March 18, 2026

DBA members help prevent local ordinance

31 minutes

Members of the Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin’s leading dairy advocacy group, demonstrated the positive impact farmers can have when they come together to prevent unnecessary and burdensome local ordinances designed to limit the productivity of dairy farms.

Dairy Stream host, Joanna Guza, and guests Erin Tomasik and Paul Fetzer discuss the following topics:

Rock Elm township local ordinance in Pierce County, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permits

Conversations leading up to the committee meeting

DNR meeting with the town board

Testifying at town board meetings

Bridging the gap

Monitoring local ordinances

Running for local office

About the guests

Erin Tomasik is the Community Relations Manager at the Voice of Milk, where she works to ensure farmer voices are represented on local policy issues. She supports the organization’s government affairs team as well as its permitting and regulatory efforts. Erin collaborates closely with members to connect them with resources, participate in important town meetings and advocate for practical change at the county level. With over 4 years of experience in agricultural advocacy, she has a strong commitment to supporting farmers and the dairy community.

Paul Fetzer is a retired dairy farmer and his family is running Fetzer Farm in El Paso, Wisconsin. Where they milk 1,400 cows and farm 3,000 acres. Paul is a past DBA board member and was awarded the 2024 DBA Advocate of the Year.

Resources:

DBA members help prevent local ordinance in Rock Elm, read here.

Nutrient Management Planning resource

Livestock Facility Siting resource

Contact DBA team

DBA policy priorities

Connect with Erin, email Erin at [email protected]

Learn more about the Dairy Business Association.

Compeer Financial is proud partner of Dairy Stream. Learn more about Dairy Stream sponsorship.

This podcast is produced by the Voice of Milk, a collaboration of individual dairy organizations working to improve the future of dairy farm families. Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing [email protected].

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