Press Release: Roundup: Agriculture Stakeholders Press Fitzgerald, Senate Republicans to Confirm DATCP Sec. Brad Pfaff
State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 11/05/2019 06:00 AM CST![]() |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 4, 2019 |
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov or 608-219-7443 |
Roundup: Agriculture Stakeholders Press Fitzgerald, Senate Republicans to Confirm DATCP Sec. Brad Pfaff |
In calls for stability, certainty in the midst of dairy and trade crises, stakeholders urge confirmation of agriculture secretary |
MADISON — Agriculture stakeholders from across Wisconsin, in addition to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Congressman Ron Kind, today expressed their continued support for Gov. Tony Evers’ Dept. of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection secretary nominee, Brad Pfaff, and urged the Wisconsin State Senate to approve Sec. Pfaff’s nomination. The statements of support come as Sen. Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Senate Republicans have signaled they will vote down Sec. Pfaff's nomination tomorrow, Tues., Nov. 5, 2019, rejecting a gubernatorial cabinet nominee for the first time in modern Wisconsin history. Trempealeau and Buffalo County Farm Bureau presidents So this was a time when we felt the need to reach out to Secretary Designee Pfaff, to ask if he would be able to come to Trempealeau and Buffalo County to witness firsthand the hardships some of our local farmers were going through. When he agreed, it was such a sense of relief to tell a few of these farmers that they mattered and that that whole state of Wisconsin was thinking about them! These farmers were in a mental state that we have never seen before. Truly their livelihoods were on the line. It's easy to understand how stops at these farms would last longer than expected. The office of the Secretary Designee said that Brad would be available to tour farms from 9:30am to noon. We had only visited two of the four farms before our time was running out from when we said we would get Brad back on the road. As a testament to not only who Brad is as a Secretary Designee, but to who Brad is as a person, he insisted on visiting the rest of the farms we had scheduled no matter how long it took to visit. Nearly four hours after we said Brad would be done, we finally got him back on the road. We followed up with all of the farmers in our counties to ask them what they thought of the As Wisconsin farmers, and leaders of our county Farm Bureau’s, we ask that you vote in favor of confirming Brad Pfaff to be our Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture. Given the mental and financial hardships a lot of Wisconsin farmers are going through at the current time, we feel it is vital that we keep him in place.” Cooperative Network As a board member of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, it has been my honor to work closely with Secretary Designate, Brad Pfaff. His experience, work ethic and dedication to Wisconsin agriculture highly qualifies him to lead this important state agency. I believe it is important to allow Secretary Designate Pfaff and his staff to continue to work toward real solutions and a better future.” Organic Valley We have been dismayed to hear his nomination could be in jeopardy. It gives us pause to consider what other options there really would be for this position and how losing DATCP leadership would leave the agency rudderless for an extended period of time --- an especially worrisome outcome given the challenging agriculture economy where a fully functioning and stable DATCP is needed. While we are not entirely sure what reservation might surround Mr. Pfaff’s nomination we wanted to make sure and provide our perspective as a cooperative businesses based in the state with over 500 farm-members and nearly 700 employees in Wisconsin.” Dairy Business Assn. Wisconsin Agri-Business Assn. Brad Pfaff's life has been agriculture. In his role as Secretary Designee, every action he has taken and every word he has spoken has been in support of Wisconsin farmers and Wisconsin agriculture. He has worked tirelessly, and serves with a passion that is visible to everyone and cannot be denied. In his first weeks in his position, Secretary Designee Pfaff met with WABA leadership, wanting to understand our issues and needs, and has diligently worked to address those issues. In recent months, he has spent time at several leading agribusiness companies, learning more about their business, and asking what DATCP can do to help them in these challenging economic times. […] Brad is a good man, steering the ship to better times for Wisconsin agriculture. The Wisconsin Agri-Business Association supports Brad Pfaff as the Secretary of DATCP. We encourage you to vote in favor of Brad Pfaff as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.” Wisconsin Cheese Makers Assn. WCMA noted support at the announcement of the Secretary-designee in February 2019, citing Mr. Pfaff’s distinguished career in public service, including leadership of Wisconsin Farm Service Agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those solid credentials remain relevant today. In his tenure, the Secretary-designee has worked with dairy processors to form a new Dairy Rules advisory committee, take up more reasonable dairy labeling requirements, and partner on expanding dairy export programs.” Wisconsin Corn Growers Assn. Wisconsin’s farmers – while providing so much to this great state – are struggling. Here at WCGA, we call it the “perfect storm”. On a federal level, the future of USMCA remains uncertain and the use of ethanol-blended fuels is still jeopardized by RFS waivers. Our growers are dealing with increased tariffs, low commodity prices and a combination of surprises from Mother Nature, including a wet Spring and what appears to be an early winter. Our members need stability and continuity. They need someone to speak on their behalf, to work on their behalf and to put it simply: someone to care. Brad Pfaff is that person.” |
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