Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing a new initiative to address the state’s shrinking farming population and the challenges young farmers face in accessing land.

State Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, are circulating a bill that would establish the “Farmland Link” program under the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)’s Farm Center. The legislation, LRB-3225/1 and LRB-4320/1, would match farmland owners with prospective buyers committed to agricultural use.

“Wisconsin agriculture is at a crossroads with an aging farming population and increasing challenges for young and beginning farmers to access land,” the lawmakers wrote. “Meanwhile, thousands of acres of farmland remain underutilized or risk falling out of agricultural production altogether.”

The proposal comes as Wisconsin lost nearly 5,000 farm operators between 2017 and 2022, with the median age of farmers continuing to rise. (RELATED: Wisconsin Dairy Industry Triumphs Against Out-of-State Interests)

The bill also requires DATCP to create a public website for the program and provide annual reports to the governor and state lawmakers detailing farms, acreage, and users served in the previous year.

Supporters of the measure say it could help keep farmland in production while giving new farmers a foothold in the industry. If passed, the program would represent one of the state’s most direct efforts to address generational turnover in agriculture. (RELATED: Democratic Governor Joins the MAHA Movement)