For the Gazette

STEVENS POINT – Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) members gathered in Stevens Point March 10-12 for the family farm organization’s annual “Emerging Leaders Retreat.”

The event offers the chance to network on the subject of farms and food systems.

“This is always one of the best weekends of the year, as we gather aspiring leaders within Farmers Union for a few days of connection and empowerment,” said WFU Communications Director Danielle Endvick. “We spent the weekend learning how to become effective leaders, tell powerful stories, and organize around the issues that matter to our farms and food system.”

WFU President Darin Von Ruden noted that the event mirrored growing diversity in the membership.

“We had a range of attendees from different farm types to ages to geography. With participants in the room from two weeks old on up to retirement age and from dairy farmers to those participating in urban agriculture, it was an inspiring group,” he said.

This included representation from farmers who raise beef, sheep, flowers, poultry, hemp and vegetables.

Among the crowd were conventional and organic farmers, direct marketers and farmstay hosts, as well as a few non-farmers looking to amp up their involvement in supporting local food systems, championing conservation, and addressing inequities in health and school funding.

“The Emerging Leaders Retreat helped me to recognize the power of my personal story as a tool for connecting with others and then presenting a vision for the future of agriculture,” said Dan Kaatz, of Pennycress Studio, a flower farm and design studio.

“The retreat was also a wonderful time for sharing and learning from other farmers’ first-hand experiences both on the farm as producers as well as off the farm as change-makers in their communities.”

“The Emerging Leaders program is exactly what I’ve been looking for – a passionate group of like-minded individuals, all with different backgrounds but with a similar purpose,” said Jenn Rittenhouse, a farmer from Elroy. “I continue to feel more driven and connected with the organization and this past weekend strengthened my desire to become more involved.”

The best aspect of the event unfolds over time, added Endvick, noting, “Paying attention over the next few years and seeing these folks take their leadership to the next level is the real reward of this weekend’s efforts.” 

For more information on the organization, visit wisconsinfarmersunion.com.