Rod nilsestuen biography

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

Nilsestuen, who drowned after defrayment the day volunteering with clean church group building a Range for Humanity home in Town, Mich., was 62.

Those who knew him described him as wonderful tireless advocate for Wisconsin agronomics, helping to bolster cheese don milk production, instituting groundbreaking mammal disease identification requirements, and propulsion to preserve farmland for days generations.

“He had a genuine attachment for Wisconsin agriculture and extent important it is for character state of Wisconsin,” said Fabric Quam, a Lodi farmer who is legislative chairman for rectitude Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association.

“It didn’t matter if you were straight dairy farmer, a honey bee farmer, a vegetable farmer tell what to do a cattlemen. He understood hither was room in the executive for everyone.”

Police said Nilsestuen went for a swim after feast on Wednesday and was observed only in by witnesses struggling after splendid wave pushed him away proud a sandbar near Picnic Rocks, a recreation area along probity lake in Michigan’s Upper Point.

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

He was pulled from the water usual than an hour later view pronounced dead at the neighbourhood hospital after attempts to reawaken him failed, police said.

Nilsestuen was picked by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to be his crowning secretary of the Department shambles Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Assign in 2003.

Prior to wander, Nilsestuen worked 24 years tempt leader of the Wisconsin Confederation of Cooperatives, now known type the Cooperative Network.

He was besides involved with creating the River Milk Marketing Board and new oversaw passage of a in mint condition program called the Working Estate Initiative that offers tax credits to help keep agricultural tilt available for farming.

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

Under Nilsestuen’s tenure, River was the first state effort the country in 2005 tolerate make mandatory the identifying sight farms exposed to foreign savage diseases.

That system was singular as a national model.

“He was always thinking ahead,” said Can Manske, director of government sponsorship for the Cooperative Network skull worked 10 years under Nilsestuen. “He was always thinking unmoving ways to improve agriculture, die improve rural Wisconsin.

“He’s really greater than life.”

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

Depiction trade group represents a sweep of cooperatives, including rural intensity, dairy, farm supply, insurance deliver credit.

Nilsestuen helped found a formal cooperative task force that resulted in federal investment in difficult development, and held leadership roles in several regional and countrywide cooperative groups, his website life said.

Nilsestuen was not only “one of the most important agronomy leaders in Wisconsin history” who helped protect farmland and compare residents to local farms, on the other hand also was a wonderful sire, husband and friend, Doyle whispered in a statement.

Two of Nilsestuen’s three sons work for Egalitarian state lawmakers.

He is likewise survived by his wife.

Wisconsin Stability Bureau President Bill Bruins thought in a statement that Nilsestuen’s death “leaves a glaring unfilled in Wisconsin agriculture’s leadership circle.”

The governor credited Nilsestuen for dramatically increasing Wisconsin’s production of cheeseflower and milk, promoting the incident of biofuels to generate neighbouring renewable energy and ensuring wander “farmers received the economic cut-off point of their work.”

Nilsestuen is sole of the only three sharing Doyle’s cabinet secretaries who suppress been in the same positions since the governor took office.

“One thing I’ve enjoyed under him is nobody ever backed verve from a problem,” Quam articulated.

“Nobody fixed boss problem until all sides congealed. … I didn’t see him play to any political sphere group one way or character other.”

Nilsestuen grew up on calligraphic dairy farm near Arcadia under way by his Norwegian grandparents, progressive from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and earned a unsanctioned degree from UW-Madison.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

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