Chippewa Falls (WQOW) - Farmers from across the state gathered in Chippewa Falls today to find out more about local food and drought programs. The Wisconsin Farmers Union Summer Conference was held at Kamp Kenwood. About 30 different counties were represented at the event.
"This has been a very challenging spring and summer," said Brad Pfaff of the Farm Service Agency.
Many farmers were on hand at Kamp Kenwood for the Wisconsin Farmers Union Summer Conference Friday. Presentations were made on what can be done to combat this year's weather.
"It's been extremely, extremely dry. As a result of that, we've had a USDA Secretarial Designation. It makes producers, family farmers, eligible for low interest loans. So they can have the necessary resources, financial resources for themselves to continue to farm," Pfaff said.
Forms of physical assistance will be offered in addition to the financial help.
"We have allowed some emergency haying and grazing on our conservation reserve program land, so producers can put their cattle out to get some feed."
There was also a focus on the future. Ken Meter, a food system analyst, spoke to the crowd about the way local food can benefit our health and our wallets.
"We spend about $152 billion a year paying for the cost of food-borne illness. We spend $180 billion a year for the medical costs of obesity and diabetes. Those two costs alone equal about as much as all the farmers in our country earn selling all their products...all the crops and livestock they sell. It's really like if for every dollar I spend buying corn from a farmer, I give another dollar to the medical system to treat me for the cost of my diet," said Ken Meter, Crossroads Resource Center President.
Meter pointed to farmers markets as one way to buy local.
"That gives you the most assurance that you know who raised your food, the most assurance you know their practices, but also all the money you spend on them goes right to the farm family," Meter said.
Speakers also took the opportunity to remind the visiting farmers that monitoring their losses would be critical. The numbers help government agencies determine emergency funding needs when new legislation is passed.
