The Ag Economic Outlook Forum was held at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Hosted by UW–Madison’s Renk Agribusiness Institute, this annual event brings together more than one hundred industry experts and leaders, including agricultural economists, farmers, implement dealers, and other industry insiders. It is one of my favorite events each year because it offers a clear, data-driven look at where the agriculture industry stands and where it may be headed.

Steven Deller, an economist at UW-Madison, opened the forum with a big-picture view of the ag economy. His view was fairly pessimistic, citing tariffs, price uncertainty, and increasing economic decoupling from China as major concerns. However, despite these headwinds, Deller highlighted encouraging data showing that Wisconsin dairy exports are finding new markets, especially in Asia, and that the agriculture sector continues to make up a strong share of Wisconsin’s total exports.

Next, we heard from Paul Mitchell, Director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute. He presented an update on farm income. After several years of steady decline, overall farm income has rebounded to its second-highest level in 50 years and increased 37 percent from last year. This increase was largely driven by livestock revenue climbing 11 percent, while crop revenue fell by 2.5 percent.

Mitchell also discussed land values, which saw a modest increase statewide over the past year. Dane, Grant, and Lafayette counties, all parts of the 17th Senate District, had the highest land rental prices in the state. Despite the price tag, both Grant and Lafayette counties experienced slight decreases in average rental costs in 2025.

After lunch, I had the honor of giving the legislative and policy update, and share how the Legislature has supported our farmers. I highlighted efforts in the budget to renew the popular Ag Road Improvement Program (ARIP), support farmer-led conservation initiatives, expand meat and dairy processing capacity, and provide grants to Wisconsinites pursuing a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

I also outlined several priorities that I hope to see passed before the end of the legislative session this spring to continue my support of Wisconsin’s farmers. I am an author or co-sponsor of many of these bills including legislation to freeze fees on livestock dealers, auction barns, and truckers that the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) attempted to raise this summer. I also highlighted legislation to create a veterinary loan repayment program to attract large-animal veterinarians to rural areas, my bill to require schools to serve butter rather than margarine, and truth-in-labeling laws to require lab grown meat and lab grown milk to be clearly identified as such.

Following my remarks, the forum continued with a series of panels covering a wide range of topics including international trade, farm bankruptcies, farmer mental health, agricultural lending, the ginseng market, and more.

The Ag Economic Outlook Forum is one of my favorite events of the year. You can view all the videos and materials from the event here.

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