Kohl Campaign Launches FARMS Agricultural Endorsement Committee

Contact:  Phillip Walzak   (414) 276-5645 (office)  

Milwaukee – More than 100 of Wisconsin’s most important agricultural leaders came together today to endorse Senator Herb Kohl’s re-election efforts and form the FARMS (Friends in Agriculture Reelecting My Senator) Kohl for Senate Agricultural Endorsement Committee.  The group, representing every region of Wisconsin, will share Kohl’s exemplary record of achievement on agricultural issues and organize support for Kohl’s campaign throughout farming and rural communities.
 
“As a cattle farmer, I can tell you firsthand that Senator Herb Kohl is Wisconsin’s foremost leader on issues important to agricultural and rural communities,” said FARMS Committee Director Kim Cates.  “I am proud to mobilize Senator Kohl’s support in farming and conservationist circles, because he understands the issues important to us and he has a proven record of accomplishment.”
 
The FARMS Committee hailed Kohl for his work to establish the Dairy Business Innovation Center to help grow new value added businesses in Wisconsin, his support for Coop-Care to address the high cost of health insurance for farmers and small business owners in rural areas, and his success in securing funding for agricultural research and conservation projects.
 
Sen. Kohl also earned praise for his longstanding support for the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC), a basic safety net for Wisconsin dairy farmers when milk prices bottom out.   MILC has provided $414 million to support Wisconsin dairy farmers since 2001.
 
“Farming is more than a way of life in Wisconsin, it is a statewide tradition that shapes our values and says a lot about who we are,” said Senator Herb Kohl.  “I look forward to meeting the new challenges facing the agricultural industry, such as developing new products to add value to farm commodities, and promoting new policies that assure a safe, abundant food supply for our nation.”
 
Senator Kohl’s work to strengthen rural and agricultural communities has earned him numerous awards and recognitions.  Just recently Sen. Kohl has earned the Distinguished Service to Wisconsin Agriculture Award in 2002 from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation; the Golden Triangle Award in 2004 from the National Farmers Union; the Meritorious Service Award in 2005 from Family Dairies USA; the Conservation Leadership Award in 2005 from The Nature Conservancy; and the Friend of Farm Bureau Award for Outstanding Service, during the 107th Congress.
 
Agriculture remains one of Wisconsin’s most important economic industries.  More than 76,000 farms and agricultural businesses generate over $51 billion in economic activity in Wisconsin every year, providing jobs for 420,000 people.  Ten percent of all income in Wisconsin - $16.8 billion – is related to agriculture.
 
The following agricultural leaders are members of the FARMS Committee.  Please note these are personal endorsements only; titles are for identification purposes only.
 
 
Will Allen: Exec Director, Growing Power
Mary and Bruce Anderson: Coordinator, Coulee Graziers Network
Rebecca Bauman: Conservation Leader
Sue Beitlich: Ag Leader
Don Bina:  Chairman, SW Badger RC & D
Jim Bird: Director, Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers
Patricia Boettcher: District Director, WI Milk Marketing Board
Cindy Brown: Ag Leader
Bill Bruins: President, WI Farm Bureau Federation
Tom Cadwallader: Ag Educator
Denny Caneff: Exec Director, River Alliance         
Cara Carper: Ag Educator              
Dan and Jane Carter: Founders, Dairy Business Innovation Center
Doug Caruso: CEO, WI Farmers Union Cheese Coop
Dick Cates: Ag Leader/Educator; WI Cattlemen’s Assoc
Sandra Cihlar: District Director, WI Milk Marketing Board
Randy Craig: Director, Badgerland Farm Credit Service
Wayne and Kay Craig: Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative)
Jim Cullen: Director, Badgerland Farm Credit Service
Paul Daigle: Coordinator, Central WI Grazing Network
Wayne Danielson: Board of Director, WI Farmers Union; Board of Director, WI Farmers Union Specialty Cheese Co
Don Desjarlais: Ag Leader, Dairy Coop
Andy Dierks: Ag Leader; WI Potato and Vegetable Growers Assoc
Steve Dierks: WI Potato and Vegetable Growers Assoc
Paul Dietmann: Ag Educator
Dennis Donahue: Manager, Manitowoc Milk Producers Coop
Dean Doornick: Stakeholder, Dairy Forage Research Center
Mike Dummer: Ag Leader
Norval Dvorak: retired Vice President, Packerland Packing; retired dairy/livestock farmer
Patty Edelburg: Board of Director, WI Farmers Union
Joel K. Espe: President, WI Commercial Deer and Elk Farmers; WI Livestock ID Consortium; Board of Directors, United Special Sportsmen’s Alliance
Marv Espenschied: Exec Director, WI Livestock Breeders Assoc
Laurie Fischer: Exec Director, Dairy Business Assoc
Duane Ford: Ag Administrator
Dennis Frame: Ag Educator
Randy Geiger: Exec Director, Manitowoc Milk Producers Coop
Rosalie Geiger: District Director, WI Milk Marketing Board
Jim Gibson: Ag Administrator/Educator
Richard Gorder: Vice President, WI Farm Bureau Federation
Keith Gundlach: President, WI Association of Ag Educators
Buddy Haffaker: Conservation Leader
John Hall: Researcher, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
Scott Hassett: Conservation Leader/Administrator
Dick Hauser: Vice President WI Ag Stewardship Initiative
Ferron Havens: President/CEO WI Agribusiness Council
Mark Hesselink: Chairman, Badgerland Farm Credit Service; WI Technology Days 2006 host farm
Stewart Huber: Board of Director, Family Dairies USA
Brett Hulsey: President - Better Environmental Solutions
Tom Hunt: Ag Administrator/Educator/Researcher
Gerald Jaeger: Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative; WI Farmers Union
Timm Johnson: Conservation Leader
Faye Jones: Exec Director, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service
Matt Joyce: Ag Outreach Coordinator for dairy programs
John Kappelman: Stakeholder, Dairy Forage Research Center
Pete Kappelman: Chairman, Land O’Lakes board
Robert Karls: Exec Director, Wisconsin Soybean Program
Richard Keller: Board of Director, WI Farmers Union
Ellen Killian: Board of Director, Professional Dairy Producers
Karl and Liz Klessig, Gerald and Elise Klessig-Heimerl, Robert and Kathleen Block-Klessig: Discovery Farm site, Saxon Homestead Farm
Jim and John Koepke: Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin
Margaret Krome: Ag leader; Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
Altfrid Krusenbaum: Stakeholder, Dairy Forage Research Center
Michael Krutza: Ag Leader
Tom Lochner: Exec Director, WI State Cranberry Growers Assoc
Wally Lueder: Board of Director, Family Dairies USA; Board of Director, WI Farmers Union
Tom Lyon: retired, Agri-Business Executive
John Manske: WI Federation of Coops
Gregg May: President, WI Cattlemen’s Assoc
Brent McCowen: Ag Administrator/Educator/Researcher
Ben Miller: Ag Administrator; Vice President, Dairy Business Innovation Center board
Kathy Morton: Rock County Pork Producers, Clinton FFA Alumni
Paul Nehring: Director, GrassWorks, Inc
Janet and Julian Nelson: Board of Director, WI Farmers Union
Rod Nilsestuen: Ag Leader
Bill Oemichen: CEO, WI Federation of Coops
Laura Paine: Ag Educator
Leon Pfaff: District Director, WI Milk Marketing Board
Bill Pielsticker: Chairman, WI Trout Unlimited
Terry Quam: Board of Director, WI Livestock ID Consortium representing WI Cattlemen’s Assoc
Don Radtke: Board of Director, WI Farm Bureau Federation
Deborah Lee Reinhart: Chairwoman, WI Livestock ID Consortium board representing Professional Dairy Producers of WI
Keri Retallick: Vice-Chair, WI Livestock Identification Consortium representing WI Pork Producers Assoc
Dennis Rosen: Board of Director, WI Farmers Union; President, WI Farmers Union Specialty Cheese Co
John Rosenow: Rosenholm Farm
Tom Rudolph: Treasurer, Lumberjack RC & D; Board of Director, WI Land and Water Conservation Assoc
John Ruedineger: Board of Director, Professional Dairy Producers of WI
Rich Scheueman: CEO, Alto Dairy Cooperative
Scott Schultz: President, WI State Cranberry Growers Assoc board
Deane Thomas: Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Assoc
Nancy Thomas: National Cattlemen’s Beef Board
Paul Toft: Ag Leader, Dairy Coop
Dan Truttmann: Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin
Ed Weber: Interim-President, River Country RC & D
Mike Wehler: Director of member services, WI Pork Producers Assoc
Bob Wills: Owner, Cedar Grove Cheese
Judy Ziewacz: Ag Leader