USDA Secretary Vilsack visits Wisconsin to tout new climate change initiative

PEPIN COUNTY Wis. (WEAU) – As folks search for new methods to struggle local weather change, one trade seeking to innovate is agriculture.

Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited a Pepin County farm to debate the USDA’s new Local weather-Sensible Commodities program. The $2.8 billion program provides grants to farmers with the purpose of serving to them put money into new strategies to grow to be extra eco-friendly.

Natural Valley is a farm co-op collaborating in this system. The La Farge-based group has about 1,800 farms. It lately acquired a $25 million grant from this system, which can assist it enhance its carbon insetting program.

“We’re investing in our personal farmers and our personal provide chain for them to do new practices to scale back their carbon footprint,” stated Natural Valley Director of Sustainability Nicole Rakobitsch.

She stated examples of insets embrace tree plantings, enhancements in manure administration, enhancements to grazing and cropland and including photo voltaic panels.

Kevin Mahalkl is certainly one of Natural Valley’s farmers seeking to make the most of the brand new investments.

He already tries to do as a lot conservation as potential on his Gilman farm however he may do extra with more cash.

“The largest factor I’d take a look at first is perhaps a number of farm administration practices like bettering a few of our fencing, perhaps seeding some new forms of crops which can be extra local weather tolerant and might deal with the climate extremes,” Mahalkl stated.

He stated he’d additionally like so as to add photo voltaic panels to his farm. Proper now, none of it’s potential with out monetary assist.

“When we have now tight margins and don’t have some huge cash to speculate,” Mahalkl stated. “Simply even having a number of hundreds {dollars} for fencing could make an enormous distinction in how we are able to handle and, , make the most of that software.”

Vilsack stated Local weather-Sensible Commodities program goes to make it potential for farmers like Mahalkl to chop emissions faster. It’s additionally going to set them up as world leaders within the struggle towards local weather change.

“This challenge goes to permit farmers to start saving at a price and lowering emissions at a price that may enable it to create worldwide management as nicely for the U.S., which in flip, what occurs once we do one thing is lots of people observe it,” Vilsack stated.

The USDA awarded grants to 16 initiatives in Wisconsin, with extra to return sooner or later.

In response to Vilsack’s go to, Republican Occasion of Wisconsin Communications Director Chad Doran stated:

“Whereas the USDA is targeted on costly initiatives to make farmers ‘go inexperienced,’ Wisconsin’s farmers are scuffling with report excessive prices for gas, skyrocketing prices to buy and keep their gear, and shortages within the inputs wanted to supply their crops thanks to produce chain shortages brought on by the Biden administration and his insurance policies.”

Republican Nationwide Committee Rachel Reisner additionally put out a press release in response to Vilsack’s go to, which stated:

“As a substitute of pushing a Inexperienced New Deal agenda or delivering a pittance to some farms, Tom Vilsack and the Biden administration ought to deal with easing inflation for Wisconsin farmers who proceed to battle historic highs for fertilizer, diesel gas, and different manufacturing prices.”

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