History

In 2004, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters began planning for a “Wisconsin Idea” project that would catalyze a statewide discussion around a key issue in Wisconsin.  Such a project should  involve a large number of stakeholders and produce meaningful results that would have long-term impact.  The Academy chose a study to assess a desirable pathway to “The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin.”  The project officially launched in July of 2005.  There followed 2.5 years of public education, grassroots and expert input, six regional forums, and a statewide conference.  A lengthy iterative process sorted the resulting input into concrete recommendations for policy and action steps that might fulfill the vision described.

The goal of that study was to define a path to a more sustainable, diverse and economically viable future for the state’s economy and rural communities.  The process was both visionary and analytical.  It deliberately cast the broadest possible net to capture as many stakeholder voices of as many types and sources as possible.  The study concluded by responding to the increasing number of challenges in rural Wisconsin with a long list of recommendations (83) that will require civic action and the dedication of many public and private groups.

The recommendations addressed rural issues in these general categories:

• Production Agriculture
• Conservation of Natural Resources
• Food Systems
• Community (Social, Economic and Cultural Aspects of Rural Life)

They are included in the comprehensive final report, “The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin:  Findings, Recommendations, Steps to a Healthy Future published in October 2007.

The report was distributed widely to the governor, state and national legislators, FOF event participants, policy makers at many levels, academics, public libraries, cooperative extension agents, and individual requestors in 13 states and 5 foreign countries.  More information about the project and a downloadable PDF of the recommendations is available at www.wisconsinacademy.org/idea. You may also purchase the full report from the Academy at the same site.