Retiring DATCP Secretary Hopes For Better Communication, Practical Immigration Reforms

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Ben Brancel says Wisconsin’s agriculture industry needs to better communicate with consumers about their practices.

Brancel, who will retire from DATCP on Sunday, said the biggest challenge he’s faced as secretary is the growing prevalence of misinformation about farming practices.

“We don’t like to think we’re wrong, so when we get an idea, we know the idea is right and it’s very, very difficult to change that perception,” Brancel said. “So having an agency, having responsibilities, having a mission and making sure that we aren’t lead by misperception and that the public truly does get the right answers for the topics they’re interested in.”

He said farmers, crop researchers and food companies all need to be more transparent about their practices and products.

Brancel was appointed in 2011 by Gov. Scott Walker and served as DATCP secretary from 1997 to 2001 under former Gov. Tommy Thompson.

He said the biggest change he’s seen during his time as secretary has been the growing diversity in how farms are run.

“We used to have everybody farming pretty much in the same style,” Brancel said.

Now DATCP enforces regulations for many different kinds of farms, from large, high-tech operations to local, organic farms.

Brancel’s successor will likely face the same issue, as well as the impact of continued debates over immigration.

“I don’t think that the immigration issue has hurt Wisconsin at this point. I do believe if it is not addressed, it eventually will have a very detrimental impact on our state,” he said.

Brancel said more lawmakers need to focus on a practical approach to immigration reform.

“We seem to be arguing on the extremes, where we really need to address the issues of what I would call common everyday living and needs of the employers and the benefits of an employee for being engaged in our production agriculture,” Brancel said.

On Friday, Walker appointed Jeff Lyon to lead DATCP as interim secretary beginning Monday. Lyon currently serves as the agency’s deputy secretary.