- NOW TO AGRICULTURAL NEWS AND CHALLENGES FACING FARMERS IN THE
WESTERN PART OF THE STATE.
IN TONIGHT'S CLOSER LOOK, LOW CROP AND MILK PRICES ARE TAKING
A TOLL THAT'S BOTH ECONOMIC AND EMOTIONAL FOR STATE'S FARMERS.
"HERE AND NOW" CONTRIBUTOR ANDY SOTH REPORTS ON HOW ONE SMALL
SOUTHWESTERN WISCONSIN COMMUNITY IS RESPONDING,
LED BY AN OWNER OF THE LOCAL FEED MILL.
[HIGH SCHOOL BAND MUSIC]
- IN SENECA IN CRAWFORD COUNTY, IN THE STATE'S SOUTHWEST CORNER,
THE TALK OF THE TOWN HAS BEEN THE BASKETBALL TEAM'S
CONFERENCE-WINNING SEASON.
[CHEERS]
IT'S WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MORNINGS AT OLSON'S FEED SERVICE
ON HIGHWAY 27.
- WE COULDN'T SHAKE THEM.
WE ONLY BEAT THEM BY TEN.
- SOMETIMES I JOKE THAT WE'RE THE FEED MILL,
BUT SOMETIMES WE'RE THE RUMOR MILL OR THE CONVERSATION MILL.
- SENECA'S SUCCESS ON THE COURT HAS BEEN A WELCOME DISTRACTION.
TALK OF TARIFFS AND POTENTIAL TRADE RETALIATION FROM FOREIGN
IMPORTERS ARE WEIGHING ON THESE DAIRY FARMERS' MINDS.
- WE GOT TO GET MILK OUT OF THE COUNTRY,
GRAIN OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
- ABSOLUTELY.
- AT THE FEED MILL, THEY'VE SEEN THE ECONOMIC STRAIN
ALREADY-LOW MILK PRICES HAVE PUT ON LOCAL PRODUCERS.
FEED IS A MAJOR PRODUCTION EXPENSE.
AT THE MILL THEY MAKE CUSTOM MIXES OF GRAIN PRODUCTS AND
MINERALS SPECIFIC TO EACH HERD'S NUTRITIONAL DEMANDS.
THEN THEY DELIVER THE PRODUCT DIRECTLY TO THE FARM,
WHERE IT'S RATIONED TO THE COWS.
- WHAT I TRY TO DO IS JUST TRY TO MATCH THE BEST INGREDIENTS,
THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE INGREDIENTS FOR THE ANIMALS TO
MAKE THEM THE MOST PROFITABLE.
- REQUESTS FOR THOSE MORE ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS HAVE GONE UP.
- THEY'LL TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE
LESS EXPENSIVE OR MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEED QUITE SO MUCH
OF SOMETHING.
- BUT FOR TAMMY OLSON, THE REAL BAROMETER OF HARD TIMES HAS BEEN
THE MOOD OF HER CUSTOMERS.
- WANT A DONUT?
- SURE.
- NORMALLY WE HAVE VERY UPBEAT, HAPPY PEOPLE THAT WALK THROUGH
HERE AND WE'RE ALWAYS LAUGHING AND JOKING AROUND.
AND IT JUST HASN'T BEEN THAT WAY.
I'M LIKE, "HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?"
AND I KEPT GETTING THE SAME ANSWER.
"WELL, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WORKS IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE NOT ONLY ARE
YOU NOT MAKING MONEY, BUT IT'S ALMOST AS IF YOU'RE PAYING TO
WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY." IT'S BEEN VERY SAD,
VERY "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?"
THEY'RE FRUSTRATED.
THEY'RE DISTRESSED.
IT'S DESPAIR.
- DESPAIR SHE RECOGNIZED WHEN READING ONLINE ABOUT A RISE IN
SUICIDES AMONG FARMERS.
- AND I FOUND THAT TO BE VERY DISTURBING AND HEARTBREAKING.
AND THEN I FOUND OUT THAT WESTERN WISCONSIN LED THE NATION
IN BANKRUPTCIES IN 2017.
- FARM OR SO-CALLED CHAPTER 12 BANKRUPTCIES HAVE INCREASED
STEADILY IN THE U.S.
BANKRUPTCY COURTS WESTERN WISCONSIN DISTRICT,
DOUBLING FROM 2014 TO LAST YEAR.
- AND I'M LIKE HOW COULD I BE PROUD OF THAT STATISTIC?
I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I'M FROM WISCONSIN AND THAT I
PARTICIPATE IN OUR DAIRY PRODUCTION AND THE REAL SEAL AND
I CAN'T BE PROUD OF THIS.
- ON THE FEED MILL'S FACEBOOK PAGE,
WHERE OLSON HAD BEEN POSTING UPDATES ON HER RECENT BEAR
SIGHTINGS, SHE STARTED SHARING THE HARD NEWS.
BUT SHE KNEW SHE HAD TO DO MORE THAN POST ABOUT THE PROBLEMS.
- AND UNCHARACTERISTICALLY I REACHED OUT AND I MADE SOME
PHONE CALLS AND SENT SOME EMAILS TO MY STATE REPRESENTATIVES,
AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE AND MUCH TO MY HAPPINESS,
THEY SENT ME THEIR SCHEDULES, AND WE FOUND THE DATE OF MARCH
16 AND WE ARE NOW HAVING OUR OWN TOWN HALL-TYPE MEETING.
- THE EVENT WON'T JUST BE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND INDUSTRY WILL BE REPRESENTED.
AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR THOSE FEELING DESPAIR,
INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET HELP.
- THESE PROGRAMS ARE OUT THERE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT PEOPLE KNOW THAT AND REALIZE
THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO YOU AND USE THEM.
THERE'S NO SHAME.
NOBODY'S GOING TO TURN THEIR BACK ON YOU.
- THAT REPORT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE O'BRIEN FELLOWSHIP IN PUBLIC
SERVICE JOURNALISM AT MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY,
WHERE ANDY SOTH IS A FELLOW THIS YEAR.
NOW JOINING US BY PHONE IS TAMMY OLSON,
FRESH FROM THE MEETING SHE ORGANIZED IN SENECA THAT TOOK
PLACE EARLIER TODAY.
TAMMY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
- OH, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
I APPRECIATE IT.
- SO HOW DID THE TOWN HALL GO?
- VERY MUCH AS EXPECTED.
WE HAD 110 CHAIRS AND THEY WERE FULL AND I WOULD SAY THERE WERE
PROBABLY AT LEAST ANOTHER 80 PEOPLE PLUS STANDING.
IT WAS OVERWHELMING, THE SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVED.
AND FOR A BRIEF MOMENT I WAS WORRIED
THAT NOBODY WAS GOING TO SPEAK.
AND THAT WORRY WAS UNFOUNDED.
WE HAD WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS, EMOTIONAL CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS
ANSWERED.
IF NOT ANSWERED, WE LED THEM IN A DIRECTION THAT THEY CAN FOLLOW
UP.
EVERYBODY GOT CONTACT INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
- HOW HARD IS IT FOR FARMERS TO, QUOTE,
KIND OF GET INVOLVED IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
- I THINK THAT ONCE IT WAS ORGANIZED,
THEY WERE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE A FORUM.
THEY'RE BUSY PEOPLE.
THERE'S NOBODY HARDER WORKING THAN A FARMER,
WHETHER IT BE BEEF, GRAIN, DAIRY.
THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO ORGANIZE WHAT I TRIED TO ORGANIZE FOR THEM.
AND THEY WERE CERTAINLY APPRECIATIVE OF IT
AND THEY SHOWED UP IN FULL FORCE WITH THEIR VOICES.
AND I WAS GLAD THEY DID.
- WAS IT A RELIEF FOR FARMERS TO HAVE THE EAR
OF POLICYMAKERS TODAY?
- I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS A RELIEF, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S NO QUICK ANSWER TO THIS.
AND THEY KNEW THAT COMING IN.
AND I THINK WHEN THEY REALIZED THIS IS THEIR FORUM TO TELL THEM
WHAT THEY NEED, THEN THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A, OKAY, YES,
LET'S DO THAT.
AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.
I'M THE FIRST ONE TO JUMP ON THE FARMER BANDWAGON.
THERE IS NO DUMB FARMER.
THAT IS A STEREOTYPE THAT MAKES ME VERY ANGRY.
THEY ARE VERY HARD-WORKING BUT THEY'RE ALSO VERY INTELLIGENT.
PEOPLE IN OUR INDUSTRY HAVE TO BE THEIR OWN MECHANICS.
THEY HAVE TO BE THEIR OWN-- SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO BE
THEIR OWN DOCTORS.
AND THEY'RE NOT USED TO HAVING A FORUM LIKE THIS BUT THEY ROSE TO
THE OCCASION.
I'M VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEM.
- SO WHAT WAS THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE THAT WAS BEING SENT
THERE TODAY?
- THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE I HEARD WAS THAT OUR OFFICIALS ARE
NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR US AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW
THAT YOU HEARD US.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
AND WE ARE GOING TO KEEP ASKING YOU THIS QUESTION.
WE NOW KNOW HOW TO GET AHOLD OF YOU.
WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT.
AND I HOPE THEY DO.
- SO WERE THE PEOPLE THERE, THE POLICYMAKERS, THE LAWMAKERS,
THE AGENCY PEOPLE, WERE THEY RECEPTIVE TO THIS MESSAGE?
AND DO YOU GET THE SENSE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME KIND OF
ACTUAL RELIEF FORTHCOMING?
- NOT ONLY WERE THEY RECEPTIVE, I THINK THEY WERE VERY GRACIOUS.
THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE EMOTIONS DID GET HIGH.
THERE WERE SOME MOMENTS WHEN WE HAD TO TAKE THE POT OFF TO AVOID
THE BOIL AND TRY TO BACK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
AND IT WAS JENNIFER SHILLING, I HAVE TO GIVE HER ALL KINDS OF
PROPS BECAUSE I THOUGHT SHE DID AN AMAZING JOB AT BRINGING THAT
POT BACK TO A SIMMER AND MAYBE GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE THAT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED.
I DO TALK TO THESE PEOPLE DAILY.
I AM THE ONE THAT CAN GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS.
UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT GOING TO BE MONDAY MORNING.
IT'S GOING TO BE WHEN THE FARM BILL IS INTRODUCED
AND DISCUSSED.
- ALL RIGHT.
TAMMY, WE LEAVE IT THERE, BUT WE'D LIKE TO KEEP FOLLOWING YOU
AND THIS ISSUE AND THE PEOPLE THERE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, TAMMY OLSON.
- THANK YOU.