- Rural Wisconsin vs. Corporate Ag
Ridge Breeze Legal Hearing: Here’s what to know
The legal battle to stop the proposed Ridge Breeze expansion to 6,500 cows will come to a head on Tuesday, March 3, when a contested case hearing opens in Eau Claire.
The first day of the hearing will be for public testimony, during which area residents and business owners will be able to provide comments about the expansion’s threat to their water and the environment.
- Rural Wisconsin vs. Corporate Ag
Big Ag lobbyists try to take money from program for small farms
Big Ag lobbyists are attempting to undermine legislation designed to support small dairy farms in Wisconsin. Senate Bill 323 and Assembly Bill 363 would create a low-interest loan program for farms under 1,000 animal units, but the Wisconsin Farm Bureau is pushing to remove that limit—opening the door for large factory farms to access funds intended for small and mid-sized farmers. Bill author Sen. Rob Stafsholt has stated he does not intend to change the threshold, emphasizing the bill’s original purpose: helping smaller farms afford needed improvements.
The effort comes amid broader concerns about corporate consolidation in Wisconsin’s dairy industry. A recent report highlights how large industrial operations have pursued public financing for major expansions, including a proposed 6,500-cow facility in Pierce County that sought $18 million in tax-exempt funding before local residents successfully pushed back. Advocates argue that communities must remain vigilant, using local tools and statewide policy reforms to ensure public resources prioritize small farms and protect rural health, infrastructure, and water.
- Civic Solidarity
- Member Opinions
Before the wave hits: Rural Wisconsin organizes against the One Big Beautiful Bill
On July 4th, while rural western Wisconsin celebrated Independence Day, Congress quietly passed HR1 — a massive federal tax and spending law that locks in tax cuts for the wealthy while setting in motion deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and affordable health coverage. The damage is designed to arrive slowly, filtered through county budgets and local institutions that already operate on the brink.
Bill Hogseth, GROWW Co-Executive Director and Organizing Lead reflects on, organizing before the wave hits. Local organizers and residents are uncovering what HR1 will mean for our rural communities, listening to county leaders and neighbors, and building a county-by-county movement to stop a quiet class war (hidden behind a loud & violent culture war) and protect the services that hold our communities together.
- GROWW Wide
- Member Opinions
Editorial: What is possible when we unite?
This year, we know all of us in Wisconsin will be inundated with messages of division, especially leading up to the Spring and Midterm elections in April and November. Corporate interest groups and the ultra-wealthy want to divide us – by the color of our skin, by where we are from, how long we’ve lived here – so they can continue to call the shots. They distract us with a deluge of news so that we keep blaming each other instead of blaming them. They pass bills removing healthcare and food for us in our community while giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and the largest corporations.
GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin: Residents in western Wisconsin warn county officials of HR1’s looming budget crisis
Residents from Dunn, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties warned county boards that HR1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, is poised to trigger significant local budget reductions in essential services across western Wisconsin. In county budget hearings this month, residents delivered letters and gave testimony that the funding cuts in HR1 translate directly into hunger, untreated illness, longer waits for crisis care, and heavier burdens on families already stretched thin.
Western Wisconsin residents hit the streets demanding SNAP benefits be restored
“The fundamental here is really simple right. People shouldn’t have to follow court cases and executive orders to know if they can buy breakfast in the morning,” said GROWW Member Abraham Smith. He, along with Dunn County residents came to Eau Claire to share more about how SNAP (FoodShare) cuts impact people and families in WI. Smith said the message is “step forward, Fund SNAP at 100%.”
- Rural Wisconsin vs. Corporate Ag
Ridge Breeze Legal Hearing: Here’s what to know
The legal battle to stop the proposed Ridge Breeze expansion to 6,500 cows will come to a head on Tuesday, March 3, when a contested case hearing opens in Eau Claire.
The first day of the hearing will be for public testimony, during which area residents and business owners will be able to provide comments about the expansion’s threat to their water and the environment.
- Rural Wisconsin vs. Corporate Ag
Big Ag lobbyists try to take money from program for small farms
Big Ag lobbyists are attempting to undermine legislation designed to support small dairy farms in Wisconsin. Senate Bill 323 and Assembly Bill 363 would create a low-interest loan program for farms under 1,000 animal units, but the Wisconsin Farm Bureau is pushing to remove that limit—opening the door for large factory farms to access funds intended for small and mid-sized farmers. Bill author Sen. Rob Stafsholt has stated he does not intend to change the threshold, emphasizing the bill’s original purpose: helping smaller farms afford needed improvements.
The effort comes amid broader concerns about corporate consolidation in Wisconsin’s dairy industry. A recent report highlights how large industrial operations have pursued public financing for major expansions, including a proposed 6,500-cow facility in Pierce County that sought $18 million in tax-exempt funding before local residents successfully pushed back. Advocates argue that communities must remain vigilant, using local tools and statewide policy reforms to ensure public resources prioritize small farms and protect rural health, infrastructure, and water.
- Civic Solidarity
- Member Opinions
Before the wave hits: Rural Wisconsin organizes against the One Big Beautiful Bill
On July 4th, while rural western Wisconsin celebrated Independence Day, Congress quietly passed HR1 — a massive federal tax and spending law that locks in tax cuts for the wealthy while setting in motion deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and affordable health coverage. The damage is designed to arrive slowly, filtered through county budgets and local institutions that already operate on the brink.
Bill Hogseth, GROWW Co-Executive Director and Organizing Lead reflects on, organizing before the wave hits. Local organizers and residents are uncovering what HR1 will mean for our rural communities, listening to county leaders and neighbors, and building a county-by-county movement to stop a quiet class war (hidden behind a loud & violent culture war) and protect the services that hold our communities together.
- GROWW Wide
- Member Opinions
Editorial: What is possible when we unite?
This year, we know all of us in Wisconsin will be inundated with messages of division, especially leading up to the Spring and Midterm elections in April and November. Corporate interest groups and the ultra-wealthy want to divide us – by the color of our skin, by where we are from, how long we’ve lived here – so they can continue to call the shots. They distract us with a deluge of news so that we keep blaming each other instead of blaming them. They pass bills removing healthcare and food for us in our community while giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and the largest corporations.
GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin: Residents in western Wisconsin warn county officials of HR1’s looming budget crisis
Residents from Dunn, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties warned county boards that HR1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, is poised to trigger significant local budget reductions in essential services across western Wisconsin. In county budget hearings this month, residents delivered letters and gave testimony that the funding cuts in HR1 translate directly into hunger, untreated illness, longer waits for crisis care, and heavier burdens on families already stretched thin.
Western Wisconsin residents hit the streets demanding SNAP benefits be restored
“The fundamental here is really simple right. People shouldn’t have to follow court cases and executive orders to know if they can buy breakfast in the morning,” said GROWW Member Abraham Smith. He, along with Dunn County residents came to Eau Claire to share more about how SNAP (FoodShare) cuts impact people and families in WI. Smith said the message is “step forward, Fund SNAP at 100%.”