The Wisconsin Farmers Union concluded its 95th annual convention, celebrating a year defined by both legislative hurdles and significant internal growth.
Executive Director Danielle Endvick, who took the helm in May, tells Mid-West Farm Report that despite a volatile federal and state landscape, the organization is “busting at the seams” with new energy.
A major highlight of the event was the record-breaking fundraiser for Kamp Kenwood, the organization’s youth camp on Lake Wissota. The auction raised approximately $18,000, surpassing its $15,000 goal. Endvick emphasizes that this investment in the next generation is vital for the future of rural Wisconsin.
Addressing the influx of new faces at this year’s convention, she highlights the importance of collective action.
“It’s been a lot of ups and downs in the federal side of things and even here in the state with a lot of the issues we’re tackling,” she explains.
Despite these challenges, the sense of urgency has been a catalyst for recruitment.
“Farmers Union has become a place where you can have some hope for a vision of what we could have in rural Wisconsin in the future,” she says.
Looking ahead to 2026, WFU plans to focus on its Farm and Rural Lobby Day on Jan. 14, while continuing to advocate for health care access and addressing monopoly power in agriculture.
