish three centers across the country, including one at UW-Madison, with the goal of advancing the land-grant mission of the university, supporting community-based projects, and creating new partnerships to better meet the needs of rural communities.

Senator Baldwin also toured ND Paper Tuesday in Wisconsin Rapids, and discussed how the Wisconsin business transitioned to a 100% recycled fiber operation to create more sustainable brown paper used for craft bags, mailers, and corrugated boxes.

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