In Wisconsin, We Are Called America’s Dairyland for a Reason

In Wisconsin, we are called America’s Dairyland for a reason. Our over 7,000 dairy farms generate over 2.4 billion pounds of milk each month and over 3.5 billion pounds of cheese each year. As the Duly Acknowledged Cheese King of Congress, I am proud to celebrate National Dairy Month to thank our dairy farmers for feeding the world.

My top priority upon arriving to Congress was to gain a spot on the Agriculture Committee to ensure that Wisconsin farmers had a voice in the upcoming Farm Bill. Since achieving that goal, I have worked to fight for our farmers by holding listening sessions in the Third District and across the country and championing legislation to support our farmers.

Earlier this year, I launched our Agriculture Advisory Board to help me learn what worked and what didn’t in the 2018 Farm Bill. The advisory board is composed of farmers and agriculture leaders from across the 19 counties in the Third District. I have held listening sessions with farmers from across Western and Central Wisconsin, and launched an online portal to gain input from those we cannot meet in person. We are still accepting feedback for the Agriculture Committee until Friday, June 9 so that DC knows how to better serve Wisconsin farmers.

To make DC work for our farmers, we also need to remove harmful regulations that prohibit them from feeding the world. The Lower Energy Costs Act, which passed the House of Representatives, will help lower input costs and gas and diesel prices, and repeal the natural gas tax that is hurting farm families and raising energy bills.

In March, I also led the bipartisan DAIRY PRIDE Act, which requires the FDA to enforce its own definition of “milk.” If passed, products derived from seeds, plants, algae, and nuts will no longer be mislabeled with dairy terms such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. This legislation is timely and critical for American consumers, especially children, and Wisconsin dairy farmers alike.

Additionally, I am cosponsoring the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which will allow for unflavored and flavored whole milk to be offered in school cafeterias. Removing dairy titles from non-dairy products, increasing access to high-quality dairy products for children in schools, and cutting costs for farmers are all key in expanding markets for our farmers and helping them send made-in-Wisconsin products across the world.

Source: wisfarmer.com

Photo Credit: Wisconsin DOT