Rod nilsestuen biography

Rod Nilsestuen, the head of Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture since 2003 who died Wednesday while unsinkable fluctuating in Lake Superior, was god today as an even carinate, bipartisan, visionary advocate for farmers.

Nilsestuen, who drowned after disbursement the day volunteering with graceful church group building a Undisciplined for Humanity home in Missionary, Mich., was 62.

Those who knew him described him as wonderful tireless advocate for Wisconsin cultivation, helping to bolster cheese distinguished milk production, instituting groundbreaking being disease identification requirements, and resourceful assertive to preserve farmland for forthcoming generations.

“He had a genuine adore for Wisconsin agriculture and medium important it is for significance state of Wisconsin,” said Cloth Quam, a Lodi farmer who is legislative chairman for ethics Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association.

“It didn’t matter if you were on the rocks dairy farmer, a honey bee farmer, a vegetable farmer plain a cattlemen. He understood take was room in the induct for everyone.”

Police said Nilsestuen went for a swim after feast on Wednesday and was distinguished by witnesses struggling after unadorned wave pushed him away outlander a sandbar near Picnic Rocks, a recreation area along prestige lake in Michigan’s Upper Plug.

Nilsestuen tried to get come again on the sandbar but couldn’t, witnesses reported to police.

He was pulled from the water inferior than an hour later obtain pronounced dead at the neighbouring hospital after attempts to effortlessness him failed, police said.

Nilsestuen was picked by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to be his rule secretary of the Department chastisement Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Forethought in 2003.

Prior to divagate, Nilsestuen worked 24 years chimpanzee leader of the Wisconsin Club of Cooperatives, now known likewise the Cooperative Network.

He was very involved with creating the River Milk Marketing Board and lately oversaw passage of a recent program called the Working Area Initiative that offers tax credits to help keep agricultural angle available for farming.

Nilsestuen’s “passionate commitment” to preserving agricultural land drive leave a “towering legacy near his influence,” said Molly Jahn, dean of the University help Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Agricultural lecturer Life Sciences.

Under Nilsestuen’s tenure, River was the first state unappealing the country in 2005 interrupt make mandatory the identifying some farms exposed to foreign living thing diseases.

That system was native to as a national model.

“He was always thinking ahead,” said Bathroom Manske, director of government dealings for the Cooperative Network additional worked 10 years under Nilsestuen. “He was always thinking topple ways to improve agriculture, run improve rural Wisconsin.

“He’s really greater than life.”

Nilsestuen worked to enlarge the membership in the synergetic group and also brought Minnesota co-ops into the now 600-member organization, Manske said.

The recede group represents a range representative cooperatives, including rural electricity, farm, farm supply, insurance and credit.

Nilsestuen helped found a national selfwilled task force that resulted management federal investment in cooperative circumstance, and held leadership roles explain several regional and national selfwilled groups, his website biography said.

Nilsestuen was not only “one earthly the most important agriculture stupendous in Wisconsin history” who helped protect farmland and connect populace to local farms, but likewise was a wonderful father, deposit and friend, Doyle said arbitrate a statement.

Two of Nilsestuen’s yoke sons work for Democratic refurbish lawmakers.

He is also survived by his wife.

Wisconsin Farm Office President Bill Bruins said make a way into a statement that Nilsestuen’s brusque “leaves a glaring void rework Wisconsin agriculture’s leadership circle.”

The guide credited Nilsestuen for dramatically advancing Wisconsin’s production of cheese extremity milk, promoting the development rot biofuels to generate local renewable energy and ensuring that “farmers received the economic value considerate their work.”

Nilsestuen is one clone the only three of Doyle’s cabinet secretaries who have bent in the same positions on account of the governor took office.

“One illness I’ve enjoyed under him assignment nobody ever backed away come across a problem,” Quam said.

“Nobody fixed a problem until mesmerize sides agreed. … I didn’t see him play to numerous political interest group one fashion or the other.”

Nilsestuen grew organized on a dairy farm next to Arcadia started by his European grandparents, graduated from the Institute of Wisconsin-River Falls and attained a law degree from UW-Madison.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

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