Thursday, August 27, 2020
MADISON, Wis. — Today, President Trump will take the convention stage to proclaim he has made America the ‘Land of Greatness,’ and declare the economy his crowning achievement.
But, as Wisconsin’s struggling dairy farmers have been saying for a long time, President Trump’s economic agenda and his coronavirus response have exacerbated the challenges Wisconsin’s great dairy industry faces. In 2020 alone, more than 300 Wisconsin dairy farms have been forced to shutter. Since the very beginning of his administration, President Trump’s economic policies have only exacerbated the problem by pitting family farmers against corporate special interests, and leaving farmers in a worse position to face a crisis of this magnitude.
Check out this video of Anna Landmark, owner of Landmark Creamery. In the video, Anna tells us: “Over the past few years, I’ve watched dairy farms across Wisconsin struggle — and I’ve seen some fold completely. It’s heartbreaking. Trump promised to take care of farmers, but he hasn’t. He helped big corporations and the billionaires get ahead, while farmers lost everything. And now, with the coronavirus crisis, Trump is still putting big corporations first. And small businesses like mine, and small farmers that I rely on, are getting very little.”
In 2019, Wisconsin led the nation in dairy farm bankruptcies. In the same year, the state lost more than 10 percent of its dairy operations as farmers sold their cows amidst a fifth year of poor milk prices. What’s more, exports of U.S. dairy products to China have declined over 50% in 2019 due to Trump’s trade war.
Check out this video of Paul Adams, a long-time family farmer in Eleva. “This farm has been in the family for 148 years. Three years ago, profits were good. Now, I’m selling my cows. It’s impossible to get by,” said Adams. “Trump’s trade and dairy policies put my farm out of business.”
To make matters worse, dairy farmers have been forced to dump excess milk, since their product is extremely perishable. And instead of helping Wisconsin’s dairy farmers, President Trump has threatened to veto the HEROES Act, a bipartisan bill passed in the House months ago that provides $500 million to pay for milk to be processed into dairy products and donated to nonprofit entities instead of being dumped.
Check out this video of Sarah Lloyd, a dairy farmer in Wisconsin Dells. Sarah tells us: “I am watching very carefully and with a very heavy heart what is happening with the workers in the meatpacking plants. Because dairy farmers are also in the beef business. When a cow is not producing milk anymore, then she goes to the beef supply chain. Our food system is so broken, we’re allowing this massive meatpacking plant to just kill their workers. And as a farmer, I must be in solidarity with the workers! We’re dependent on each other.”
Wisconsinites know America is indeed a land of greatness — but dairy farmers know America is a land of greatness in spite of President Trump’s spoiling of their livelihoods, not because of it.
To speak with an Opportunity Wisconsin spokesperson, please email press@opportunitywisconsin.org
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About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.