Amy Fenn, Treasurer
Ferryville, WI
608-445-5592

Amy has always been interested in the relationship between humans and our environments.  She studied Urban Design at Portland State, then in 2001 moved to Madison to study local food systems and to work at the public library.  In 2015 she threw in her lot with grazing and bought 40 acres in Crawford County.  Since then she’s been grazing heifers, converting unmanaged woods into silvopasture, planting a depleted hayfield into extended-season pasture, building a fence and water system, and in general is heartily enjoying “learning lots of stuff all of the time.”

Vance Haugen
Canton, MN
507-459-0495

Vance Haugen is a retired UW Extension Agriculture Agent with 32+ years of extension experience. He and his wife Bonnie own a 230 acre grass based dairy in South East Minnesota. That farm, for the last 25 years has been managed as a full tilt rotationally grazed enterprise trying to optimize both the economic and environmental benefits to the land, cows and people. While there is always more to learn and improve on, the current Farm Manager, son Olaf Haugen, is continuing to move the farm in the right direction.

Deb Jakubek, Vice President
New Auburn, WI
715-590-2130

Deb was raised on a diversified crop and livestock farm in Western Minnesota, attended Ridgewater Technical College and earned an AAS degree in Ag Business with a dairy emphasis.  After college, she took the chance and moved to Wisconsin with her childhood best friend (because Wisconsin has cows, right?!?!). She continued to work on medium to large confinement dairy operations until she started a family, at which time she worked in the insurance industry for 8 years.  Deb held the Membership Director position with Wisconsin Farmers Union for 8 years, where she was introduced to GrassWorks and the wonder of grazing.  Deb has since left WFU and is now a full time dairy farmer with her partner, Tom Moos on their 40 cow all grass organic dairy in Northern Chippewa County.  She has enjoyed applying the previously learned grazing ideals and seeing the rewards first hand on their farm and is excited to share them with others.

Kirsten Jurcek
Jefferson, WI
920-342-9504

Kirsten Jurcek is a steward of the land with a passion for regenerative farms, local foods and the environment.  She and her family rotationally graze beef cattle at Brattset Family Farm, located within the rolling drumlin fields of Southeast Wisconsin. She also works as a grazing educator and planner helping other farmers achieve their dreams.

Kevin Mahalko, President
Gilman, WI
715-314-0338

Kevin is a farmer/grazier from Gilman WI, a member Organic Valley CROPP Cooperative as a Grassmilk farmer and Grazing Educator for River Country RC&D and the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship.  Kevin farms in partnership with his parents and the herd is comprised of 40 Holstein Dairy Cows on average with about 120 total organic grazing Holsteins counting calves, heifers and grass fed steers. He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and is happy to put that conservation and natural resources background to good use on the farm. As a grass farmer Kevin promotes vibrant grazing systems because of the many benefits of biodiversity, soil health, disease resistance, healthy genetics, healthy food, and positive environmental impact that well researched and implemented grazing practices can provide. Kevin likes to see communities revitalized through all the positive impacts of managed grazing and organic farming.

Cherrie Nolden
Dodgeville, WI
608 477 1981

Cherrie is a grass-based farmer in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. She has been managing multispecies pastured livestock since 1991, has a BS in Wildlife Ecology, a MS in Agroecology and doctoral research in Animal and Dairy Sciences from UW-Madison. All three degrees involved grasslands, grazing systems and/or livestock health as components of the formal education and research. Cherrie and her husband, a soil theorist and organic fertility specialist, have purchased and operate 130 acres in southwest Wisconsin with 95 acres in silvopasture and oak savanna restoration, rotationally grazing/browsing 150 grain-free meat goats, 40 draft horses, 50 meat sheep, 30 egg layers, and 8 livestock guardian dogs. They occasionally raise grass-finished beef and pastured pigs. Systems thinking and holistic management are cornerstones of Cherrie’s approach and she loves helping others create profitable production systems that have high landscape function while also promoting farmer well-being.

Aaron Pape, Secretary
Peshtigo, WI
262-674-4021

Aaron and his wife, Erin, run Pape Family Pastures, raising grass fed beef, pastured pigs, and pastured chickens near Peshtigo. Aaron and Erin are first generation farmers. Fervent conservationists, they discovered the power of managed grazing to heal the land and water, and they decided they needed to practice what they preached.  Aaron earned a BS in Land Use Planning from UW-Stevens Point and a MS in Natural Resource Social Science from Purdue University.  He previously worked in land conservation and UW Extension prior to becoming a Farm Business Instructor for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Aaron is a passionate grazing advocate, and is especially interested in finding creative, cost effective ways to outwinter cattle in northern Wisconsin.

Ashly Steinke
Cadott, WI
715-579-6355

Ashly, along with his wife Stacy, and their three boys own and operate Sedge Wood Farms in Chippewa County.  They raise a registered herd of British White cows and direct market grass fed beef to folks in north central Wisconsin.  Ashly earned his bachelors degree in Wildlife Management from UW Stevens Point and a Masters of Science Degree in Wildlife Management from South Dakota State University.  Upon moving back home after graduate school, Ashly worked as County Conservationist in Taylor County.  Upon the arrival of his first child in 2015 he chose to leave his position in Taylor County to stay at home full time with his children and begin to grow their family farm business.  During his time at Taylor County he was able to study grazing under Bob Brandt and hopes to give back to the grazing community like so many of the "original" grazers have!

Melissa Weyland

Neenah, WI
920-915-0787

Melissa is specialized in organic and grass-based dairy farming systems. She has worked professionally in the agriculture and food industries for fifteen years and has over a decade of experience in farmer cooperatives and consumer packaged goods. She is currently the General Manager for SLO Farmers Co-op, a cooperative of organic vegetable and pastured meat producers based out of the Green Bay area. Alongside her career, Melissa has farmed her whole life, milking 130 cows and until recently was the herd, people and grazing manager on her family farm. She currently serves on the Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council and is the Vice President for the Oshkosh Food Co-op Board of Directors. Melissa was recognized as one of the Fox Cities “Future 15” Young Professionals for her contributions to and vision for a stronger NE Wisconsin local food system.

Richard (Otto) Wiegand
Spooner, WI
715-416-0513

Otto retired in 2017 after serving 13 years with UW-Extension in NW Wisconsin.   He was the Livestock Ag Agent for Burnett, Washburn and Sawyer Counties and coordinator for the NW Wisconsin Graziers Network in a six-county area.   Otto grew up on a small dairy farm in Manitowoc County and operated the farm in the 1980’s.   He obtained three degrees in Dairy Science from UW-Madison over time, focusing on ruminant nutrition during his graduate research.    He researched the effect of tannins from tree forages on digestion in sheep in Ethiopia.   Otto previously served in the Peace Corps in Kenya and Paraguay, working in livestock extension and forage agronomy.  He also has a Masters in African Studies from Ohio University.  Otto is passionate about international work, having worked on agricultural projects in twenty counties.