From the Corner Office

Tom Bressner, WABA Executive Director

To All WABA Members:

Greetings once again from WABA! Spring is such a great time of the year. In agriculture, the Spring season is what we live for…preparing the soil, planting another crop, bringing in the first cutting of hay, warm weather, green grass. Wow, it just doesn’t get much better than this. One other amazing thing about the Spring of 2021 is that the “Zoom” world we have been living in is quickly turning back to “InPerson” once again. While we all did what we had to do during the pandemic, it is really exciting to get back to doing business the way it is meant to be.

WABA returned to the in-person world on March 1719 when we held our 15th Annual Custom Applicator Program at Fox Valley Technical College. While masks, disposable gloves, Lysol, and antiseptic wipes were part of this year’s safety protocol, the annual training program continued to be one of the best applicator training programs available anywhere. There is an article about the 2021 Custom Applicator Program later in this magazine that tells you more about this outstanding training program.

On May 18, 19 and 20, we hosted our Regional Feed Meetings, bringing feed mill operators from around the state to three locations to talk about topics important to them. (You will also find an article on the Regional Feed Meetings in this issue as well.) And to continue the excitement, all WABA programs being planned for the future will be held in-person as well. Keep your eyes open for registration materials on our Safety Day Program, Leadership Development Academy, Executive Leadership Academy, Grain Grading Schools, Scholarship Trap Shoot and Golf Outings, and others. One other article you will find in this magazine is written on proposed rules for the Department of Natural Resources – NR 151 – Nitrate Targeted Performance Standards. WABA has been heavily involved in discussions about these proposed rules and continues to represent the WABA membership as the process develops. We welcome your thoughts and comments on NR 151.

The WABA Webinar Series has grown in popularity almost every month since we started the program in February. The monthly one-hour webinar is held at noon on the third Wednesday of each month. Our presenter for the June Webinar will be Wisconsin DOT Secretary-designee Craig Thompson, talking about the state’s budget and plans for rural road and bridge funding. We hope you will plan on attending.

I also want to mention the work WABA is doing to maintain a good working relationship with the four area offices of OSHA in Wisconsin. This past quarter, we have held two meetings of the WABA/OSHA Alliance, worked jointly at promoting the Stand Up for Grain Safety Week (March 29 through April 2), and had Mary Bauer from the Eau Claire OSHA Office serve as a presenter at the May WABA Webinar. If you ever have questions about OSHA regulations and how they apply to your facilities, do not hesitate to reach out to Jim Nolte, WABA Safety Program Director.

I hope you enjoy and gather lots of information from reading this magazine. As just one of the many benefits of your WABA membership, it is designed with your interests in mind. Here is to a prosperous and rewarding growing season. Stay safe everyone!

Sincerely, Tom