AB50,818,16 (2) The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of this section.

AB50,1576 Section 1576. 93.54 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,818,23 93.54 Dairy agriculture resilience investment now grant pilot program. (1) Program. The department shall create a dairy agriculture resilience investment now grant pilot program, under which the department shall provide grants to dairy producers with fewer than 1,000 head of milking cows to fund projects designed to improve the dairy producers’ operational efficiency and resilience.

AB50,818,24 (2) Rules. The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.

AB50,1577 Section 1577. 93.60 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,819,3 93.60 Transition to grass pilot program. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB50,819,8 (a) “Managed grazing” means a grazing system alternative to continuous grazing, in which pastured fields are subdivided into smaller paddocks, livestock density is controlled, and animals are rotated through paddocks at a frequency that maintains perennial grass-based vegetative cover, ensures regular access to fresh higher quality forage, and reduces soil compaction and erosion.

AB50,819,12 (b) “Marginal area” means land that is excluded from cultivation due to economic infeasibility or physical restriction for growing conventional crops, and includes riparian areas, low areas prone to flooding, and steep lands not conducive to conventional cultivation.

AB50,819,16 (2) Transition to grass pilot program. From the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (t), the department shall create and administer a transition to grass pilot program that awards grants to farmers for managed grazing technical assistance and implementation support.

AB50,819,18 (3) Grazing grants. (a) Subject to par. (b), the transition to grass pilot program shall award grants to farmers for any of the following purposes:

AB50,819,20 1. To assist a farmer with establishing perennial forages for rotational grazing of livestock raised in a grass-based managed grazing system.

AB50,819,23 2. To provide assistance to a farmer in establishing harvestable continuous cover in marginal areas that can produce supplemental feed for livestock that is raised in a grass-based managed grazing system.

AB50,820,2 3. To provide a farmer with incentive payments during the first 3 years of the farmer’s transition to grass-based managed grazing systems.

AB50,820,5 4. To assist a farmer with paying for grass-based managed grazing system infrastructure needs, including fencing, watering, and other livestock management infrastructure.

AB50,820,8 5. Technical assistance and support from a certified grazing specialist in developing grazing plans, including determining field layout, infrastructure setup, seed selection, and establishment of rotational grazing patterns.

AB50,820,13 (b) Grants awarded under par. (a) shall be awarded only to a farmer implementing a new grass-based managed grazing system or a new managed grazing practice that improves the conservation and financial performance of existing grazing systems; grants may not be awarded to a farmer for the support of the farmer’s existing grazing practices.

AB50,820,15 (c) The department may not award more than $40,000 in grants under par. (a) to any one grantee.

AB50,820,20 (d) In the year following the department’s decision to grant an award under par. (a), the department shall provide 75 percent of the award to the grantee, and in each of the 2nd and 3rd years following the department’s decision to grant an award under par. (a), the department shall provide 12.5 percent of the award to the grantee.

AB50,820,22 (4) Support for farmers. (a) The transition to grass pilot program shall provide the following for farmers and persons in agribusiness:

AB50,821,2 1. Assistance in navigating and analyzing the economics of grass-based managed grazing and providing grass-fed livestock research, market development initiatives, and other market opportunities.

AB50,821,4 2. Best practices for meeting consumer demand for grass-fed livestock products.

AB50,821,7 3. Assistance in fostering innovation in and expanding farm and agribusiness strategies in grass-based managed grazing systems and grass-fed livestock practices.

AB50,821,10 (b) The department’s division of agricultural development shall support the state’s grass-fed livestock supply chain, including regional processors, aggregators, distributors, and markets.

AB50,1578 Section 1578. 93.61 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,821,14 93.61 Value-added agricultural practices. (1) Definition. In this section, “value-added agricultural product” means a farm product that satisfies any of the following:

AB50,821,15 (a) The product has undergone a change in physical state.

AB50,821,16 (b) The product is produced in a manner that enhances its value.

AB50,821,17 (c) The product is physically segregated in a manner that enhances its value.

AB50,821,18 (d) The product is a source of farm-based or ranch-based renewable energy.