Changes were announced from Madison, which will involve cuts in the amount of funds provided for dairy promotion. 

Mike Strupp of the Washington County Dairy Promotion Committee joined WTKM at the Washington County Fair on Wednesday, July 22. He told us about some changes coming down from the state. He said Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, in this case, is the milk marketing board. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin takes off 10 cents per 100-weight for every pound of milk produced in Wisconsin. 

"So that money gets pooled and in Madison they run their business and do the promoting for us," according to Strupp, who said they received $4,750 a year for the funding for the last 10 years. "And for some reason, we received an e-mail that said 'you will now only receive forty-five hundred dollars for the county.'"

Those funds go toward running their dairy promotion programs in Washington County. 

"I'm not sure why this happening. The other rule that came into play was when you host Breakfast on the Farm, we will only receive three thousand dollars. They have cut the criteria quite a bit on this."     

Mike Strupp went on to say that they used to receive many materials from Madison to help promote dairy. They do not receive half the items that they used to. 

"It's a shame. You know, we sponsor the Half Pint Show which is going to be here at the Washington County Fair on Sunday. We give out goody bags to all the kids who show their calves. We had to order dairy related products through Amazon to give to these kids. It's kind of a shame that way, they are not doing as much as they used to do. It has to do with budget cuts, according to the state. Whatever got cut in Madison, is now coming down on us in Washington County." 

Mike Strupp said the Breakfast on the Farm, which was held on June 13 at the Iron Ridge Dairy, in Kewaskum received the most sponsorship they have ever had.