Brad Olson
MADISON – Brad Olson was re-elected president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. Olson is a crop farmer near Frederic in Polk County. Joe Bragger from Independence in Buffalo County was re-elected to serve as WFBF Vice President.
Brad and his wife, Vicky, farm more than 600 acres of crops and are members of Polk-Burnett Farm Bureau. They have two children and two grandsons.
Olson was first elected to the WFBF Board of Directors in 2022 to represent District 9 (Barron, Dunn, Chippewa, Pierce, Polk Burnett, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer and Superior Shores Farm Bureaus). He was elected WFBF President in 2023.
Brian Preder from Weyauwega in Waupaca County was elected president of Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Robert Nigh from Viroqua in Vernon County was elected first vice president of the Rural Mutual Insurance Company Board.
Preder was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2019 to represent District 7, which includes: Langlade, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano and Waupaca counties. As a land owner and custom harvester, Preder harvests hundred of acres in Northeast Wisconsin.
Nine of the 11 members of the WFBF Board are elected in each of Farm Bureau’s nine districts. These nine individuals also make up the Board of Directors for the Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Rounding out the WFBF’s Board are the chairs of WFBF’s Young Farmer and Agriculturist and Promotion and Education Committees, both of which are elected to serve a one-year term on the board.
Jim Renn of Waukesha County was elected to a three-year term in District 1 (Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties). Jim is a beef and crop farmer near Hartland. He succeeds Dave Daniels of Kenosha County.
Pete Badtke of Green Lake County was elected to a three-year term in District 5 (Adams, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Juneau, Marquette, Waushara and Winnebago counties). Pete is a beef and crop farmer near Ripon. He succeeds Kevin Krentz of Waushara County.
Robert Nigh of Viroqua was re-elected to a three-year term representing District 3 (Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland and Vernon counties). Robert is a dairy farmer near Viroqua.
Steve Mueller from St. Croix County was elected to a one-year term as the chair of the Promotion and Education Committee and will serve as the representative on the WFBF Board. He succeeds Brenda Dowiasch of Eau Claire County as Promotion and Education chair.
Kendall Riskedal from Jefferson County was elected to a one-year term as the chair of the Young Farmer and Agriculturist Committee and will serve as the representative on the WFBF Board. She succeeds Kat Peper of Sauk County as YFA Chair.
Board members who were not up for re-election included: Joe Bragger of Independence in Buffalo County, Arch Morton, Jr. of Janesville in Rock County, Dan Meyer of Kiel in Manitowoc County, Brian Preder of Weyauwega in Waupaca County, Kim Bremmer of Loyal in Clark County and Brad Olson of Frederic in Polk County.
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