Vernon County dairy producer Darin Von Ruden was elected to another term as president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union. The Westby farmer was voted in by his colleagues during the group's annual convention in Wisconsin Dells this weekend.
A lifelong member of the WFU, Darin has served as the group's District 5 director since 2008. He also leads the WFU Foundation Board of Directors, serves on the National Farmers Union Board and is chairman of the NFU Membership Committee.
Also during the meeting, Tina Hinchley of Cambridge was elected vice president; Linda Ceylor, Catawba, is the secretary, and Ed Gorell, Eleva, was chosen as treasurer. And Paul Adams of Eleva and Dylan Bruce from Ferryville were picked to serve as delegates to the National Farmers Union Convention next spring in San Francisco.
Meanwhile, this year's Friend of the Family Farmer Award recipients were longtime Dairy & Livestock Extension Agent Joy Kirkpatrick and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes. The award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in efforts on behalf of family farmers and rural communities.
A Builders Award, given for outstanding commitment to building Farmers Union through county involvement, leadership development and member recruitment, went to Jane Hansen of Ogema. She is an officer of the Taylor-Price Farmers Union and shepherdess of Autumn Larch Farm.
The annual Emerging Leader Award was given to Paul Adams, a former organic dairy farmer from Eleva. Adams has been heavily involved with WFU's Dairy Together efforts, attending two fly-ins with WFU in 2022 to promote the Dairy Revitalization Plan.
And Cathy Statz was chosen to receive the 2023 Bruce Miller award, which will be presented at the National Farmers Union Convention in San Francisco in March. Statz wrapped up her Farmers Union career in 2022, after 30 years staffing and 41 summer participating in the camp program.
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