Date posted
Jul
3
Members of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded Governor Tony Evers and legislative leaders on the bipartisan passage and...
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WCMA: A Strong Voice for the Dairy Industry
Take action now in support of increased funding for Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives in Fiscal Year 2026! Click here to message your elected officials.
WCMA is a strong voice for dairy manufacturers and their suppliers at both the state and federal government level, advocating on issues as far-ranging as school nutrition, transportation, milk pricing, workforce development, and food safety.
Legislative Tours
As part of its advocacy efforts, WCMA hosts regular legislative tours of manufacturing facilities and lobbying days for members. To participate in one of these impactful events, contact Senior Director of Programs & Policy Rebekah Sweeney.
Policy Positions
The WCMA Board of Directors and the WCMA Policy Committee, together with WCMA staff, work to develop formal policy positions on a broad range of issues. Learn more about our federal and state positions in the statements below.
Date posted
Jul
3
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today lauded dairy provisions in the federal budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress. WCMA...
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Date posted
Jul
1
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and State Senator Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) for...
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Date posted
Jul
1
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded members of Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee, along with Governor Tony...
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Date posted
Jun
27
Wisconsin dairy processors tonight applauded lawmakers for supporting $3.2 million in critical funding measures that strengthen the state’s...
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Date posted
May
1
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) is driving innovation, business growth, resilience, and workforce development in the Midwest dairy...
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Date posted
Mar
7
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is applauding news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is today releasing...
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Date posted
Feb
26
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today sent a letter calling on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to...
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Date posted
Feb
5
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today praised Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ efforts to invest in dairy innovation,...
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Date posted
Feb
5
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded investments of $77.8 million in rural road improvement projects benefiting Wisconsin...
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Date posted
Jan
7
Congressional committee assignments have been announced for 2025, with a host of new members joining agricultural committees. The Senate Committee...
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Date posted
Dec
11
Nearly four dozen dairy businesses across the Midwest have been awarded grants through the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership...
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Date posted
Nov
19
Following the introduction of the U.S. Senate’s Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is calling...
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Date posted
Nov
12
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today shared a statement following the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Final...
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Date posted
Oct
28
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today cheered the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) direction of $15 million to expand...
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Date posted
Aug
2
Silent as a shrug, the dairy industry appears quietly accepting of the changes to milk pricing formulas for Class 3 and 4 milk in the July 1...
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Date posted
Jul
31
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded investments of $33.6 million in rural road improvement projects benefiting Wisconsin...
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Date posted
Jul
11
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded the United States Senate Appropriations Committee to boost funding for key dairy...
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Date posted
Jun
25
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement of $12 million in...
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Date posted
Jun
11
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members commended U.S. Senate Republicans' Farm Bill framework, released today by Senate Committee on...
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Date posted
May
29
View images of all awardees at bit.ly/wcmacheesechampions! As June Dairy Month approaches, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) presented...
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Date posted
May
24
The House Committee on Agriculture late Thursday night approved its version of the Farm Bill, voting to maintain current funding authorization for...
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Date posted
May
17
Following the introduction of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today urged members of...
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Date posted
May
16
More than 200 dairy business leaders in 31 states are today calling on House leaders to fully fund Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBII) in...
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Date posted
May
1
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today cheered the introduction of the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act by the U.S. Senate...
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Date posted
Mar
21
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today applauded Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ action to sign Senate Bill (SB) 431 into...
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Date posted
Mar
1
There are more than 12,000 registered lobbyists in Washington, D.C., outnumbering members of Congress by approximately 22:1. In Wisconsin, more...
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Date posted
Feb
12
Note: WCMA members can click here to download and complete a simple, two-page form to provide their local governments with essential information as...
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Date posted
Jan
15
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers...
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Date posted
Nov
14
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today applauded the State Senate’s unanimous approval of Senate Bill 431, legislation...
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Date posted
Jul
21
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is pleased to see today’s action by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials, who...
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Date posted
Jul
5
Members of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded Governor Tony Evers’ action to sign the 2023-2025 biennial state...
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Date posted
Jun
15
The Wisconsin Ag Coalition applauds the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate today after both voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 247. The bill,...
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Date posted
Jun
14
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today praised the allocation of $23 million in continued federal funding for four programs supporting...
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Date posted
May
18
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members are applauding action taken tonight by Wisconsin's powerful Joint Finance Committee (JFC) to grow...
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Date posted
May
15
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today applauded the announcement of 2023 Wisconsin Dairy Processor Grant awards, and called on...
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Date posted
Feb
15
Following Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ budget address, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members praised his proposed investments...
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Date posted
Jan
23
Additional grant funding is now available through the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) to help Wisconsin dairy exporters grow their...
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Date posted
Jan
17
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today unveiled a robust legislative platform for 2023. In visits with elected and appointed leaders,...
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Date posted
Jan
4
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy...
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Date posted
Dec
23
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) today applauded members of Congress for directing $23 million...
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Date posted
Dec
20
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association...
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Date posted
Dec
5
We hear it daily, from members large and small, operating in nearly every state in the nation: they’re struggling to find the workers they...
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Date posted
Nov
7
Momentum is building for a national hearing to address reforms for federal milk marketing orders, the dairy industry equivalent to a birthday party...
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Date posted
Nov
1
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) Board of Directors approved concepts to improve and reform federal milk marketing order pricing...
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Date posted
Oct
20
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ allocation of an additional $10 million in...
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Date posted
Sep
19
Applications are being accepted now through November 10 for a new round of Dairy Business Builder grants open to dairy farmers, manufacturers, and...
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Date posted
Aug
16
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) applauds members of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, who today voted to approve more...
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Date posted
Jul
27
A new round of Dairy Business Builder grants is coming in September 2022 for small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, manufacturers, and processors in...
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Date posted
Jul
11
Dairy farmers, processors, and manufacturers in five Midwestern states can submit project abstracts now through August 31 for a new round of Dairy...
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Date posted
Jun
27
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today announced the launch of customized resources to provide direct consultations to Wisconsin dairy...
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Date posted
Jun
20
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s...
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Date posted
May
26
Dairy product manufacturers in five Midwestern states can prepare now to apply for a new, $1 million round of grants to be administered by the Dairy...
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Date posted
May
19
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy...
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Date posted
Mar
22
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded Governor Tony Evers for signing Senate Bill 827 into law as Act 207. The legislation,...
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Date posted
Mar
2
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today cheered U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack’s direction of $80...
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Date posted
Feb
23
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded the Wisconsin State Assembly’s unanimous approval of Senate Bill 827,...
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Date posted
Nov
30
Small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, entrepreneurs, and processors in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin can prepare now to...
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Date posted
Nov
10
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today cheered the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement of $20.2 million in...
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Date posted
Nov
8
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today cheered the Wisconsin Senate’s unanimous vote to invest $5 million to increase the...
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Date posted
Oct
26
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded members of the Wisconsin State Assembly for their unanimous approval of legislation...
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Date posted
Jul
8
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today applauded agricultural investments made in the 2021-23 Wisconsin State Budget. “The...
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Date posted
Jul
1
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement of $20.2 million in...
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Date posted
Jun
22
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and Dairy Business Association (DBA) today applauded the Wisconsin State Assembly’s unanimous...
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Date posted
Jun
21
June 21, 2021 Dear Assembly Representatives, We write to respectfully request your support for Assembly Bill 73, Assembly Bill 74 and, Assembly...
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Date posted
Jun
21
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), Dairy Business Association (DBA) and 11 other agricultural advocacy organizations today called for quick...
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Date posted
Jun
9
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) applauds members of the Wisconsin State Senate, following the body’s unanimous approval of...
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Date posted
May
18
MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ direction of $100 million in...
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Date posted
May
5
Testimony: May 5, 2021 Wisconsin State Senate Committee on Agriculture and Tourism Re: Confirmation of Randy Romanski to Serve as DATCP...
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Date posted
May
5
Testimony: May 5, 2021 Wisconsin State Senate Committee on Agriculture and Tourism Re: Senate Bill 325 Submitted by: Rebekah Sweeney, Wisconsin...
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Date posted
Apr
22
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded U.S. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) as she reintroduced the DAIRY PRIDE Act, requiring...
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Date posted
Feb
16
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members are tonight praising Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ plans to boost the state’s...
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Date posted
Feb
15
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today applauded U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s appointment to serve as Chair of the federal...
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Date posted
Feb
9
Calling for quick legislative action, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members today testified in support of two bills designed to protect...
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Date posted
Feb
5
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members are applauding Governor Tony Evers’ plan to invest $43 million in Wisconsin’s...
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Date posted
Dec
22
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today cheered news that U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) secured $22 million in support for...
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Date posted
Dec
9
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association today applauded Governor Tony Evers’ plan to direct $3.25 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief...
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Date posted
Sep
14
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and...
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Date posted
Aug
28
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s...
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Date posted
Aug
20
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and...
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Date posted
Apr
6
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is calling on leaders of the Wisconsin State Legislature to immediately vote to end the one week...
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Date posted
Apr
3
This is the most significant business disruption of your career. Or you’ve had a pretty rough career. The dairy processing industry is in...
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Date posted
Mar
20
Honorable Members of Congress: Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association writes to you today, representing 700 companies and cooperatives in the food...
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Date posted
Mar
12
MADISON – At a press conference Thursday at the State Capitol, agriculture organizations urged the Senate to take up important bills that have...
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Date posted
Feb
27
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) thanks Governor Tony Evers and members of the Wisconsin State Building Commission for their support...
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Date posted
Feb
20
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) applauded members of the Wisconsin State Assembly for approving eight key bills designed boost...
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Date posted
Feb
11
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) applauded today’s bipartisan passage of two key dairy industry bills through the Assembly...
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Date posted
Feb
4
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) applauded announcements from Assembly Republicans today, supporting major investments in the...
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Date posted
Jan
29
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) members and staff testified today in the Wisconsin State Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Senate...
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Date posted
Jan
23
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) supports Governor Tony Evers’ call for a Special Session of the Legislature to boost the...
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Date posted
Jan
22
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) tonight cheered Governor Tony Evers’ 2020 State of the State Address, which set forth ambitious...
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Date posted
Jan
10
As dairy farms continuously improve to release the genetic potential of their dairy cows, all aspects of sustainability improve. It’s that...
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Date posted
Dec
19
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is thanking U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) today for securing Congressional approval of $20...
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Date posted
Dec
18
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) applauds members of the Wisconsin State Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial...
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Date posted
Dec
18
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today thanked Wisconsin State Senators André Jacque (R-De Pere) and Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire),...
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Date posted
Dec
10
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded announcements from President Donald Trump and House Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy...
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Date posted
Dec
9
Mr. Paul LewisStandards Division, National Organic ProgramU.S. Department of Agriculture1400 Independence Ave. SWRoom2642-So., Ag Stop...
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Date posted
Dec
5
A single word defines the successful future of the dairy industry. Everything else – food safety, herd health, retaining workers, reforming...
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Date posted
Nov
25
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers for signing Senate Bill 219 into law, expanding access...
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Date posted
Nov
7
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded the Wisconsin State Assembly’s unanimous approval of Senate Bill 219, which...
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Date posted
Nov
1
Reform federal orders? Why – what’s changed? Isn’t your local dairy still delivering creamline bottles to your doorstep? Industry...
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Date posted
Sep
12
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) applauds State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) for proposing legislation to protect...
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Date posted
Sep
1
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared 2019 the “Year of Clean Drinking Water in Wisconsin,” an opportunity for farmers, industry,...
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Date posted
Jul
3
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WMCA) together with advocates for Wisconsin’s dairy farming community today applauded Governor Tony...
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Date posted
Jun
25
As the state Assembly began debating the budget today, six groups representing dairy farmers, processors, cooperatives and other related businesses...
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Date posted
Jun
5
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today applauded members of the Wisconsin State Senate for their unanimous approval of Senate Bill...
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Date posted
May
15
MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) thanks members of the Wisconsin State Senate for their unanimous approval of...
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Date posted
Apr
11
In April 2019, WCMA members sent a letter to Wisconsin state lawmakers indicating policy priorities. Please find that letter here.
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Date posted
Apr
1
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is pleased to announce that Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers will address 2019 Cheese Industry...
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Date posted
Apr
1
A close look at Wisconsin dairy export data, and U.S. exports overall, reveals weakening sales as a record-breaking export year reached its end in...
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