As a small family farm in Jefferson County, we know firsthand how tough it can be to get the word out when you don’t have a storefront on Main Street. For farms like ours, digital advertising isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the bridge that connects us to local families who care about where their food comes from. Without these tools, many of us would struggle to reach new customers or compete with big grocery chains.
My partner, Ryan, and I own Little Farmer Meats here in Watertown. We raise beef and pork to feed our family and families in nearby communities with no marketing gimmicks, just wholesome, delicious meat. We sell directly to families, not through stores, so every order starts with a message or click. Digital advertising lets us share our story and our products with neighbors we might never meet otherwise at a price we can afford compared to other advertising methods.
In Wisconsin, 99.4% of businesses are small, meaning these tools are essential for those in big towns, like Madison, to those in rural areas, like the Northwoods.
Proposals to tax digital ads or create a patchwork of privacy laws would make it harder for farms like ours, and other small businesses to survive. That’s why I’m calling on Congressman Scott Fitzgerald, alongside Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, to protect the digital tools that help small businesses like ours survive and grow.
Kara Kasten-Olson