Kim Bremmer is a graduate of UW-Madison and was a dairy nutritionist for almost 15 years. She is the owner of Ag Inspirations where she has been advocating for farmers as a professional speaker since 2015, traveling across the country, as well as internationally.

Photo courtesy of Venture Dairy Coop

In Pierce County and across Wisconsin, farming is more than a tradition or a way of life – it's the backbone of our economy and the staple of our agricultural heritage. Local dairy farms like Ridge Breeze Dairy don’t just produce milk; they create jobs, support small businesses, and help drive the region’s economic future. Despite this, recent efforts to place burdensome, operational regulations on these farms threaten to undercut one of Wisconsin’s most important industries and the families who keep it running.

Ridge Breeze Dairy alone is expected to generate 20 new, good-paying jobs through its expansion – bringing its total to 40 direct jobs in the community. Beyond that, countless other jobs will benefit. Ridge Breeze Dairy already spends around $25 million a year with local vendors and service providers, helping to keep the economy vibrant and local businesses thriving. From feed suppliers and equipment dealers to veterinary clinics and local repair shops, farms don't just support a broad economic ecosystem, they’re at the heart of it.

This is not unique to Ridge Breeze – it's a reflection of how agriculture drives economic development across Wisconsin. Each cow on a dairy farm contributes an estimated $34,000 annually to the local economy. Every dollar made by agriculture is used an average of seven times in the local economy before leaving the community. That ripple effect is powerful.

Farms also contribute significantly to local tax bases, helping fund schools, infrastructure, and public services that benefit all residents. That’s why it’s deeply concerning to see certain activist groups push for restrictive ordinances that target farms, like Ridge Breeze, with unnecessary red tape. These groups are working to impose operational regulations that go well beyond what is required by state and federal environmental standards. In doing so, they’re ignoring the expertise of farmers, land-use experts, veterinarians and our own land grant universities which have dedicated their work to responsible animal welfare, land stewardship, and resource conservation.

Local governments across Pierce County have considered ordinances pushed by these groups that would introduce a patchwork of rules from township to township. This regulatory inconsistency creates confusion, discourages investment, and places an undue burden on farm families that are already operating under some of the strictest environmental and safety standards in the country. In fact, a similar ordinance in another part of the state has been rescinded following the community engaging with their local farmers and potential expensive legal arguments, further demonstrating how these actions can waste taxpayer resources and undermine effective governance.

It’s important to be clear: Wisconsin agriculture contributes more than $116 billion to our state economy each year. Placing additional and often redundant regulations on farms does not make farming more sustainable – it only makes it harder for the next generation to carry on a proud legacy.

With fewer than 2 percent of our population growing and raising food, can we afford to attack any of them? And let’s not forget about farmer mental health – our governor recognizes how serious the situation is and secured funding for the Farmer Wellness Program at the DATCP Wisconsin Farm Center, that currently provides counseling and voucher services that are being utilized at an all-time high. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Do the actions of anti-agriculture activist groups and other similar organizations help improve the mental health of our farmers? These efforts don’t just target businesses; they target the very people working to keep food on our tables, support rural communities, and sustain Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage.

Modern farming, regardless of size, is not the problem – it's part of the solution. Operations like Ridge Breeze are already advancing environmental practices, contributing to economic development, and filling the gap left by decades of smaller dairies leaving Wisconsin communities. These farms are not faceless corporations; they are simply a large farm family, including local employees and neighbors who want to see the region succeed.

With that said, let’s support local farms of all types and sizes – not saddle them with unnecessary hurdles and stress that only serve to stifle growth and prosperity in rural Wisconsin. When we support farmers, we support the future of our economy, the future of many local families, and the legacy of Wisconsin as the Dairy State.

Kim Bremmer was a dairy nutritionist for nearly 15 years and currently serves as the executive director of Venture Dairy Coop and owner of Ag Inspirations.