
Latest news
- 11:30 a.m. State YFA Committee Meeting - Ebony
- 3:00 p.m. Registration Open - Registration Africa West
- 5:00 p.m. First-timer's Orientation Session - Tamarind
- 6:00 p.m. YFA Welcome Dinner - Africa Ballroom
- 8:00 p.m. District YFA Meetings:
- District 1 - Africa 10
- District 2 - Africa 20
- District 3 - Africa 30
- District 4 - Africa 40
- District 5 - Mangrove
- District 6 - Aralia
- District 7 - Marula
- District 8 - Aloeswood
- District 9 - Tamboti
- 9:00 p.m. Reception & Entertainment - Tom Foolery's Adventure Park (Upper Level)
- Sponsored by Midwest Farm Report and BMO Harris Bank
- 7:30 a.m. Registration opens - Registration Africa West
- 7:45 a.m. Discussion Meet Judges Orientation - Wisteria
Discussion Meet Contestant Orientation - Tamarind - 8:15 a.m. Discussion Meet Quarterfinals I - Africa 10/20/30/40, Guava
Excellence in Ag Practice Session - Portia - 9:40 a.m. Discussion Meet Quarterfinals II - Africa 10/20/30/40, Guava
- 10:30 p.m. YFA Breakfast & General Session - Africa Ballroom
- Keynote: Jeff Havens
- Sponsored by Culver Franchising System, LLC and Insight FS
- 12:30 p.m. Excellence in Ag Presentations - Portia
- 1:30 p.m. Discussion Meet Semifinals - Africa 20/30
WFBF Annual Meeting begins
- 2:00 p.m. Trade Show opens - Suites 1-8
- 2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. YFA Conference Breakout Sessions - Mangrove, Aralia, Marula, Aloeswood
- A Year in the Life of an Alsum Potato
- Sold, Sold, Sold!
- Focus on Your Future in Farm Bureau
- COMET™ (Changing our Mental and Emotional Trajectory)
- This workshop is from 2:15p.m. to 4:15p.m.
- Limited to 30 participants
- 3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. YFA Conference Breakout Sessions - Mangrove, Aralia, Marula, Aloeswood
- Wisconsin Cranberries Buds, Berries and Beyond
- From Farm to Consumer: Direct Marketing Your Product
- Here's Your Sign: Sustainability
- TikTok: The New Way to Agvocate
- 3:00 p.m. District Policy Meetings
- District 1: Africa 10
- District 2: Africa 20
- District 3: Africa 30
- District 4: Africa 40
- District 5: Guava
- District 6: Tamarind
- District 7: Portia
- District 8: Wisteria
- District 9: Cypress
- 4:30 p.m. Farm Bureau Reception - Suites 1-8
- 5:30 p.m. Trade Show closes
- 6:00 p.m. Farm Bureau Proud Banquet - Africa Ballroom
- Featured Entertainment: Jim Wand
- 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Trade Show & Silent Auction Open - Suites 1-8
- 8:30 p.m. BINGO and Name that Tune - Salon A & H
- 7:30 a.m. Morning Devotional - Africa 20
- 8:00 a.m. Registration Open - Registration Africa West
- 8:30 a.m. Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet Final - A/H Convention Center
- 9:00 a.m. Resolutions Processing - Empress
- 9:30 a.m. YFA Discussion Meet Final - A/H Convention Center
- 10:30 a.m. Buffet Brunch & General Session - Africa Ballroom
- Keynote: Tom Thibodeau
WFBF YFA Conference Ends
- 11:00 a.m. Resolutions Processing Closes - Empress
- 12:30 p.m. Trade Show opens (until 5:00 p.m.) - Suites 1-8
Media Room - Africa 50 - 1:00 p.m. Concurrent workshops - Africa 10/20/30/40
- Strategic Marketing and Promotion – Behind the Scenes with Wisconsin Cheese
- Renewable Energy Development
- ARRRRR You Ready For MemberSHIP?
- Farm Safety
- 3:00 p.m. Concurrent Workshops - Africa 10/20/30/40
- Precision Agriculture Technology – Today and Tomorrow
- WI Farm Center – Helping Farmers Reduce Farm Stress & Improve Wellness
- Should I Buy It? Running the Numbers on Farm Investments
- Advancing Conservation in Agriculture
- 3:30 p.m. Policy Development Committee Meeting - Empress
- 4:00 p.m. Reception - Suites 1-8
Award Winners Photo Room - Africa 50 - 5:00 p.m. Silent Auction & Trade Show End - Suites 1-8
- 5:30 p.m. Farm Bureau Awards Banquet & Program - Africa Ballroom
- 8:30 p.m. Reception - Africa 10/20/30/40
- 7:00 a.m. Registration Open - Registration Africa West
- 7:00 a.m. Breakfast & General Session - Africa Ballroom
- 9:00 a.m. District Caucuses
- District 1: Africa 10
- District 2: Africa 20
- District 3: Africa 30
- District 4: Africa 40
- District 5: Mangrove
- District 6: Aralia
- District 7: Marula
- District 8: Aloeswood
- District 9: Tamboti
- 10:30 a.m. Resolutions & Business Meeting - Africa Ballroom
- Barron County Member Wins Farm Bureau’s Discussion Meet Contest
- UW-Platteville Student is Farm Bureau’s Collegiate Discussion Meet Winner
- Zahn Wins Farm Bureau’s Excellence in Agriculture Award
- Jim and Mary Grant Receive ‘Distinguished Service to Farm Bureau’ Award
- Jeff Hicken Receives ‘Distinguished Service to Wisconsin Agriculture’ Award Posthumously
Biographies
Whitney Rathke is an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Random Lake School. She combined her love of teaching and traveling, and this summer will take students to Italy, Scotland and Ireland. Whitney enjoys participating in the Young Farmer and Agriculturist Discussion Meet and is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because it allows her to be part of the grassroots decision-making process.
Darren Riskedal
Jefferson County
Darren Riskedel is a precision equipment specialist at InsightFS, selling and servicing ag technology on planters, sprayers and combines near Johnson Creek. Darren grew up on his family’s farm raising corn, soybeans and beef cattle before pursuing a degree in technical systems management at the University of Illinois. Darren is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because he enjoys connecting with other people and improving agriculture for the next generation.
Jim Waldron owns a sales business selling seed and precision planter equipment near Franksville. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Farm & Industry Short Course and owns a small beef herd. Jim was injured in a farming accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Jim is involved in the Racine County Farm Bureau as the Young Farmer and Agriculturist chair and is proud to be a member because he enjoys advocating for agriculture in his local community.
Paige Blair is the Assistant Credit Manager and Agri-Finance Specialist at InsightFS and is from Brooklyn. She grew up on her family’s farm showing dairy cattle before pursuing a degree in agribusiness from UW-Platteville. Paige is a member of the Green County Farm Bureau where she currently serves as vice president, membership chairperson and is active on many committees. She is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because of the passion for agriculture that members share and to be a part of advocating for policy that can positively impact farmers.
Scott Timm is 5th generation farmer and has owned and operated GC Seeds & Service for over 10 years. He is also building the family farm brand, Green CO Farms and Green CO Farmstand, where he grows and markets sweet corn, CBD, cheese, and other local goods. He enjoys hunting, fishing, cooking, travelling, flying drones, competing in triathlons, and golfing. Scott has served on the Green County Farm Bureau board of directors for five years and is a 2019 graduate of the WFBF Leadership Institute. Scott is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because it has gave him many tools and networking opportunities to be where he is today.
Brooke Trustem is a sixth-generation dairy farmer from Evansville. She also works full-time off the farm at BouMatic in Madison. Brooke is the Rock County Farm Bureau YFA Chair along with serving on the Evansville FFA Alumni Board and WALSAA Board of Directors. Brooke enjoys Farm Bureau because it gives her the chance to connect with fellow agriculturists in her community and around the state.
Megan Yager is a beef farmer from Mineral Point and the fifth generation to own her mother’s family farm. She also works full-time on her dad’s grain and cattle farm while serving as her township’s treasurer and as a substitute teacher. Megan serves as the Iowa County Farm Bureau Promotion and Education chair. Megan is a Farm Bureau member because she likes meeting others involved in agriculture and helping support agriculture in her local community.
Kent Jerrett is a service technician at Sloan Implement in Bloomington. He was raised on his family’s farm which he continues to help with today while also starting his own cattle herd. He enjoys trapshooting, preparing equipment for planting and harvest seasons and being a member of the Grant County Farm Bureau board of directors. Kent enjoys being a Farm Bureau member because it allows him to support agriculture at the local level and beyond.
Tammy Wiedenbeck is the Business Development Manager for Hilbert Communications/Bug Tussel Wireless and AT&T where she connects rural communities with broadband internet and cell service. Tammy also runs her own photography business, Riverview Photography, near Lancaster. Tammy has served as the District 3 YFA Chair and is a member of the Grant County Fair Ag Tent Committee. Tammy is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because of the friendships she has made with members who continue to keep her motivated when times get tough.
Kyle Danzinger is the Technical Education instructor at Durand Middle/High School. Kyle and his wife Taliah have a small farm where they direct market beef animals, board horses, and sell hay and straw. He has participated in the YFA Discussion Meet several times and also volunteers for the Buffalo County Farm Bureau malt stand in the summer. Kyle is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because the organization provides a platform for everyone involved in agriculture to have a voice.
Andrea Rippley is the Jackson and Trempealeau County 4-H Program Educator in Whitehall. She was raised on a diverse family farm in Buffalo County, raising broiler chickens and dairy goats. For Andrea, Farm Bureau has always been a family affair and she has participated in the YFA Discussion Meet for four years. She is proud to be a part of Farm Bureau to continue to be connected to agriculture while having her voice heard on the local, state and national level.
Collin Weltzien
Buffalo County
Collin Weltzien is a recent graduate of UW-River Falls where he studied ag business and dairy science before returning to his family’s 180-cow dairy farm near Arcadia. Off the farm, Collin enjoys hunting, golfing, softball, riding motorcycle and playing cards. He is a member of the Buffalo County Farm Bureau board of directors and is proud to be a part of an organization committed to sustaining and inspiring the future of farming.
Collin Bays is a senior at UW-Platteville where he is studying agribusiness with a minor in agricultural engineering. This past summer, Collin interned for Allied Cooperative as an Operations & Sales intern while working on his family’s cash crop farm near Adams. This is Collin’s first year as a Young Farmer and Agriculturist member and he looks forward to continuing to support agriculture as a Farm Bureau member upon graduating from college.
Natasha Paris
Green Lake County
Natasha Paris is a high school agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor at Ripon High School. She and her husband also own ParKelm Farm, a grassfed beef and pastured pork farm specializing in Classic Herefords and Large Black Hogs where they direct market all their products. She writes curriculum for the agriculture classroom focused on conservation and inclusion in agriculture. She is the Green Lake County Farm Bureau YFA Chair and is a self-proclaimed policy nerd. She is a past Excellence in Agriculture State Winner and Top 10 National Finalist. She went to Knox College, has lived in Norway, and speaks Spanish, German, and Norwegian.
Ann Glowacki is an agricultural science teacher at Southern Door High School. She teaches 8th – 12th grade students in subject areas including: wildlife management, forestry, large animal production, small animal management, veterinary science, food science, leaders for the future and introduction to ag. Ann received a bachelor’s degree from UW-River Falls and loves to travel, read and raise chickens. She is a Door County Farm Bureau board member and finds value in her Farm Bureau membership through leadership development opportunities.
Rachel Harmann is a Volunteer Engagement Representative for the American Red Cross. She also raises and shows registered beef cattle with her husband and sons. Rachel earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education from UW-River Falls; was an Alice in Dairyland finalist; is a Master of Beef Advocacy graduate; and is a member of Leadership Institute Class 14. She enjoys being a member of Farm Bureau to share ideas with others with the same passion and it allows her to be part of the solution in moving agriculture forward.
Erin O’Toole integrates her passion for agricultural business and marketing as a High School Business teacher. First joining Farm Bureau as a student at UW-Platteville, Erin enjoys the organizations social and professional events while building relationships with others involved in agriculture.
Riley Bricco is a Solution Specialist at Riesterer & Schnell, Inc. from Bear Creek. Riley enjoys running a small hobby farm with his wife and two children. Riley is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because it gives him a voice in the agriculture industry.
Anna Jones manages the quality control lab for PEAK Genetics in Shawano. Anna received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from UW-River Falls before obtaining a master’s degree in dairy science from UW-Madison. In her free time, she enjoys running and spending time with her family and pets. Anna is a new member of the Shawano County Farm Bureau and looks forward to learning more while contributing to agriculture in greater ways.
William Litzer
Marathon County
William Litzer works at Marathon Cheese Corp. and Litzer Dairy Farm near Marathon. He is involved with the Marathon County Farm Bureau as a director on the board, the scholarship chair, and the bylaw and historian chair. In addition to Farm Bureau, William is a cross country referee, the finance chair for his church, the Wisconsin Section 7 FFA Alumni representative, and enjoys running and snowshoeing. William is a Farm Bureau member because he enjoys making a difference in his community and county.
Kirsten Konder
Polk-Burnett County
Kirsten Konder is the agricultural and technology education instructor and FFA advisor at Luck Public Schools. She was raised on her family’s Holstein dairy farm near Glenwood City, which sparked her interest in agriculture. Kirsten currently serves as the Young Farmer and Agriculturist chair for Polk-Burnett County Farm Bureau. Kristen enjoys being a Farm Bureau member because it strengthens her to make the impossible possible for agriculture in her community.
Nathan Kringle is a reproductive program senior technician for Genex. He earned a bachelor’s degree in dairy science from UW-River Falls. Nathan and his wife, Kayla, have four children: Remington, Elnora, Felix and Matthys. The couple also currently milk 8 Guernsey cows with plans to direct market milk and other dairy products. Nathan is a past YFA chair for Barron and Sawyer counties and past Policy Development committee member. He serves on the Barron County Farm Bureau board of directors.
Julie Wadzinski is the Farm Operations instructor at Northwood Technical College in Rice Lake. Julie has been an active member of the Barron County Farm Bureau, having participated in the Young Farmers and Agriculturists Discussion Meet, served on the state policy development committee, as the past District 9 YFA representative and is a past state YFA chair. She is proud to be a Farm Bureau member because of the friendships she has made and the leadership trainings she has received.
Stephanie the oldest of four children and grew up on her parents’ 80-cow registered Holstein dairy farm in Valders, which started her involvement in agriculture. In May, 2013, she earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a dairy and agricultural business emphasis from UW-Platteville.
Stephanie and her husband Keith are proud owners of a 130-cow dairy farm in New Franken. The couple raises all their our own youngstock, steers and grow crops on 450 acres.
In addition to the farm, Stephanie works with Rio Creek Feed Mill as a dairy nutritionist consultant servicing all farm sizes throughout the lakeshore area in northeast Wisconsin. When she is not on the farm or doing nutrition work, she enjoys gardening and showing their Registered Holstein cattle.
As a Farm Bureau Member, Stephanie is actively involved with the Manitowoc County Farm Bureau. She serves as the YFA chair, chairs the annual wreath sale and helps plan kiddie showmanship. Farm Bureau allows her to give back to the community in so many ways. Farm Bureau also helps Stephanie develop important policies at the local, state and national level.
Julie is the director of communications and marketing at FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative in Madison. She serves on the Dodge County Farm Bureau board of directors and is the membership chair, a graduate of the WFBF Leadership Institute and served as the first president of the UW-Madison Collegiate Farm Bureau. Julie and her husband Todd live in Fall River with their daughter Sadie.
Julie grew up on a 400-head grade Holstein dairy farm in Marathon County. As a teenager she could be found taking her turn milking cows, feeding calves or adding to her menagerie of 4-H and FFA projects.
After graduating from UW-Marathon County with an associate degree in liberal arts and sciences, Julie earned her bachelor’s degree in dairy science from UW-River Falls. Sheis finishing her master’s degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University. Her master’s thesis focuses on agritourism and farm income diversification.
Julie is the farm operations instructor at Northwood Technical College where she inspires agricultural careers in young adults and supports life-long learners in a class focused on giving farmers the information and technological background they need to make decisions on best practices.
Her beginning with Farm Bureau started with the Discussion Meet six years ago. Julie has since been a state voting delegate for Barron County, served as the District 9 YFA Representative and was the WFBF YFA Committee Chair.
In her spare time, Julie enjoys new challenges that better herself. She enjoys hiking, camping, reading and creating memories with her son, Bryan.
Kellie grew up as part of the fourth generation on her family dairy farm where her passion for agriculture was cultivated at an early age. She is the agriculture agent for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community where she manages the community gardens, teaches classes on gardening and food preservation and oversees the tribe’s agriculture lands. She is a Certified Crop Advisor and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from UW-River Falls. Kellie enjoys working on her family farm and volunteering in the community. She is a board member for the Shawano County Farm Bureau.
Servant leadership is both timely and timeless. It is an approach to leadership that is ethical, meaningful and practical. Good people choose to work for good people. When people find their work meaningful and purpose driven, they are more engaged. When people experience the practical results of service and leadership, they are inspired to work with others for a greater good every day.