Walker Proposes $50M In Rural Economic Development

Gov. Scott Walker is proposing a new $50 million annual investment in rural economic development projects.

On Wednesday, Walker outlined plans to re-purpose a former dairy grant program into a new “Family Farm Fund.”

The initiative would include low-interest loans for dairy businesses, more money for state marketing efforts, and a new college scholarship program for students to take agriculture classes at state colleges.

Walker announced the proposal hours before he was to deliver his State of the State address. He said the new money would primarily be used to stimulate private investment, improve productivity and fill open jobs in rural parts of the state.

Shelly Mayer from the Professional Dairy Producers says she thinks the change makes sense and that the fund’s focus on expanding international trade will have a positive impact on farmers.

“If it is an initiative that’s run its course or an initiative that’s been successful and there’s dollars that can be pinpointed toward education or infrastructure or obviously our environment, all things that are important to us in rural Wisconsin and all of Wisconsin, we’re excited about it,” Mayer said.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. would be in charge, and the money would be distributed through existing programs. Eligible projects would have to be in counties with a population density of less than 155 people per square mile. Walker said 56 of the state’s 72 counties would meet that criteria.

Walker also announced creation of a $200,000 scholarship fund to encourage students to take agriculture courses at a state technical college or the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture.

Darin Von Ruden from the Wisconsin Farmers Union says the scholarship program is a promising idea.

“There’s a lot of times kids coming from farms don’t have the financial wherewithal to go on to a decent college and a program like this,” Von Ruden said. “If it’s set up in that way to go to the most in need first, that would be great.”

Von Ruden also said he hopes the new initiative will consider managing the supply of milk in the state, rather than finding markets to meet the current oversupply.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018 with original reporting from WPR staff.