Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association

Campaign to Rebuild the WPVGA Political Contribution Fund

The elections are over. Thanks to the family members of 15 of our 113 farm members who contributed to our campaign finance conduit. The funds helped elect some very good friends of agriculture get elected or re-elected to the Wisconsin Legislature. Ninety-eight farms in the WPVGA did not participate.

Now, we need to immediately rebuild our political action conduit as we prepare to help more pro-agriculture citizens of Wisconsin get elected (there is a special election next spring and half the State Senate faces re-election in 2016). This time we need the participation of all of our members!

The WPVGA Board and our Government Relations Committee have voted to request that each WPVGA member farm contribute $100 to our political contribution fund for each high capacity well that they use. The process for calculating and making this contribution is:

  1. Multiply the number of wells you use to farm by $100.
  2. Have your family farm members write personal checks payable to the WPVGA Political Contribution Fund for the total sum you reach in #1 above.
  3. Send the checks by January 15th to: WPVGA, Attn: Julie Braun, P.O. Box 327, Antigo, WI 54409.

Some Key Issues that Will Be Addressed in the Next Legislative Year:

  • High Capacity Well Rights: With the courts increasingly “making water law,” we are turning to the Legislature to protect our water rights. We must restore the water rights we had before Lake Beulah. We need to get our new wells permitted, and our existing wells repaired and replaced. We need to be able to transfer our irrigation rights to the next generation of farmers.
  • State Income Taxes: Recent state farm income tax reforms are a very big deal for WPVGA members. This year, the state farm income tax rate you pay will be down from 7.75% two years ago to 1.93% on next April’s state income tax return!! Your farm tax rate for income derived from your 2015 crop, will be nearly 0% — IF the Legislature chooses to keep the credit. With a budget deficit, we have our work cut out for us.
  • Implements of Husbandry: We did well on this issue last session. We have an opportunity to improve the law further in the upcoming session.

The undersigned have agreed to contribute $100 to the WPVGA Political Contribution Fund for every well that their farm uses for irrigation. We think that this is an exceptionally fair sum, and a valid allocation of the campaign finance fundraising we need to support those in the Legislature who respect agriculture.


The WPVGA Government Relations Committee

Steve Diercks               Lynda Bula                  Mike Carter                  Andy Diercks

Mike Finnessy             Ron Krueger                Dick Pavelski               Jeremie Pavelski

JD Schroeder               Nick Somers                Mike Wolter                 Jim Wysocki

Louis Wysocki             Dennis Zeloski             Paul Cieslewicz            Sally Suprise

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