scare us and make us feel uneasy. As parents.
>> Wisconsin farmers are likely on edge watching the slashing
and freezing of federal funding, billions of dollars of which
goes toward farm programs. President of the Wisconsin
Farmers Union, Darin Von Ruden joins us, and thanks for being
here. >> So in the midst of moves to
eliminate things like world food aid, freeze federal grants and
loans, and the latest congressional resolution to cut
the USDA budget, how on edge are Wisconsin farmers?
>> Well, I think really on edge, you know, especially looking at
folks that have applied for grants in the past, mainly in
the renewable energy side. We have a next door neighbor that
installed the system this summer. Just put it online here.
A few weeks ago and got a notice on Tuesday morning that the
$70,000 grant that he was supposed to be receiving from
the federal government is now on hold. So, you know, that's not
pocket change. It's not something that you can just go
out and make up in a couple days. So, you know, we're really
hoping that the freeze gets taken back and that those funds
get distributed. But then also looking at what's happening with
the USA aid aid program, we haven't heard directly from any
farmers here in the state of Wisconsin, but certainly from
some of the other states around the upper Midwest and corn and
soybean programs that are involved in that really on edge,
because they've become accustomed to providing those
corn and soybeans for that program.
>> Yeah, indeed. So the first program you talked about with
the $70,000 investment, this is the kind of grant program where
the farmers are supposed to be reimbursed for work. They've
already done. >> Yeah, it's the renewable
Energy for America program. And, you know, it's a long standing
program. It's not like it's new. It's been around for a dozen.
Well, probably 15 years already. And it's really to help put
solar and wind on your either on your buildings or on your
property and, and get some help with it. It isn't like it's
paying for the whole system. It just provides a little bit more
of an incentive to get it installed.
anything to do with climate mitigation or alternative energy
will, in fact be on the chopping block.
>> You know, with the words coming out of the president's
mouth? I think it's a real good chance that that's going to
happen. >> So as farmers also look ahead
to spring planting, what is the uncertainty like?
>> Well, it's pretty high right now, you know, because of really
two factors. If the USAID program does get stalled, that's
just going to back up a supply chain. There's a lot of corn and
soybeans that go into that market. And so that just means
lower prices anytime that there is excess food, it's going to
mean lower prices. And fertilizer and all our input
costs certainly are not going down with some of the tariff
trade war talks. Those prices are probably just going to go
up. So we're going to continue to see that difference of not
being able to pay our bills at the end of the month.
>> Just taking a little bit of a turn here. We keep reading that
that bird flu is on the increase. What are dairy farmers
thinking about that? >> Well, you know, very
concerned. And you know, on two fronts there are two, I think
number one, not knowing when it's going to stop or if it's
going to infect your herd. But number two, being able to get
the accurate information that we need because of another one of
the things that President Biden or President Trump has done, and
taking that information away from the Public health service.
>> Are you getting any of that kind of information from state
ag officials? >> Yes. They've been good about
trying to continue to keep that information in front of us. And
I know that gap has a weekly information meeting for anybody
in agriculture that wants to participate. So we've been able
to get that there. But when you're looking at that disease,
it really is affecting all the countries. So trying to figure
out where the spread is going to next is vital. And that takes
national help to get that done. >> So we've been talking about
all manner of kind of uncertainties. What are your
members telling you in the midst of this?
>> Well, you know, certainly understand that there's some
things that do need to happen, but certainly the amount or the
variability that is happening, you know, we can adjust to
certain amounts of things, but with what we're seeing right no,
that uncertainty on, you know, five, six, seven, maybe even
eight fronts is totally different than what we've seen
in the past. You know, we certainly can handle that 1 or 2
different things that might affect your bottom line. But
when you have so many different things all at once, it gets
really scary. >> All right. Well, we will be
watching it. Darin Von Ruden watching it. Darin Von Ruden