2025-2027 Biennial Budget Bill
Jordan Lamb, The welch group
The legislature passed and Governor Evers signed the $111.1 billion 2025-27 state biennial budget bill, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 15. The bill was passed in both houses with bipartisan votes.
Included in the bill were the following provisions to support Wisconsin farmers and agribusinesses:
- ARIP: Continuing support for the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program with a $150 million investment to continue repairing and improving Wisconsin’s rural roads to help farmers and producers and the state’s agricultural and forestry industries move products to market safely and efficiently (NOTE - $30 million of the $150 million secured for ARIP will be specifically targeted to bridge and culvert repair to help improve and repair deteriorating bridges across the state.)
- Food Purchase Grants: $10 million ($5 million annually) for the Food Security Initiative, a program created by Gov. Evers that connects local nonprofit food assistance programs, such as food pantries, with local producers to keep shelves stocked
- Dairy Processor Grants: $800,000 to increase ($1.2 million over the biennium) in the available funding for the successful Dairy Processor Grant Program
- Meat Processor Grants: $1 million to bolster and support the Meat Processor Grant Program
- Meat Inspection Program: Over $2.4 million over the biennium for the Meat Inspection Program to ensure meat products are produced safely and match nutrition labels
- Farmer Mental Health: $200,000 to support farmers and their families’ mental health
- Producer-led Watershed Grants: $500,000 to increase funding for the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program to 1,000,000 annually to enable producers and producer-led groups to implement nonpoint source pollution abatement strategies to improve Wisconsin’s soil and water quality
- Nitrogen Optimization Grants: $2 million ($1 million annually) to continue the commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, which aims to protect vital soil and water resources
- Cover Crop Insurance Premium Rebate Program: An additional $1.6 million ($800,000 annually) to support the cover crop insurance program, which assists farmers with rebates of $5 per acre of a cover crop planted for crop insurance premiums paid on those acres