In 2014, the poverty rate reached 13 percent in Wisconsin, the highest since 1984; a 20 percent increase between 2010 and 2014. Rural communities are suffering. The National Association of Counties shows only 2 (4%) of Wisconsin’s rural counties were springing back from the Great Recession. Menominee County, home of the Menominee Reservation, remains the poorest country in the state. Further, the Wisconsin Rural Partners found Wisconsin’s net farm profits were significantly lower in 2015 compared to 2014: a $1.6 billion shortfall.
Despite this economic decline, the number of young people wanting to farm is growing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported from 2008 to 2013, students receiving agricultural degrees increased 39%. Over the next 20 years, half of all farmland across the country will change hands, according to the National Young Farmers Coalition. While older farmers continue to retire, many new farmers taking their place are between the ages of 18 and 34, and they have their own ideas. These young farmers are seeking to establish healthy models of agriculture. Cultivating hemp fits with their aspirations while allowing them to participate in a growing industry and market.
Imagine a future where urban, rural, and tribal communities grow and process hemp. We could heal agricultural lands that have suffered from industrial farming. We could create meaningful livelihood and good jobs on the land as well as build up a manufacturing base in cities and towns across the state. And we could be a primary supplier to hemp businesses for all kinds of earth-friendly products and healthy foods.
