Grow Wisconsin Farmers

1. Grow Wisconsin Farmers Shaping the Future… ……Building on the Past

2. Grow Wisconsin Farmers • VISION A coordinated network of resources will be available to assist beginning farmers. • MISSION To develop and sustain a coordinated network of resources and policies to assist dairy farm entry and transfer. • STRATEGIES • Ongoing discussions, • Annual Conferences, • Dairy Career and Business Development Website, and • Projects.

3. We Value • Economically sound and environmentally viable farms. • Diverse opportunities for beginning farmers to establish successful businesses. • Low cost and/or retrofitted facilities as opportunities for beginning farmers. • Experienced farmers who assist beginning dairy farmers. • Public and private organizations that assist in farm transitions.

4. Processes • Ad Hoc committee beginning dairy farmer working group • Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, • University of Wisconsin, • Wisconsin Technical Colleges, • Farm Credit Services, • Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, • Wisconsin Farm Service Agency (USDA), • Farm Organizationrepresentatives and others. • Wisconsin Dairy Industry Revitalization Funding • USDA and UW-Extension (and support from U.S. Sen. Kohl) and competitive grant program award.

5. State-wide Conferences • 2003 state-wide conference • Focused on identifying gaps and developing solutions • Discussion topics: Financial, Business, Education, Production & Support • 2004 agenda – addressing the gaps • Discussion topics: Getting in, staying in, community support, decision-making for beginning farmers, mentoring opportunities, ag lending resources, improving profitability, neighbor/community relations, older generation issues, younger generation issues, farm organizations’ assistance for beginning farmers • 2005 agenda - Agri-business professionals • Discussion topics: Mentoring, Evaluating facilities, taxes, financing options, initiating difficult conversations, working with different cultures

6. Grow Wisconsin Farmers Workshops for those who wish to begin or who have already begun farming and for those who support them….

7. Workshops Purposes • To establish regional networks of stakeholder organizations that will have a central focus on beginning farmers. • To conduct regional workshops that attract • Beginning farmers, • Young persons considering farming careers, and • Farm owners seeking/considering life and business transitions. • To encourage personal interest, career entry and general support for future health of the business of production agriculture.

8. State and Regional Partners • University of Wisconsin • Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension • County Extension • UW Farm and Industry Short Course • School for Beginning Dairy Farmers (Grazing School) • Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board • Wisconsin Technical College System • Wisconsin Farm Service Agency (USDA) • Farm Credit Services • Regional Economic Development Organizations • Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection • County Agriculture Promotion Organizations • Grazing Networks • Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority • Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE) • Farm Organizations and Many Others

9. Workshop Locations 04-05 Rice Lake Thorp Cleveland

10. Rice Lake, Wisconsin

11. Thorp High School

12. Grow Wisconsin Farmers Regional workshop exit comments: • “This (workshop) gives you (me) courage.” • “People here are enthusiastic about dairy farming. In school back home my friends think I am crazy. Glad I came!” • “There really are people who are also interested in what I want to do….to farm!” • My wife and I are working together to decide our future…. “This has helped a lot.”

13. Grow Wisconsin Farmers Workshops 2004-05 Summary • 2004-05 attendance: 72, 93, 98. Approx. 40% have been self-declared ‘beginning’ farmers. • Conducted Saturdays: Dec. 4, 11, and Jan. 8 • Good planning has involved the commitments of key people who have a local stake in the future of farming taking an active and responsible role. • Workshop Structure: Keynote opening, panels-farm families at different stages and sizes, agency (lenders, farm program, legal) representatives, exhibits, repeated roundtable discussion. • Cost of participation reasonable: Planning, coordination, promotion, meals, refreshments, materials. • Network (planning committee), preplanning, debriefing and planning for follow-up essential. • Workshop series requires vision, planning, follow-up, local network development, encouraging and supportive facilitation, ideas, continuity and statewide planning assistance.

14. Grow Wisconsin Farmers Reflection and Planning • There are people who want to be beginning farmers • Community & experienced farmer support is out there – just a matter of harnessing it • Workshops & state conferences provide networking opportunities to address this specific transition topic. • Format of the workshops/conference is very important • Coalition is the key to both the workshops and conference success • Planning ’05-’06 round of workshops and a 2006 state-wide conference • Funding for 4 regional workshops • State conference funding through sponsorship and registration fees

15. Contact Information • Gwen Garvey – WI Farm Link Coordinator, Department of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection Gwen.Garvey@datcp.state.wi.us (608) 224-5049 • Joy Kirkpatrick – Center for Dairy Profitability joy.kirkpatrick@ces.uwex.edu (608) 263-3485