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Farm Bureau official expects government to shut down

When it comes to a possible government shutdown Saturday, a Wisconsin Farm Bureau official is telling farmers, “I think it’s all but a certainty at this point.”

National Affairs Director Tyler Wenzlaff says farmers need to plan for the worst and hope for the best.  He tells Brownfield he’s hoping for either a deal or a continuing resolution to keep the government funded, but he’s not optimistic. “The four corners of Congress are pretty set in their ways. We have a government shutdown that is looming plus, you know, depending on how Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy plays this out, there could be a call for the speakership as well.”

Wenzlaff says crop insurance will continue if there’s a shutdown or expiration of the farm bill but, “In the conservation programs, some were extended through the Inflation Reduction Act to 2031 but there’s other ones that are facing a deadline coming up here on the 30th that are very vital to what farmers do on a daily basis.”

Wenzlaff’s advice to farmers is to get into their local FSA offices before Friday to take care of business such as updating Dairy Margin Coverage program eligibility.