Vice Presidential Views
I’m Jim Hayes, your newly-elected vice president. I’m sure I’m a new face to many of you.
My wife, Dawn, and I have a 100 cow organic dairy farm in Columbus, Wisconsin. Dawn and I are second-generation NFO members, and my parents joined the organization in 1961.
I have held several offices within the organization. I was a national board member, am currently the dairy committee chair and Organic Valley’s DEC representative. I previously served as barn board and county president.
My experience as president of Wisconsin’s NAFCOR assisted our Manchester, Iowa livestock facility to open it’s doors to producers, as well as help rebuild after a tornado damaged it in 2021.
The National Farmers tradition has carried on in our children, too. Andrew and his wife, Chelsie, and our oldest son, Austyn, are now the third generation of National Farmers members. Austyn and his wife, Abby, are involved in raising beef and marketing through National Farmers.
Our youngest daughter, Abbygail, works for the organization as a Wisconsin dairy field representative and quality control manager. Her husband, Nathen, is involved on the farm, too. Our oldest daughter, Amy, and her husband, Matt, live nearby with their daughter, Maybel, and son, Clint. They help on the farm when needed. We have been Organic Valley members since 2000.
I want to offer my thanks to everyone who supported my candidacy and Paul Olson’s in National Farmers first-ever mail in ballot vote for the Board of Directors. I think we have a great slate of 2024 board members from all four regions of the country.
Our national convention in Coralville, Iowa had a great line-up of speakers across a variety of different topics, and they provided a great deal of information to attendees.
I know it’s impossible for everyone to attend our annual winter meeting because it’s hard to get away from the farm. It is a great time to visit with your fellow members and to meet some of the younger generation and upcoming leadership.
A big thank you to everyone who was able to attend, and hopefully, if you were not able to attend you watched on our first ever livestream event.
Our dairy and livestock divisions experienced a lot of growth in 2023, and 2024 is off to a good start. That bodes well for this year.
