WBA Ag Section Board Met With DATCP Secretary Romanski
Members of the WBA Agricultural Bankers Section Board met on Friday, June 13, 2025, at the WBA office in Madison to kick off their new membership year and discuss plans for the rest of 2025 and into spring 2026. The group was honored to welcome Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Randy Romanski to the meeting as a special guest.
Sitting L to R: Adam Sommer, Bank of Brodhead; Craig Rogan, Nicolet National Bank, Stevens Point; Jenny Jereczek, Security Financial Bank, Durand; Amy Austin, Lake Ridge Bank, Evansville; and Nick Felder, MidwestOne Bank, Lancaster.
Standing L to R: Elsa Condon, Nicolet National Bank, Fond du Lac; Jeff Wilke, Nicolet National Bank, De Pere; Lance Lansing, Apple River State Bank, Darlington; Cathy Asher, Security Financial Bank, Durand; Secy. Randy Romanski; WBA’s Lorenzo Cruz.
Secretary Romanski spent over an hour with the group sharing updates on 3 key areas from DATCP’s perspective, followed by lots of great questions and discussions between the bankers and himself.
The first key area of discussion was in regard to things happening on the federal and international level. With the transition to the Trump administration, federal programs and agencies have been affected, particularly USDA and FSA. Romanski shared that Wisconsin is one of four regional dairy hubs in the United States with certain federal appropriations in place to support “dairy business innovations.” This program was reviewed, and the funding has been released to keep supporting the program. There is concern at DATCP for the future of the Local Food Purchasing Agreement (LFPA) as the funding is in question, and DATCP advocates that the program has been very beneficial in helping new start up farmers. While the bankers shared that there are concerns about employment disruption across the state, there has not been the level of activity that other states are experiencing.
The Ag Section board was also provided with an update on the National Milk Testing requirements and where Wisconsin stands with the process. Romanski shared that Wisconsin has already been following the USDA requirements before they became federally mandated. With more than 5,300 dairy farms in Wisconsin, a lot of work has gone into the process of facilitating proper and regular testing.
Lastly, Romanski shared an update on the state budget, in which DATCP is seeking additional funding for soil and water testing, meat and dairy processor innovations, international market support, and staffing and supplies requests to help keep up with the demands of our large agricultural economy in the state. Another area of interest in the state budget discussions is the additional of “Ag Road Improvement Program” (ARIP) which would be in addition to the “Local Road Improvement Funds” to support the rural infrastructure improvements that are badly needed in many rural communities – including several bridges in farming communities.
The WBA Ag Section Board wishes to thank Secretary Romanski for engaging with the agricultural banking community in our state and keeping the communication lines open to better support and identify challenges as they arise.
