On December 7, Wisconsin Farm Bureau celebrated 100 years at its Annual Meeting. The organization hosted a variety of events in honor of the occasion.
The main event was the centennial banquet where more than 900 Farm Bureau members gathered. The event kicked-off with a reception featuring Farm Bureau-themed food stations including items like fruit and nuts as a nod to WFBF’s former commodity sale program.
The evening session began with a video highlighting various interviews with Farm Bureau leaders. Following dinner, a live auction was held for three original centennial paintings done by Farm Bureau member and artist Betty Engel. The three paintings brought in $2,750 for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation. Buyers included Sam Skemp, Dale Theel and Corey and Miranda Leis.
The program continued with two panels moderated by nationally known-journalist Max Armstrong. The first panel included key players in Wisconsin’s legislative arena: Roger Cliff, Ben Brancel, Sheila Harsdorf and Howard Marklein. The second panel included three former WFBF Presidents and outgoing WFBF President Jim Holte.
The evening concluded with Interim Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Randy Romanski presenting WFBF President Jim Holte with a proclamation from Governor Tony Evers.
In addition to the special evening program, a full-room centennial exhibit was featured during the event where artifacts were displayed.
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