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Wisconsin’s Veterans in Agriculture program needs user input

Wisconsin’s Veterans in Ag bill has been signed into law, but one of its authors says veterans can now help shape the final program.

Senator Patrick Testin tells Brownfield the new law was drafted to give state agencies flexibility to help veterans.  “The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection along with the Department of Veterans Affairs and consultation with the UW (University of Wisconsin) Extension will have 90 days to kind of draft what this program is going to look like, so in 90 days, we should have the program ready to go.

And, he encourages veterans to tell agencies what they need.  “Reach out to the Department of Agriculture to say look, this is what we’d like to see incorporated to give them their feedback, because obviously, anytime you create a new program, there’s a lot of times some question marks as to what it’s going to look like and what it will and won’t do.”

Testin says having former Senator and Senate Ag Committee member Sheila Harsdorf as the new Ag Secretary will also help with the development of the new program.

Senator Testin talks with Brownfield’s Larry Lee