President Trump hosted a roundtable discussion on American agriculture Friday at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls Friday, highlighting his administration’s commitment to farmers and rural communities in his first visit to Wisconsin since beginning his second term.
Joined by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, and local farm owners including NFL Hall of Famer and Brookfield native Joe Thomas, the President engaged directly with producers facing challenges in the state’s dairy, grain and livestock operations.
“I just want to let you all know that I’m thrilled to be here at Custer Farms with Ken and his family,” Trump said. “Today we’re celebrating the historic strides for some of the most loyal, hardworking patriots anywhere in the nation and they’re really called our American farmers and we’re with you a thousand percent or I wouldn’t be here.”
The President touted policies from his first term and current administration that he said delivered relief to the farm sector, including tax cuts, reduced regulations and trade deals that opened markets. He emphasized efforts to lower input costs, combat unfair foreign competition and support family farms through initiatives like expanded opportunity zones for rural areas.
“We trust in Trump,” one participant farmer said of the President’s agriculture policy. “He’s over there making a great deal for us. Nobody has done more for American agriculture and rural America.”
Van Orden, whose district includes Chippewa Falls, stressed the importance of advancing the farm bill and aligning federal policy with producers’ needs.
“We couldn’t even get the Senate to pick it up. This farm bill is going to be helped move through with the President of the United States,” Van Orden said.
Rep. Tom Tiffany, the presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee who grew up on a dairy farm just 30 minutes from Custer Farm, also spoke at the event and praised Trump’s “Whole Milk for Healthy Kids” executive order returning whole milk to America’s school lunchrooms.
Olympic speedskating superstar Jordan Stolz, a Kewaskum native, was also on stage at the event and provided one of its highlights when he put one of his gold medals around President Trump’s neck.
“I’m keeping it!” Trump joked.
Sen. Ron Johnson also spoke, highlighting the President’s transformation of the Republican Party through a focus on working class issues and people.
“You have turned the Republican Party into the party of the working men and women of this country who have made this country great, and will continue to make it great,” Johnson told Trump. And farmers recognize that.”
