Last week, AEM members took a break from showcasing the latest dairy advancements at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin to join the AEM State Affairs Team for a lobby day at the Wisconsin Capitol. Representatives from AEM member companies DeLaval, GEA, Lely, Nutradrip and Topcon Agriculture met with lawmakers to advocate for dairy and manure precision agriculture incentives.
Leveraging AEM’s Environmental Benefits of Modern Dairy, Hay, and Forage Production Technologies study, the meetings aimed to educate lawmakers on the benefits of precision agriculture technology and discuss incentives to get these technologies into the hands of Wisconsin farmers.
Earlier this year, AEM’s State Affairs Team worked with the Iowa State Legislature to institute a dairy innovation fund for the state’s dairy farmers. The fund establishes a combination of low interest loans and grants to help ease adoption of new technology and equipment, allowing Iowa farmers to increase workforce and environmental efficiencies.
After the successful creation of the Iowa Dairy Innovation Fund, AEM’s State Affairs Team will work to bring these incentives to other states like Wisconsin. Looking forward into 2024, AEM will continue to educate elected officials in Wisconsin on the benefits of dairy and manure technology to farmers and consumers alike. With Wisconsin being the #2 producer of dairy in the country, Wisconsin dairy farmers need to be able to invest in technology and equipment that allows them to thrive.
To learn more about precision agriculture incentives in other states or to get involved in AEM’s advocacy efforts, please reach out to the AEM Advocacy Team.
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