Bluestem has known and appreciated Renville County farmer Gary Wertish for many years, and as a Farmers Union member, we were pleased to learn via twitter that he was elected as Minnesota Farmers Union President in a three-way contest with former state senators Lyly Koenen and Vicki Jensen.
In the West Central Tribune, Shelby Lindrud reports in Wertish elected Farmers Union president:
. . . “Today marks a new era within the Farmers Union organization. Being elected as the new president is humbling,” Wertish said in a news release announcing his election.
Wertish has been serving as the interim president since Peterson’s retirement at the end of December. Prior to that Wertish served as vice president of the Minnesota Farmers Union since 2009. He also worked as a field representative for the union and served as Senator Mark Dayton’s agricultural director.
Wertish farms with one of his sons, growing corn, soybeans and navy beans. He lives in Renville with his wife Jeanne. The couple has four children.
Photo: Tweet from Minnesota Farmers Union announcing Wertish's victory.
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