From the Fields: Making an Impact
By Nicholas Felder
One of the many responsibilities and pleasures of working at a bank is the opportunity to sit on charitable boards and committees that further the interests of your bank, your community, or your personal life. Many of which are intertwined and drive personal and professional growth alike. As the newly appointed Chair of the 2025-2026 WBA Agricultural Section Board of Directors, I believe this statement is true and I look forward to the breadth and depth of the boards to which I participate.
The most recent iteration of these opportunities happened over a recent 11-day stretch to begin June. On June 3rd, I sat in on the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association board meeting to discuss the state of corn in Wisconsin as well as new or continuing ways to promote its growth and its uses. That meeting rolled into a joint meeting with the Wisconsin Biofuels Association who hosted Preston Brown from incite.ag to discuss 45Z and the Clean Fuel Production Credit. What was most interesting was how that tax credit incentivizes grain buyers to collect data from grain producers generating a fairly arbitrary Carbon Intensity score and how the US Treasury values a producer’s farming practices. Confusing and more to come I would guess.
One week later, I assisted in the execution of Grant County’s FREE Rural Safety Day who hosted 210 second through eighth graders for a day of sessions learning about Kindness & Mental Health, Weather Safety, Animal Safety, PTO Safety, ATV/UTV Safety, Electrical safety (my favorite because the local electrical co-op fully charges a small power line and electrocutes hot dogs in front of the kids), Substance Abuse awareness, and Nutrition. The kids get fed three times and all are sent home with T-shirts and other small safety items, some get cash give-a-ways, and two kids get to take bicycles home! I have served on this committee for at least 10 years, and it is a highlight of the start of my summer!
And finally, three days later I wrapped up my stretch with my WBA Agricultural Section Board Meeting where we had the opportunity to sit and chat with WI DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. He took time to answer our questions and talk about informational (not inflammatory) topics like Federal cuts and how that is affecting USDA/FSA/DATCP; the National Milk Testing Strategy and how our state was an integral part in the creation of a reasonable and actionable plan to protect our dairy farms; and about the State Budget and how the Wisconsin Farm Center remains a priority to assisting rural Wisconsinites deal with stress and mental health as well as how the Governor has prioritized rural infrastructure through programs like ARIP (Ag Road Improvement Program). You can read more about full conversation here: WBA Ag Section Board Met With DATCP Secretary Romanski – Wisconsin Bankers Association
All these organizations need the leadership, direction, and manpower that we, as Ag Bankers here in the state, can provide. But most importantly the idea that every person you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them. Take that knowledge and share with others who can use it to grow and improve themselves or others around them. That action builds community and that, specifically, is why I have chosen this career. Please take time to volunteer and lead which will make someone else’s day better.
Cheers to timely rains and sunshine for those that need it! Hope you all have a great summer with family and friends!
Felder is vice president – commercial and agricultural banking at MidWestOne Bank in Lancaster. Felder also serves as Chair on the 2025–2026 WBA Agricultural Bankers Section Board of Directors.
