FarmToFork Newsletter

The Farmers Digest

Fresh Food, Better Community

Greetings from Miles and Chris,

Week of September 16th • Presented by FarmToFork

Index:

Wisconsin Livestock Farmers Face Crippling Regulatory Fee Hikes
Dedication

Wisconsin Livestock Farmers Face Crippling Regulatory Fee Hikes

Wisconsin livestock farmers are getting hammered by the most extreme regulatory fee increases in state agricultural history. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has proposed hiking auction barn licensing fees for Class A markets from $420 to $7,430 annually, a shocking 1,669% increase. Livestock truckers will see registration costs jump 517% from $60 to $370, while market dealer registrations would rise 205% from $220 to $670.

Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales, Wisconsin's largest livestock marketer with 11 locations in the state (out of 13 total), faces fees exploding from $5,460 to $81,730 across those sites. CEO Curt Larson warns these costs will be "passed back to the producer," meaning farmers pay through higher commission rates and trucking fees. Larson emphasized in recent interviews that the proposed fees under rule ATCP 12 are "far above any customary or ordinary price" and could "trickle down to producers" in ways that undermine their bottom lines.

The fee hikes don't stop there. Late fees surge from $84 to $1,486. For comparison, Iowa charges $50 for livestock market licenses, Minnesota $300, Illinois $25 for new licenses and $10 for renewals, and Michigan $400. Wisconsin wants $7,430, up to 148 times higher than neighboring states like Iowa.

Why Are Regulators Doing This?

DATCP oversees livestock market licensing, inspects trucking operations, and maintains records on animal dealers, essentially acting as a middleman between farmers and their business relationships. The agency claims they face nearly a $1.2 million cash shortfall by 2027 in their animal market, dealer, and trucker registration programs, and haven't raised fees since 2009. But here's the kicker, they admit they never asked the legislature for funding. Instead of finding efficiencies or seeking legislative support, they chose the easiest path: making farmers pay for their budget problems. These changes, if approved, would take effect July 1, 2027.

What's even more frustrating is that livestock farmers, auction barns, and truckers have no way to opt out of these regulations. Participation isn't voluntary, these licenses and registrations are mandatory for anyone operating in Wisconsin's livestock sector. Without them, businesses can't legally function, leaving no choice but to comply or shut down. And they have little say in the pricing; the fees are unilaterally set by DATCP bureaucrats with little input from those affected. It's a classic case of being whacked by unelected officials who face no direct consequences for their decisions, while farmers bear the full brunt. That being said citizens can lobby the governor and elected officials to do something.

The Timing and Its Implications

The timing reveals everything. On July 8, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in Evers v. Marklein (also known as Evers II) that laws allowing a legislative committee to override agency regulations are unconstitutional, stripping the legislature's power to block agency fee increases and reducing oversight on rulemaking. The moment DATCP gained freedom from oversight, they immediately moved to crush farmers with fees. It's bureaucratic opportunism at its worst, as groups like the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce have noted, shifting lawmaking to "unelected bureaucrats."

The ramifications will devastate Wisconsin agriculture. Farmers near state borders will simply haul their cattle elsewhere rather than pay Wisconsin's regulatory premium. This exodus will kill rural auction barns, eliminate local jobs, and destroy communities that depend on livestock marketing. Organizations like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Livestock Marketing Council have spoken out against the hikes, warning they could make it "untenable" for small operations to compete. The Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association has called it a "substantial financial burden" and urged members to submit comments during the public hearing process.

The fee structure also accelerates farm consolidation. Corporate operations can spread $7,430 across thousands of cattle, making it negligible per animal. Family farms selling a few hundred head annually get crushed by the same fixed cost. As the MacIver Institute points out, this puts "livestock producers in the bureaucratic crosshairs," favoring larger entities that can absorb the hits.

Editors Opinion

Do we really need this bureaucracy? Of course we don't want diseased cattle being sold, truckers breaking safety protocols, or barns doing things that aren't legitimate. That being said, farmers are smart people who are capable of making wise decisions about who they do business with. Sale barns or truckers who don't do a good job don't stay in business. We don't need government regulation to weed out bad actors; the market will do that. When it comes to watching out for livestock diseases, farmers are also very capable. Right now, they're required to report certain diseases to DATCP. If an animal is sick with one of these diseases, the law says it cannot be sold. DATCP enforces these rules so diseases don't spread, it seems to me that's the most valuable thing DATCP does.

DATCP didn't try to get funding from the federal or state government; they simply opted to pass the costs onto farmers. On top of that, I doubt they've combed their own agency for inefficiencies and waste. Instead of raising prices for sale barns and truckers, which will just blow back on farmers, they should focus on the things that actually matter, like disease prevention. The market can figure out sale barns and trucking contracts. Disease, on the other hand, poses a much greater threat because one bad actor could infect thousands of cows.

In short, we should push agencies like this to zero in on the problems farmers can't solve on their own. At the end of the day, farmers should control organizations like DATCP and run them with farmers in mind. Make your voice heard, come prepared with facts, and rally and educate consumers about the economic and environmental impact this kind of regulation can cause, because regulation like this almost always favors large-scale producers.

Lastly, while the DATCP secretary is not an elected position, they are appointed by the governor and approved by the Wisconsin senate. They can also be removed by the governor. If people in Wisconsin want action they should pressure the governor and elected officials who appointed and approved the current secretary. This can work, in South Dakota they ousted many elected officials who wanted to put in a carbon pipeline and replaced them with officials who put farmers first.

Dedicated to Charlie Kirk
We lost a free speech advocate this week to senseless violence. Charlie inspired young people across the political spectrum to speak their minds and engage in debate—one of the core principles that makes America strong. It is a tragic day when someone is killed simply for expressing their views. Our hearts go out to the Kirk family, and to everyone touched by this heartbreaking act of violence.

Sources:

• DATCP ATCP 12 Proposal Summary
https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents2/ATCP12AnimalMarketsDealersandTruckers.pdf

• Wisconsin Public Radio: Fee Increases Overview
https://www.wpr.org/news/wisconsin-agriculture-regulators-fee-increases-livestock

• NCBA Press Release on Fee Hikes
https://www.ncba.org/news-media/news/details/44053/ncba-livestock-marketing-council-speaks-out-against-proposed-fee-increase-on-wisconsin-sale-barns

• Wisconsin Supreme Court: Evers v. Marklein Opinion
https://www.wicourts.gov/supreme/docs/2024ap123.pdf

• Brownfield Ag: Projected Deficits
https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/wisconsin-ag-department-proposes-large-livestock-fee-increases/

• MacIver Institute: Bureaucratic Crosshairs
https://www.maciverinstitute.com/2025/09/wisconsin-farmers-in-bureaucratic-crosshairs/

• Iowa Dept. of Ag: Livestock Dealer License
https://iowaagriculture.gov/livestock-dealer-license

• MN Dept. of Ag: Market Agency License
https://www.mda.state.mn.us/market-agency-license

• IL General Assembly: Auction Market Fee
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1392

• MI MDARD: Auction Operator Fee
https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/auction-operator

Until next week,
The Farmers Digest Team

For any criticism, questions or comments feel free to reach out to us at:
chris@farmtofork.life

Iowa City, Iowa

Farm To Fork is currently undergoing maintainance.