Russ Weisensel Of Sun Prairie To Receive Honorary Recognition From College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences
It”s fair to say that Russ Weisensel has devoted his life to agriculture – as an executive and spokesman for the Wisconsin Agri-Business Council, as a state legislator, as a farmer, and as a farm kid who was “a leader and a most active member of the Maple Knoll 4-H club,” according to childhood friend Richard Renk.
For his contributions to agriculture, Weisensel will receive an Honorary Recognition award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The award will be presented at a banquet Oct. 24 in the Memorial Union on the UW-Madison campus. (For information on attending the banquet, please call Lee Gottschalk at the CALS conference office, (608) 263-2421.)
When state agri-business leaders established the Wisconsin Agri-Business Council in 1970, they chose Weisensel as executive director. He has been with the council ever since, currently serving as Director of Legislative Affairs.
“Russ Weisensel”s greatest single contribution to Wisconsin agriculture has been his unceasing efforts to build and sustain the Wisconsin Agri-Business Council as a viable organization whose mission has been to provide a strong, unified and effective voice for agriculture/agribusiness, as well as to clearly and accurately inform the public of the role, needs and importance of agriculture,” says Don Peterson, executive director of Wisconsin Farm Progress Days, Inc.
“The fact that the council today enjoys an excellent reputation throughout the state and nation for its many activities and programs testifies to the effectiveness of Russ”s untiring labors,” he says. “With the Council as his foundation and forum, his countless writings, speeches and consultations have reached and often been heeded by governors, legislators, farm organization and commodity leaders, and agency officials, as well as the general public, for more than a quarter-century. His representations have always been motivated by what he felt was in the best interest of W