Wisconsin Dairy Group Calls for Farm Support Policies

The Dairy Business Association is calling for policies intended to strengthen Wisconsin agriculture across farms of different sizes. Its vice-president said elected officials should support measures that help producers maintain their operations and improve efficiency.

Travis Speirs, a fourth-generation dairy farmer in northwest Wisconsin, said the price received for milk is not enough by itself to generate a profit. He said income from beef-on-dairy production has become important to many dairy farms. In his account, that activity supplies roughly an additional $2 missing from the milk cheque and is the main reason most farms are currently reaching break-even.

Speirs said the proposed Dairy Cattle Innovation Program in Wisconsin could give farmers an opportunity to reinvest. One measure he supports is no-interest lending for efficiency projects. He said the purpose would not necessarily be to increase herd size or milk more cows, but to improve the performance of existing operations with their current resources.

The farmer also called for immigration policies that provide year-round work visas. He said producers are exploring TN visas, but applicants seeking consular interviews in Mexico are facing waits of six months or more. According to Speirs, that timetable does not meet the immediate need to fill vacant positions on farms.

The Dairy Business Association also supports improvements to rural roads. Other positions cited by Speirs include serving real butter in schools, adopting truth-in-labelling laws and placing tighter restrictions on foreign ownership of United States agricultural land.

Speirs described the measures as policies intended to address farm finances, workforce access, operating efficiency and rural infrastructure. The comments were made in an interview with Brownfield Ag News on August 26, 2026.