Sen. Baldwin and Rep. Van Orden introduce legislation to support organic farmers

Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Derrick Van Orden teamed up Wednesday, announcing bipartisan legislation meant to support organic farmers and producers. The Domestic Organic Investment Act would codify the Organic Market Development Grant program. The program, which is run by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, would help organic farmers fill the supply-and-demand gap. According to the lawmakers, organic sales grew to over $71.4 billion last year but domestic organic acreage has not kept up with that increase. In a press release Baldwin said, “Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland, and to keep that legacy, we need to support our farmers and make sure they can meet the demands of families.”  Van Orden released a statement, “I am proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the people who feed our nation.” The lawmakers said making the grant program permanent would help farmers hire more workers, modernize their systems, expand processing capacity and improve their ability to comply with regulatory requirements.