Matt Beck and Scott Schreffler of Washington County have been recognized as top nominees in Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s fourth annual Heroes of Hope campaign.
Heroes of Hope, a subset of the #FarmNeighborsCare campaign, is focused on shedding light on rural heroes who have helped others through a tough time. Heroes of Hope aims to identify people who have helped bring hope to farmers or businesses, either in large or small ways. Members of the agriculture community were encouraged to nominate individuals who have made an impact on the way they conduct business, both ordinary and extraordinary.
When a local farmer lost his life to a farm accident, Beck and Schreffler knew that they needed to do something to honor their friend. Together, they organized a tractor gathering on the day of the funeral. More than 150 tractors of all colors and from five different counties gathered at Farmers Implement in Allenton to honor and celebrate their friend and beloved community member.
“Seeing the farming community come together in a time of sadness is something that gives a young farmer hope for the future of farming,” said Schreffler. “I am very appreciative of the award, but I wouldn’t consider myself a hero. We had a lot of support to make the gathering happen. I believe it was the right thing to do.”
Their nominator said, “Matt and Scott went above and beyond to honor a friend of the agriculture community, and the community stood behind them.”
Also being recognized as finalists this year are Andrew Dal Santo of Grant County, Jennifer Webster of Pierce County, Tim Lins of Sauk County and Katie Roth of Grant County.
As this year’s Heroes of Hope top nominees, Beck and Schreffler will receive $500 cash, $100 to Kwik Trip and a Culver’s meal package valued at $50. The four remaining finalists will each receive $125 cash, $50 to Kwik Trip and a Culver’s meal package valued at $25. All Heroes of Hope finalists will be recognized in the upcoming issue of Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Rural Route magazine.
The 2024 Heroes of Hope campaign was sponsored by Rural Mutual Insurance Company, Kwik Trip, Culver’s, McCade’s Joyride, and District Managers at Rural Mutual Insurance Company Laurie Peterson and Dave Meihak.
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