By Dan Kaufman
As big diary farms continue to take over small, rural ones, the families that operate them are getting angrier that they are being neglected. This was the reason that Trump defeated Clinton in a state that Obama had carried both times. After Richard Nixon's administration in the 1970's and the big push for bigger farms to produce more, smaller farms have struggled. Suicides have gone up, and Republican legislation in the state has reduced wages even more. On top of that, Trump's trade war with China, Canada, and Mexico have increased dairy tariffs and/or cut off exports entirely. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic stalled exports and refineries, making farmers dump millions of gallons down the drain, which had both economic and environmental impacts.
In 2016, Trump campaigned extensively in the Driftless area, where big companies haven't yet penetrated because of the terrain. He promised to take care of the rural people. This area is key to politics in Wisconsin, as can be seen in past gubernatorial elections. Clinton, on the other hand, failed to recognize the state at all, taking almost for granted. Trump has lost much of his Driftless region base due to his policies in office, and Biden could take advantage of that.
And he already has. He has aired many ads and virtual rallies in the area, along with a session devoted entirely to rural farmers. Many farmers there are just holding on, and maybe the change they need is on the way.
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