The Wisconsin Idea at the Wisconsin Academy is a public policy program that brings Wisconsin residents together with a diverse array of experts and stakeholders to find solutions to statewide problems. One of the program's past initiatives, the Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin, explored the state's potential for economic and sustainable growth through agriculture.
The multiyear study that began in 2003 examined current status and trends in agriculture and rural life, explored constraints and opportunities, and developed specific action and policy recommendations leading to a more sustainable, diverse, and economically viable future for Wisconsin's agriculture sector and rural communities.
Those policy recommendations were collected in a final report entitled, The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin: Findings, Recommendations, Steps to a Healthy Future. The report is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of workable lands and the health of our rural communities.
NOTE: Due to high demand, print copies of The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin report are only available by special request. Please contact Environmental Initiatives staff, for print copies or download the entire report PDF for free here.
