Blog Helps Farmer Handle Stress And Poultry Suspension Surprises Show Plans

Taking another approach to solar arrays.  That's the goal of new legislation that's been introduced by Rep. Scott Krug and Sen. Pat Testin.  Testin is the chair of the Senate Agriculture and Tourism Committee.  He tells Pam Jahnke that his goal is to concentrate on using smaller parcels of ground for these solar projects, and focus on poor ground not productive farm soil.  Testin says this approach has worked in other states and he thinks it would help utility rates here.  Testin also sounds off on the recent announcement that DATCP wants to escalate license fees for livestock marketing associations and support industries statewide.  Testin calls it a "bonehead maneuver" he hopes DATCP rethinks.
A little rain and thunder activity's rolling through the state this morning but shouldn't dampen an otherwise beautiful weekend.  Stu Muck says temperatures will even climb!

Brittany Olson has been aware of mental health since she was a teenager.  When she married into husband, Sam's 5th generation dairy operation, she needed to rethink her mental health again.  Kiley Allen finds out that the stress of being a part of a registered 40 holsteins and jerseys dairy, with about 200 acres AND a 3 year old.  Olson also faced a little isolation in - southern Barron County.  To compensate, she started writing a blog to help process her emotions and found that it helped people feel less alone.  Paid for by Rural Mutual Insurance.

Shock and disappointment.  That's what Dan Schwandt felt Thursday when he learned that poultry shows in Jefferson, Waukesha, Walworth and Rock counties were suspended.  Schwandt was in the middle of setting up cages and unloading birds at the Jefferson Co. Fair Park when he started getting text messages from friends about the announcement.  Schwandt says he's shocked that he wasn't contacted directly by DATCP.  He says when previous suspensions were put in place, especially with a show 24 hours away, he was always contacted directly.

Immigration reform is a constant conversation for production agriculture and agribusinesses.  Getting to a solution is difficult at best.  Ben Jarboe finds out about the latest attempt at middle ground from Wisconsin Congressman, Derrick Van Orden.  Van Orden introduced the Agriculture Reform Act of 2025.  He says with the threat of massive deportations impacting agriculture - this issue becomes national security.  No food is a security issue.  Van Orden wants to create an app that allows undocumented workers 1 year of protection, during which time they would need to leave the country and re-enter legally.  He proposes that it can only be used by those who have been here for a long period of time and whose only crime is entering the country illegally.  He says both the worker and the employer would need to pay a fine, but the payment would be good for up to 3 years of work.  Van Orden worries that the current shutdown of the federal government dims the hope of getting it passed.

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