After seven years of leadership with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Jim Holte officially hangs up his hat as president.
Sunday night, Holte addressed members of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation at the annual meeting. The Dunn County Farm Bureau Member has deep roots in agriculture. His family heritage started in the Elk Mound Area when his grandfather settled from Norway in 1884. In the 1990s, Holte faced a big decision regarding his dairy herd.
He was feeling feet and knee problems familiar to many dairy farmers, and his children did not want to milk cows after him. He decided against expanding and retrofitting his farm. Instead, he converted the farm to a cash grain and beef operation that is still going today.
Holte was elected to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Board of Directors in 1995 and selected as president in 2012. He said his final days as president were surreal.
“It feels a little strange because retirement is something somebody else does rather than you,” Holte said. “I would have to say, I am optimistic for this organization. We have great people here who can carry the load and figure out how to go forward.”
He credited his involvement in Farm Bureau to receiving a phone call out of the blue from the Dunn County Farm Bureau President inviting him to be involved in a young farmer activity.
“The people in my home county are special to me,” Holte said. “They’ve been supportive, encouraging, and I’ve always been able to count on them. That is something very important.”
Today, Holte sees Farm Bureau as a family that will continue to bring positivity to agriculture. He acknowledged the continuously changing agricultural landscape and encouraged farmers to embrace rather than discourage trying new things.
“Change has been a constant throughout our history,” Holte said. “There are parts that we don’t like, but I have confidence in the current and younger generations to find solutions to adapt to change and make it as best they can.”
One moment that stood out during his time as Wisconsin Farm Bureau President was when USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited his farm recently for a town hall meeting.
In addition to ending his presidency, Holte will also be stepping down from the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors.
-Kaitlyn Riley
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