Wisconsin
Who’s who in Wisconsin agriculture, 2024 edition
The Master Agriculturist program is one of the longest-running career-achievement honors programs in American agriculture, dating back 94 years. In 1930, Wisconsin Agriculturist started honoring farmers for their hard work, dedication, success in farming and exemplary leadership.
The winners are selected for their proven ability and accomplishments as progressive farmers, and for the time, effort and leadership they contribute to community, church and agricultural organizations, as well as conservation efforts on their farms.
The Master Agriculturist award honors the selected individuals and their families.
The 2024 Wisconsin Master Agriculturists are Matt Lippert, Pittsville; Brian McCulloh, Viroqua; Scott, Daun, Keith, Lynn, Patrick and Courtney Maier, Waunakee; and Keven Schultz, Fox Lake. Also in 2024, the first Honorary Master Agriculturist is being honored: David Schneider, Oconto, Wis.
Here is a list of the Master Agriculturists from around the state of Wisconsin honored since 1977:
1977
Clarence Boyke, Fond du Lac
Wayne Danielson, Cadott
Lawrence Eberle, Lone Rock
Edward J. Kaderly, Juda
Edgar Rudolph, Sturgeon Bay
Edwin Stauffacher, Mineral Point
1978
Byron Berg, Blanchardville
Richard Kruschke, New Richmond
Norman Maass, Seymour
Lyman McKee, Madison
Norbert Nuttelman, West Salem
Kenneth Rhein, Brownsville
1979
Karl Kappelman, Manitowoc
Richard Kretzschman, Mellen
Harold Kringle, Barron
Clayton Nichols, Wisconsin Dells
Bruce Odeen, Viroqua
Richard Scullion, Highland
1980
Craig Beane, Fort Atkinson
Kay Garvey, Eastman
Leonard Peck, Chippewa Falls
Philip Peterson, Oregon
Don “Hokey” West, Rice Lake
1981
Alten Blaser, Gillet
Bob Lentz, Dallas
Leslie Rahn, Sheboygan
Audrey Sickinger, Cato
Mike Wehler, Plain
1982
Gregory Blaska, Marshall
Robert Draxler, Glenwood City
Claude Epping, Salem
Ray Johnson, Brodhead
John Ver Voort, Appleton
1983
Philip Hein, Stratford
Roy Kirchner, Clintonville
John L. Malcine, Waterford
Robert Marr, Mineral Point
Louis B. Rodriguez, Delavan
1984
Harvey Kirking, Viroqua
William C. Kitzrow, Union Grove
Keith Long, Weyauwega
Donald Long, Weyauwega
Peter Senn, Campbellsport
Hilman Schroeder, Sauk City
1985
Duane Hegna, Baraboo
Paul May, Mineral Point
Oliver Miller, Brodhead
John Selz, Humbird
Louis Wysocki, Custer
1986
Ray Koepp, Fremont
Maurice Cooper, DeForest
John McClellan, Delavan
Norma Swan, Ogema
1987
Roy Brenizer, Cushing
Joseph Julka, Malone
Alan and Jim Koepke, Oconomowoc
John Louis, Richland Center
1988
Wallace Emmerich, Hamburg
Craig Guthrie, Elkhorn
Henry Hayes, Fond du Lac
Robert Trampf, Berlin
1989
John Hoffmann, Whitewater
Jerry Keller, Lodi
Donald Schmidt, Melrose
Dale Schuler, Kiel
1990
Vernon Newhouse, Kaukauna
Paul Ruedinger, Van Dyne
Loren Wolfe, Cochrane
Carl Pulvermacher, Lone Rock
1991
Jim Costello, Malone
Leonard Bayer, Schofield
Gerald Vesperman, Lancaster
Damon Szymanski, Pulaski
1992
Donald Riemer, Chilton
Roger Fust, Wausau
Richard Doerfer, Verona
Frederick Gay, Reeseville
1993
Joe Sarbacker, Belleville
Philip Tetzner, Washburn
George Rau, Dorchester
Bob Gardner, Pittsville
1994
Robert Crane, Burlington
Frank Jasurda, Philips
Thomas Klahn, Lodi
Jerome Servais, St. Joseph
1995
Burt Tuckey, Lancaster
Donald Newman, Clark County
Allen Sievert, Bonduel
Melvin Strauss, Mequon
1996
Jim Bradley, Sun Prairie
Ken Congdon, Galesville
Joe Polak, Merrill
Allen Timm, Seymour
1997
Albert Greenheck, Lone Rock
Joe Mertens, Kiel
Howard Richards, Lodi
1998
La Verne Ausman, Elk Mound
Loren Hanson, Elk Mound
Bill and Rich Creaser, Menomonie
Note: There were no awards given between 1999 and 2004
2005
Dallas Grenawalt, Beloit
Doug Hodorff, Eden
Jim Holte, Elk Mound
Mark Riechers, Darlington
2006
Jack Banker, Black Creek
Mike McCullough, Juda
Roger Rebout, Janesville
Jim Senn, Campbellsport
Don Slama, Hillsboro
2007
Edward Engen, Brodhead
E. Budd Gerrits, Greenleaf
Doug Mueller, Fall Creek
Don Rickert, Eldorado
2008
Michael Birling, Black Creek
Gerald Dannenberg, Mineral Point
Larry Pollack, Ripon
Howard Roth, Wauzeka
2009
Wallace Behnke, Brooklyn
Steve Holte, Westby
John Ruedinger, Van Dyne
Ronald, Alfred, Mark, John David and Ryan Schneider, Hilbert
2010
Robert Bahn, Berlin
Gary Boyke, Fond du Lac
Randy Geiger, Reedsville
Kenneth Hein, Stratford
Gary Ruegsegger, Stratford
Brian West, Rice Lake
2011
Ken Brown, Elmwood
Jack and Jim Hanke, Sheboygan Falls
Jim Harsdorf, River Falls
Don Mielke, Menasha
2012
Paul Buhr, Viroqua
Rosalie Geiger, Reedsville
Dale Hines, Ellsworth
Greg, Jason and Travis Lindner, Oxford
2013
Roger Grade, Eldorado
Mel Pittman, Plum City
Herb, Gary, Alan, Steve and Greg Tauchen, Bonduel
2014
Clarence Boettcher, Fairchild
Paul Schmidt, Bonduel
Charles Untz, Lake Mills
Nodji Van Wychen, Warrens
2015
Jim Fitzgerald, Newton
Tom Kestell, Waldo
Jeff Sommers, Plainfield
Dan Vosberg, South Wayne
2016
Dick Cates, Spring Green
Mark Dietsche, Bloomer
Ken Feldt, Stevens Point
Hank Wagner, Oconto Falls
2017
Mike Cerny, Sharon
Rick Dado, Amery
Jim Rickert, Eldorado
Wally, Sherry, Dan and Paul Siemers, Newton
2018
Tom Kriskovich, Ashland
Dan Natzke, Greenleaf
Lyle Ott, Brillion
Keith Ripp, Lodi
Tom Sarbacker, Verona
2019
Rick Adams, Elkhorn
Sue Bellman, Delavan
Joe Brantmeier, Sherwood
Joe Henry, Dane
2020
Charlie, George, Tom and Mark Crave, Waterloo
Jeff Hendrickson, Belleville
Eric Rygg, Eau Claire
Kent Wendorf, Viroqua
2021
Brian Brown, Belleville
Brian Forrest, Stratford
Jack Herricks, Cashton
John Judd, Mount Horeb
2022
Paul Beach, Monroe
Jon, Doug and Les Danielson, Cadott
Darren Schroeder, Columbus
Pam Selz-Pralle and Scott Pralle, Humbird
2023
Marty Hallock, Mondovi
Eric and Carol Hillan, Ladysmith
Jim and Robin Seaquist, Ellison Bay
Roger and Tammy Weiland, Columbus
2024
Matt Lippert, Pittsville
Brian McCulloh, Viroqua
Scott, Daun, Keith, Lynn, Patrick, and Courtney Maier, Waunakee
Keven Schultz, Fox Lake
Honorary Master Agriculturists
2024
David Schneider, Oconto
Just east of the Capital City Trail crossing at the Yahara River, a nondescript warehouse rises on Madison’s west side. Its blank exterior offers no hint of what’s inside, and even the interior is not set up for glass cases and museum spotlights.
But its more than 180,000-square-feet of climate-controlled space contains the largest collection of North American history outside of the Library of Congress.
In all, the Wisconsin Historical Society holds 3.8 million print publications, 25,000 maps, 3 million images, 125,000 cubic feet of archival material and 750,000 historic and archaeological objects. Most are stored in the State Archive Preservation Facility, including the original Milwaukee Brewers Racing Sausages, one of the country’s first weather maps, traditional Ho‑Chunk baskets and comedian Chris Farley’s football jersey from Edgewood High School.
It’s a largely unknown, certainly underappreciated, Wisconsin treasure.
The archives are managed by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and operate in partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Typically, history is presented in a carefully curated way – edited in a textbook, displayed behind a rope, maybe protected under glass. But the archives are an uncurated mix, and in many ways a more accurate reflection of the jumble that is human life than the single storyline we try to make it out to be.
Here, history feels human and unfinished. Every box, aisle and rack holds items that come to life when someone pulls them out and shares their story.
“Without the stories, the passion behind them, the experiences of individuals, it’s just a desk or a chair, but it’s the stories that are there,” said Nick Hoffman, chief creative officer with the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Preserving film history at 40°F
As the heavy doors to the “cold room” on the second floor swing open, chilled air spills out. The room’s temperature holds at 40 degrees Fahrenheit with 35% relative humidity – the ideal balance to protect film and videotape.
More than 44,000 film cans sit packed inside, and despite Madison’s distance from entertainment hubs like Los Angeles and New York, this is one of the world’s leading collections of film and television history.
More than 300 manuscript collections include materials from figures such as Michael and Kirk Douglas, Agnes Moorehead, Rod Serling and Edith Head. The shelves hold Mary Tyler Moore’s full archive, materials from early talk show host Faye Emerson, and footage of the McCarthy hearings later used in a documentary by Emile de Antonio.
The oldest film in the archives − “The Lumberjack,” a 16-minute silent film shot in Wausau − dates back to 1914.
Many donors have no ties to Wisconsin. What binds the archive isn’t geography so much as the pull to preserve a legacy.
“It’s often about an individual,” said Jill Sterrett, chief collections officer.
History written in ink on paper
One of the country’s oldest newspaper collections resides on the third floor, including a July 10, 1776, edition of The Pennsylvania Gazette, with one of the earliest printings of the Declaration of Independence, as well as Frederick Douglass’ 1850s newspaper, and the Cherokee Phoenix, the first newspaper published in a Native language.
The archives has the ability to bring people down to the individual level, then zoom out to show how an individual connects to a huge moment in U.S. history, Hoffman said. “That’s the scale that we have here,” he said.
In the early 1960s, for example, the Historical Society began collecting material from civil rights groups and activists, becoming a leading center for studying the American civil rights movement. Today, the archives hold hundreds of thousands of documents and recordings from the Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee. Highlander trained activists like Rosa Parks to organize and educate people, especially on voting rights.
That training partly shaped Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man, which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, said senior archivist Lee Grady.
One of the earliest weather maps by Milwaukee scientist Increase Lapham is also in the collections. Lapham made the map in 1868, reconstructing a storm from a decade earlier to show how weather patterns could be tracked. The map served as a proof-of-concept, Grady said, which helped prompt Congress to establish the National Weather Service in 1870.
The archives also have an ongoing, little-known interaction with the public. Grady said the Historical Society fields about 16,000 questions a year, mostly by email, on topics like land records, divorce filings, even whether a house is haunted. Family history requests are the most common, he said.
Racing Sausages, Freedom Desks, tribal baskets share space
About 100,000 objects share space in a cavernous room on the fourth floor.
The original, 7-foot-tall Milwaukee Brewers Racing Sausages tower around the first corner. Made with foam and rubber cement, they are being restored by the Historical Society before they go on display in the new Wisconsin History Center, which is scheduled to open in 2028.
Directly above the Racing Sausages sit “Freedom Day” school desks from Milwaukee. During Milwaukee’s 1964 “Freedom Day” boycotts, thousands of students left segregated public schools to attend alternative Freedom Schools in local churches.
Also on display are materials from the March on Milwaukee – the 200 consecutive nights of marching to protest segregated housing, led by the NAACP Youth Council and advised by the Rev. James Groppi.
Wedged in the middle of a nearby clothing rack is a bowling shirt from Earlene Fuller, a legendary Milwaukee bowler who became known for designing custom shirts, many featuring kente cloth and other African-inspired patterns. She broke down racial barriers in the sport, and was the first Black woman to bowl a perfect 300 game.
There’s also Rosie the Riveter coveralls made in Beloit and Jane Kaczmarek’s “Lucky Aide” smock from Malcolm in the Middle.
“These are telling the stories of everyday efforts to win World War II, to the stories that make us laugh,” said Leo Landis, director of curatorial services.
More aisles open up at the push of a button. Each aisle is arranged by when its contents were donated, a densely packed uncurated cross-section of memorabilia.
One aisle holds West Allis–born speed skater Dan Jansen’s Levi’s velour Olympic warm-up jacket from 1984.
A couple of aisles down are Ho-Chunk baskets, some that date back to the 1800s, weaving together more than a century of tradition.
Ancient canoes sit alongside the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile
Downstairs, in one of the unassuming basement rooms, it’s hard to know where to look first.
The tightly packed space holds the original Oscar Mayer Wienermobile as well as a Culver’s sign from one of the first franchises, made from a repurposed Ford dealership sign.
There’s also a Packers helmet-shaped ice shanty built by Bill Casper of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, a nonprofit that promotes sturgeon conservation and celebrates Lake Winnebago’s ice-fishing culture.
But one of the most striking displays underscores how history is still being written.
Two dugout canoes raised from Lake Mendota sit soaking in a chemical bath. Discovered in 2018 and 2022, they have been dated to roughly 1,200 and 3,000 years old.
For the past year and a half, the canoes have been treated with polyethylene glycol, a resin that slowly fills the cells of the waterlogged wood. In about six months, Sterrett said, the canoes will be shipped to Texas A&M to be freeze-dried in a giant chamber, drawing out the water while letting the resin holding its shape.
Sterrett said the canoes, along with others found in Wisconsin lakes, are reshaping what people know about the region’s past climate and how people lived on and with the water.
Authority, access, audience engagement
The Historical Society is no longer just collecting items. It is rethinking ownership, renegotiating who defines history, and in some cases returning pieces and material.
That shift is visible in the “repatriation room,” where desks and shelves made from Menominee Forest wood help ground the consultations between the Historical Society and tribal nations on returning cultural items. Repatriation has expanded in recent decades, moving beyond compliance toward collaboration.
More broadly, archivists are rethinking access and engaging different audiences.
The state archives already operates an inter-archival loan system across University of Wisconsin schools. The Historical Society now is working to move records, such as family and land documents, closer to the communities they are tied to.
Anyone can access materials at the Wisconsin Historical Society headquarters on Library Mall on the UW-Madison campus. But the State Archive Preservation Facility is generally closed to the public, with tours offered just twice a year and some items coming out only for special events. When the Wisconsin History Center opens in early 2028, many items from the archives will be on rotating display.
As the leaders of this repository look to the future, they are convinced interest in history hasn’t waned. The key is letting people know what Wisconsin has, and making it available in a way that makes the most of it.
And as always, sharing all those great stories behind the archives.
As Sterrett said, “The risks of not sharing are far greater.”
New history center will increase access to archives
The new history center, slated to open in early 2028, will provide unprecedented access to the objects, entertainment and print products housed within the archives.
The Wisconsin Historical Society broke ground on its new $160.5 million center in 2025. The five-story, 100,000-square-foot building on Capitol Square in Madison will more than double the exhibition space of the previous history center.
When it opens, the center is expected to welcome 260,000 visitors each year. It will feature three core galleries, a rotating community gallery, rooftop terrace, café as well as educational spaces.
Caitlin Looby covers the Great Lakes and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact: clooby@gannett.com. Follow her on social media @caitlooby.
Caitlin is an Outrider Fellow whose reporting also receives support from the Brico Fund, Fund for Lake Michigan, Barbara K. Frank, and individual contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
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The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is made possible through our partnership with Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association, and EnMotive, LLC, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc. USA TODAY Co., Inc. is the parent company of this publication.
Manuel Franco claims his $768 million Powerball jackpot
Manuel Franco, 24, of West Allis was revealed Tuesday as the winner of the $768.4 million Powerball jackpot.
Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 2, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 2 drawing
15-26-43-48-60, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 2 drawing
Midday: 0-7-8
Evening: 8-5-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 2 drawing
Midday: 7-9-8-3
Evening: 4-4-7-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning All or Nothing numbers from June 2 drawing
Midday: 01-02-03-05-06-10-11-13-16-21-22
Evening: 02-05-06-09-10-14-16-18-19-20-21
Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Badger 5 numbers from June 2 drawing
06-13-26-28-30
Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning SuperCash numbers from June 2 drawing
10-14-15-18-34-38, Doubler: N
Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
- Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
- Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
- Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.
Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?
No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.
When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
- Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **
WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.
How to milk a cow as seen at the Wisconsin State Fair
There’s more to milking a cow than you might think. In this archived video at the Wisconsin State Fair, a Journal Sentinel reporter gave it a try.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel files
Wisconsin Republicans had a field day when the state Democratic Party celebrated the start of National Dairy Month with a post featuring male cattle that don’t produce milk.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin initially posted a “Happy Dairy Month” graphic on Facebook, Instagram and X showing two brown and white cattle with horns and no visible udders.
The party later posted a corrected version, featuring two black-and-white spotted Holstein cows. T-bone steaks with halos and wings floated above them – presumably, where the male cattle had gone.
“We regret that our Dairy Month tweet contained an error. We have ‘taken care’ of the issue, if you catch our drift,” the party wrote June 1.
Side note: Many dairy cattle, including females, naturally have horns. In most cases, they’re removed to prevent injuries to farmers and cattle themselves. But udders are visible only on female cattle, a.k.a. cows.
Tom Tiffany, the leading Republican candidate for governor, jumped on the mistake, posting a video touting his experience growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm.
Tiffany and other Republicans also criticized Democrats for celebrating the start of Pride Month, which recognizes LGBTQ+ communities and begins June 1 alongside National Dairy Month.
“I regret to inform [Wisconsin Democrats] that you cannot milk a bull. But considering they think men can get pregnant, I guess thinking you can milk a bull tracks too,” Tiffany wrote on X.
Tiffany also said June 1 that, if elected governor, he would no longer fly the Pride flag over the state Capitol in June – a practice started by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in 2019.
Evers also celebrated June Dairy Month with a video message, in part criticizing President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and cuts to federal programs supporting farmers.
Wisconsin is home to about 5,000 dairy farms – more than any other state – and has about 1.27 million cows. National Dairy Month originally started in 1937 as National Milk Month.
Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.
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