A new proposal in the Wisconsin Legislature aims to help connect retiring farmers and landowners with the next generation of agricultural producers.
The bill, co-authored by Rep. Clint Moses, would direct the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to launch a farmland link program through its Farm Center. The program would serve as a free, statewide database where landowners could list agricultural property for sale, and beginning farmers could search for opportunities.
Moses, who operates a small beef cattle farm, said the measure stems from a growing challenge across the state: keeping farmland in agriculture rather than development.
“My intent would be to keep more of our land agricultural and not have it go into development, you know, and more industrial parks,” he says.
The program would operate similarly to a real estate listing service, but designed specifically for farmland. According to Moses, it would likely require just one or two staff at DATCP to administer, keeping costs low.
Farmers who list their land would have the incentive of both selling their property and ensuring it remains in agricultural use. However, questions remain over how to prevent non-agricultural buyers, such as developers, from using the service. Moses said those details will be discussed as the bill advances through the public hearing process.
Learn more about the bill: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/proposals/ab411
