Wisconsin lawmakers will consider budgeting a million dollars for specialty crop research and market development.
State Senator Patrick Testin tells Brownfield the proposed funding would be split two ways. “We, myself and Representative (Nancy) VanderMeer re-introduced these bills that would provide five-hundred thousand dollars to the cranberry growers to increase their marketing as well as do more research over the next two years, and then also five-hundred thousand over the next two years to our potato and vegetable growers to do the same.”
Testin says the money would be good investment. “We want to make sure that we’re expanding our markets for our farmers and our growers and finding new products and new opportunities so our ag community can continue to thrive and be successful right here in Wisconsin.”
A similar proposal was gaining support in the last session of the legislature, but it was one of many ag-related bills that died in the Senate when COVID-19 shortened the legislative session.