MADISON — Dairy farmers in nine Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board districts are reminded they have until May 25 to mail in their director election ballots. For the 2017 election, seven districts have candidates running unopposed, while two districts have run-off elections.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) mailed ballots to eligible dairy producers in the affected districts during the first week of May.

Here are the candidates, listed by district:

• District 1 (Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Rusk, Sawyer and Washburn counties), candidate: Benjamin Peterson, Grantsburg.
• District 4 (Barron and Polk counties), candidate: Audrey Kusilek, Rice Lake.
• District 7 (Clark County), candidate: David Bangart, Greenwood.
• District 10 (Brown, Door and Kewaunee counties), candidate: Julie Veldhuis, Kewaunee.
• District 13 (Buffalo, Pierce and Pepin counties), candidates: Lanette Harsdorf, Beldenville; and Robert Sendelbach, Cochrane.
• District 16 (Fond du Lac, Green Lake and Marquette counties), candidates: David Schmitz, Fond du Lac; and Janet Clark, Rosendale.
• District 19 (Columbia and Dodge counties), candidate: Becky Levzow, Rio.
• District 22 (Grant County), candidate: Ann Kieler, Platteville.
• District 25 (Green, Rock and Walworth counties), candidate: Stacy Eberle, Monroe.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) mailed ballots to eligible dairy producers in the affected districts during the first week of May.

Eligible producers who have not received a ballot can contact Debbie Gegare, DATCP Market Orders program coordinator, at 608-224-5116 or Debbie.gegare@wisconsin.gov to request a ballot. Completed ballots must be signed and sent to WI DATCP, Marketing Order Program, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708-8911. The ballots must be postmarked on or before May 25. Unsigned ballots will not be counted.

Elected producers will serve three-year terms beginning July 1, 2017.

DATCP administers elections for Wisconsin commodity marketing boards.

To learn more about the market order boards, visit https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/About_Us/MarketingBoards.aspx

— Wisconsin Department of Agriculture

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