BOARD MEMBERS NAMED

Kevin Krentz was elected president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Krentz is a dairy farmer from Berlin in Waushara County.

Krentz was first elected to the WFBF Board of Krentz Daniels Morton Directors in 2012 to represent District 5, which includes: Adams, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Juneau, Marquette, Waushara and Winnebago counties.

Kevin is president of Krentz Family Dairy, Inc. He started his farming career in 1994 when he purchased his father's 60 cows. He grew the farm to 600 cows and 1,300 acres of crops.

Kevin and his wife, Holly, have one daughter and three sons.

Dave Daniels from Union Grove in Kenosha County was re-elected to serve as vice president.

Arch Morton Jr. of Janesville in Rock County was re-elected to a three-year term on the board representing Bragger Lisowe District 2 (Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Rock and Sauk counties).

Joe Bragger of Independence in Buffalo County was re-elected to a three-year term on the board representing District 4 (Buffalo, Eau Claire, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe and Trempealeau counties).

Rosie Lisowe of Chilton in Calumet County was re-elected to a three-year term on the board representing District 6 (Brown, Calumet, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties).

Nine of the 11 members of the WFBF board of directors are farmers elected in each of Farm Bureau's nine districts. These nine individuals also make up the board of directors for the Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Leahy Johnson Rounding out the WFBF's board are the chairs of WFBF's Young Farmer and Agriculturist and Promotion and Education She succeeds Kelly Oudenhoven of Outagamie County as Committees, both of which serve a one-year term on the board. YFA Chair.

Lynn Leahy of Plover in Waushara County was elected to Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board Directors who a one-year term as the chair of the Promotion and Education were not up for re-election included: Dave Daniels of Union Committee and will serve as the representative on the board. Grove in Kenosha County, Robert Nigh of Viroqua in Vernon She succeeds Darby Sampson from Jackson County. County, Kevin Krentz of Berlin in Waushara County, Brian

Emily Johnson of Orfordville in Rock County was elected to Preder of Weyauwega in Waupaca County, Ryan Klussendorf a one-year term as chair of the Young Farmer and Agriculturist of Medford in Taylor County and Peter Kimball of Baldwin in Committee and will serve as the representative on the board. Pierce County.

More than Delegates from the Wisconsin Farm 200 Bureau's 61 county Farm Bureaus delegates at also supported: the Wisconsin • Increased availability of natural gas Farm Bureau in rural Wisconsin. Federation's • Requiring individuals and entities virtual 101st digging in road right of ways Annual Meeting or easements to notify property established owners before digging. new policy • Farm to School programs to directives for the promote buying local foods and organization. education of food production,

Farm Bureau nutrition and the environment. delegates adopted • Increased education efforts of the policies modern agriculture and food that will be included in the organization's policy book in 2021. production at the elementary and Resolutions were submitted by delegates as part of a grassroots secondary levels. policy development process.

Changes to the 2021 dairy policy include support for On the federal level, delegates supported: elimination of size and calorie restrictions for milk/dairy • Increasing the butter fat content from 80 percent to 82 products in milk vending machines in schools. There was also percent for the federal order butter standard. support for overhauling the dairy pricing system that would • Clarification and standardization of food expiration terms, benefit the farmer by aligning farm gate prices with retail and by the FDA, to reduce needless food waste. wholesale prices. Delegates reaffirmed existing policy for dairy farmer profitability including research and development for The federal resolutions will be forwarded to the American growth management, Grade A dairy farm equipment transitions Farm Bureau Federation for consideration at its annual and opportunities to remedy high plate counts. convention next month.

Changes were made to WFBF policy regarding meat processing including support for the creation of a meat processing facility tax credit to increase the capacity and availability of local processors and retailers. There was also support for creation of incentive programs to encourage students to pursue careers in meat processing. Delegates supported developing a grant program to help local butcher shops upgrade to federal inspection standards and to also help new start up processing plants including on-farm processing.

On the delegate floor, members supported a state program to provide technical resources, funding assistance and low interest loans for the development of new, or the upgrade of existing local, smaller-scale slaughter plants, meat processing plants and other small, local food processing facilities. They also supported the state adding more meat inspectors to allow for increased local meat packing and slaughter plant capacity.

With the pandemic bringing to light the need for rural internet connectivity, delegates supported additional appropriations and accelerated implementation of expanded high quality cellular, broadband, fiber optic and telecommunications coverage in rural areas to enhance rural education and agribusiness needs. Additionally, delegates voted to support federal policy to provide broadband availability to everyone.

Six of Wisconsin's federal lawmakers were recognized with Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) along with Representatives Ron Kind the Friend of Farm Bureau award. (D-WI), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Glenn Grothman (R-WI)

Every two years, lawmakers who have advocated for and Bryan Steil (R-WI). agriculture during the previous congressional session are "The recipients of the Friend of Farm Bureau award have recognized with the award presented by American Farm Bureau supported policies or taken special action that benefit Wisconsin with nomination and approval from the Wisconsin Farm farm families," said former WFBF President Joe Bragger. Bureau Board of Directors. "Having elected officials who support agriculture is essential to

This year's recipients are Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI) and a bright future for our farms and rural communities."

On Oct. 29, the Department of Interior announced the of Interior's delisting of gray wolves from the Endangered Species announcement event. List in the Upper Great Lakes region at an event hosted "I had heard at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington, about wolf attacks Minnesota. in the Northwoods "Wisconsin of Wisconsin but farmers never dreamed it and rural would happen to residents have us," Calaway shared. dealt with "As a farmer, I nightmare don't want to see situations the wolf population with wolf eliminated, but I do attacks on want to see the wolf pets and population managed livestock and so we can coexist even wolf in harmony." sightings as Wisconsin's gray children play in the yard WFBF District 8 Coordinator Ashleigh Calaway spoke wolf population has grown from 14 in or wait for with Department of 1985 to more than the school WFBF District 8 Coordinator Ashleigh Calaway shared her wolf Interior Secretary David L. 1,000 as of the latest bus," said story. Bernhardt. DNR count in the former Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Joe spring of 2020. Bragger. "We applaud the Department of Interior for this long- Bragger added, "This is a wolf management success story. overdue announcement that will return gray wolf population We have successfully managed the wolf population beyond the management authority back to the state DNR." recovery goal of 350 animals statewide. We now ask that the

WFBF member and District 8 Coordinator Ashleigh Wisconsin DNR establish a hunting season to keep the wolf Calaway provided a brief testimony during the Department population at a healthy level."