The state Assembly passed two bills to help Wisconsin’s farm economy by adding additional processing capacity for soybeans and potatoes. The Assembly passed another bill that would help low-income families afford locally-grown farm products.
Senate Bill 787 will help Minnesota-based CHS build a $700 million soybean processing facility in Evansville in Rock County. According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, the facility will process 70 million bushels of soybeans each year. This would increase profits for farmers and create 90 new jobs for the local economy.
“This will be a tremendous boost for Wisconsin’s soybean industry by providing a 50% increase in processing,” says WFBF President Brad Olson.
Senate Bill 880 will help Belgian potato processor, Agristo, build a $40-50 million potato processing plant in Stevens Point. WFBF expects the plant to create 150 jobs and purchase 10,000 to 20,000 acres of potatoes from Wisconsin farmers annually.
Assembly Bill 1013 creates a Nutrition Incentive Program in Wisconsin, often referred to as “Double Dollars.” This incentivizes the purchase of healthy locally-grown produce by providing double the amount of assistance for these purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. If someone uses SNAP to buy fruits and vegetables at their local farmers market or grocery, they’ll see double the allotment.
Assembly Bill 1013 now moves on to the State Senate for consideration. Senate Bills 787 and 880 now move on to Gov. Tony Evers for his signature.
