Dunn County Farm Bureau members attend 100th Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting and Young Farmer and Agriculturist Conference

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The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation recently celebrated their 100th Annual Meeting and Young Farmer and Agriculturist Conference December 6-9 at the Kalahari in the Wisconsin Dells.

To kick off the weekend, more than 450 young farmer members from across the state came together on Friday, December 6th for the YFA Conference. The YFA Conference gives YFA members ages 18-35 the opportunity to gather to network and increase their knowledge of current and future agriculture issues. It was also a time to celebrate the accomplishments of individual YFA contest winners and county YFA programs. Brian Douglas of Elk Mound was 1 of 3 young farmers who competed in the Achievement Award competition. Farm Bureau’s Achievement Award is a contest that awards farmers between the ages of 18 and 35, who have excelled in their farming career, understand current issues affecting agriculture and have shown leadership and involvement in Farm Bureau and other civic organizations.

On Monday, December 9th, nearly 250 Farm Bureau delegates adopted the policies that will guide the legislative agenda for the state’s largest general farm organization in 2020. Resolutions were submitted by delegates as part of a grassroots policy development process.

Delegates from Dunn County included Brian Douglas, Kevin Gilbertson, and Tony Christopherson of Elk Mound, Al Shannon of Menomonie, and Marv Prestrud of Prairie Farm.

Delegates held discussion on various dairy policy items. They supported the research and development of a dairy growth management and other systems that provide increased dairy-industry stability and producer profitability.

Regarding energy, delegates supported requiring regular gasoline to contain 15% ethanol year-round.

Delegates discussed a variety of ag-tourism topics. They supported the opportunity for farmers to diversify and market agricultural experiences including agricultural event venues. Delegates supported allowing meat, fruit, vegetable and dairy farms to direct market their products to the end consumer without making the process too burdensome in state, county and local regulations.

Delegates from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s 61 county Farm Bureaus also voted to support:

• Requiring disclosure of the Wisconsin Fence Law on real estate purchase agreements, so buyers are informed of the law.

• A cost-share program for farmers who experience wolf conflict.

On the federal level, delegates supported numerous policies regarding dairy, rural broadband and the passing of USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement).

The federal resolutions will be forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration at its annual convention next month.

Delegates also voted Pierce County Farm Bureau member, Peter Kimball of River Falls, to a three-year term on the WFBF board representing District 9 (Superior Shores, Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Pierce, Polk Burnett, Rusk, Sawyer and St. Croix County Farm Bureaus). He succeeds former District 9 Director and WFBF President Jim Holte who retired after serving in this role since 1995. Joe Bragger, dairy and poultry farmer from Buffalo County, was elected by the board to serve as WFBF President.

Dunn County Farm Bureau is one of 61 county Farm Bureaus that make up the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. WFBF is the state’s largest general farm organization and it represents farms of all sizes, commodities and management styles.

For more information on the Dunn County Farm Bureau, call 877.457.8897 or visit http://wfbf.com/countyfarmbureaus/dunn/.