Board & Staff | Wi Farmers Union

District Directors

Michael Slattery

District 8

Term: 2022-2025
Maribel, WI

920-863-2996

Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Door, Fond du Lac, Forest, Florence, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette, Manitowoc, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Shawano, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago Counties

Michael grew up on an Iowa farm in an extended family farming operation. Since 1999, he and his wife, Nancy, have farmed in Manitowoc County. They are conventional farmers raising Holstein steers, cash cropping grain and alfalfa, and some commercial raising of vegetables, while employing agronomic techniques of cover-cropping, reduced tillage and methodical means for improvement of soil health.

Sarah Lloyd

District 6

Term: 2021-2024
Wisconsin Dells, WI

920-210-7335

slloyd@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Adams, Columbia, Green Lake, Juneau, Marathon, Marquette, Portage, Sauk, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood Counties

Sarah Lloyd farms with her husband Nels Nelson and his family on a 400-cow dairy farm near Wisconsin Dells in Columbia County. Sarah works off-farm bringing together farmers and researchers to understand and build the infrastructure necessary for regenerative agriculture at the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the Grassland 2.0 Project via the University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative. She also serves as the Director of Development for the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative (WFHC), a farmer-led cooperative focused on accessing local and regional markets for fresh produce. Sarah has a PhD in Rural Sociology from UW-Madison and a Masters in Rural Development from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. She is the President of the Wormfarm Institute Board and President of the Columbia County Farmers Union.

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Linda Ceylor

District 1, Secretary
Term: 2017-2023
Catawba, WI
715-567-1010

lceylor@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn Counties

Linda Ceylor operates Hillside Dairy, an organic farm milking 50 cows and raising replacement heifers. She and her late husband Gerald began farming in Washington in 1990 but due to urbanization moved to Catawba in 1997 with their two children. Linda started the Taylor-Price WFU chapter, coupling it with the Taylor County Farmers Union Youth Group, and was elected chapter president. Linda is a member of the state Farm Services Administration Board. She is a leader of the KC Clovers 4-H Club and was a Price County Fair Board member for 10 years. She is currently President of Price/Taylor National Rural Letter Carriers Association and serves as a local steward. Linda was Vice President and is now a board member of Save Our Unique Land, a group working against construction of the Arrowhead-Weston transmission line. She also serves on the Bethany Lutheran Church Council.

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Dave Rosen

District 2
Term: 2020-2024

Glenwood City, WI

715-781-0846

drosen@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, and St. Croix Counties

Dave Rosen owns and operates his family dairy farm with his brother and father near Forest in St Croix County. They milk around 140 cows and run 700 acres of corn, oats, alfalfa, and soybeans. He has been a lifelong member of Wisconsin Farmers Union, taking part in the youth program, attending WFU Kamp Kenwood in Chippewa Falls and All-States camp in Bailey, Colo., and receiving the Torcherbearer award.

Rosen took part in the Farmers Union Enterprises Leadership program. He also has attended the National Farmers Union Fly-in, where he had the opportunity to participate in lobbying. He has attended the WFU annual convention for the past 20 years and was a delegate for the past 12. He served on the policy committee two different years. For the past seven years, Rosen has served as the vice president of the St. Croix County Farmers Union. In that role, he helped the chapter start a scholarship fundraiser selling cheese curds, with proceeds going toward scholarships for high school seniors.

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Ed Gorell

District 3, Treasurer

Term: 2013-2025

Eleva, WI

715-287-3383

egorell@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Chippewa, Clark, and Eau Claire Counties

Ed and his wife Kristi have operated their farm in Eau Claire County since 1983. They started with a 320 head veal barn and a 50,000 bird broiler facility which they have converted to transition steers onto feedlots. 2018 Ed & Kristi retired from full time farming- Ed is now a part time milk hauler. They are also past 4-H members and have been leaders of their local club.

Ed has received Farmers Union awards for membership and chapter building. He has served and chaired a number of different committees. He has attended the National Farmers Union conventions and fly-ins to Washington D.C. Ed has formerly served as the Eau Claire County Farmers Union President and Vice President.

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Tina Hinchley

District 7, Vice President
Term: 2012-2024
Cambridge, WI

608-764-5090

thinchley@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Dane, Jefferson, Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth Counties

Tina, along with her husband Duane, own and operate a 260 cow dairy farm in Dane County. Since 1998, Tina has also been running Hinchley’s Dairy Farm Tours to provide non-farmers (especially children) with an honest and positive look at how a typical dairy farm operates. Tina, Duane, and their four children work together on their second-generation farm.

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Darin Von Ruden

District 5, President

Term: 2008-2025

Westby, WI
608-632-2017
dvonruden@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Rock, Green, Lafayette, Richland, and Vernon Counties

Darin serves as Wisconsin Farmers Union's President and represents WFU on the Farmers Union Enterprises board. Darin is a third generation dairy farmer who is very active with Farmers Union on local, state, and national levels, earning several awards for member recruitment. He and his wife, JoAnn, have two children.

Rachel Bouressa

At Large

Term: 2022-2025

New London, WI

608-228-6617

rbouressa@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Director At Large

Rachel grew up on a 5th generation dairy farm in central Wisconsin. She received degrees in Agronomy and Environmental Science at UW-Madison and took part in the Agroecology Masters Program. She raises grass-fed beef cattle at Bouressa Family Farm in New London. Bouressa serves as vice president of GrassWorks and a co-coordinator for the Central Wisconsin Graziers' Network. She is also a farmer mentor with the Wisconsin Women in Conservation initiative and serves on her county FSA committee.

Jen Schmitz

District 4

Term: 2020-2025

Cashton, WI

608-487-0766

jschmitz@wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Buffalo, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, and Trempealeau Counties

Jen has been active in Wisconsin's dairy supply chain throughout her life, growing up on a dairy farm and then working 17 years in dairy, projects and resiliency at CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley. Seeking new endeavors in 2019, Jen joined the hemp supply chain, helping friends harvest and store biomass. In 2020, Jen plans to start hemp from seed, try cloning and sharecropping a hemp field or two. Jen' s interest in hemp supply chains and infrastructure are directly linked to a vision of cleaner future for planet Earth and all living creatures, where hemp, as another alternative in the renewable resources we use, plays a new role in our lives.

Jen is active in community groups at various levels of organization: Kickapoo Conversations (local communities sharing ideas in information), Wisconsin Partners (statewide association of associations supporting local community groups), and River 2 Ridge Disaster Resilience (R2RDR.org; meeting local unmet needs post-disaster).