The changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spurred Sen. Brad Pfaff and Rep. Jenna Jacobson to author a bill called the Agricultural Purchase Program.
LRB-3414 would establish $30 million within the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Food pantries and other nonprofit community groups would apply for the money to purchase from local farmers.
“It’s estimated 90,000 Wisconsinites could be impacted by changes in SNAP,” Pfaff says. “The legislation would have Wisconsin-grown or processed food products directly purchased by nonprofit churches or food banks’ food assistance programs. It is a way for Wisconsin to do more. I think that this is a very modest proposal.”
Listen to his comments below:
Increased demand for food assistance from food pantries or other nonprofits could be a market opportunity for Wisconsin agriculture as the country experiences a trade deficit, Pfaff says.
The following is a related column by Pfaff, edited for length by Mid-West Farm Report.
Supporting Farmers Amid Global Uncertainty
The farm economy is already tough enough with declining commodity prices and rising borrowing costs, so it’s irresponsible to make matters worse through self-imposed obstacles, such as tariffs.
Wisconsin exported nearly $4 billion worth of agricultural products last year, making it clear that consumers outside of the United States want to eat high-quality Wisconsin products.
In the first three months of 2025, more farms filed for bankruptcy than in the first three months of 2024. This concerning trend serves as a reminder of what farmers experienced in 2018 and 2019, when the administration’s tariffs disrupted trade markets.
Tariffs threaten to eliminate the global markets that Wisconsin farmers rely on to export their homegrown goods. Put simply, without robust market access, farmers can’t sell their products or turn a profit. Losing these markets could hurt the agricultural sector for years to come. The irresponsible tariff trade war must end—but until then, and even beyond, we need innovative state-level solutions to support Wisconsin’s producers and farmers.
One such solution is expanding local markets to help offset losses in international markets. Unfortunately, the federal government has cut programs that support local food systems, such as the Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. This initiative enabled farmers to distribute through local supply chains via grant contracts, but it was eliminated in March. Losing access to locally grown, high-quality nutrition hurts both farmers and communities and could increase food insecurity across Wisconsin.
To help address this devastating cut, Representative Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon) and I introduced a bill to create the Agricultural Purchase Program (APP). The program would strengthen Wisconsin’s local food infrastructure by offering grants to local organizations, like food pantries and churches, to purchase food grown or produced in Wisconsin.
The Agricultural Purchase Program is a win-win. Our farmers benefit from a more stable local market, and rural areas gain access to a stronger food supply chain that provides nutritious, Wisconsin-grown products to our most vulnerable residents.
Putting Wisconsin farmers through another trade war will have devastating consequences, especially at a time when farm income is declining and input costs continue to rise. Farmers have already put seed in the ground and made investments in this year’s crop. We cannot abandon key markets in times of economic stress, nor can we turn our backs on our fellow community members.
