Rock County Honors Ag Leaders | Farm Report with Pam Jahnke

Posted: 03.15.2011

The Ag Business Council of Rock County will honor Rock County agriculture by making inductions into the Agriculture Hall of Fame and recognizing an Agriculture Pioneer award recipient during their Annual Dinner on March 18 at Rotary Gardens.

The 2011 inductees for the Agriculture Hall of Fame are Richard ‘Dick’ Zanzinger and Nancy Nienhuis, both of Janesville. Receiving the Ag Pioneer award is the late Robert Venable, Janesville.

Robert Venable considered himself fortunate to have farmed the land of the Rock Prairie, east of Janesville in Johnstown Township. Robert, born in Missouri in 1924, first began farming in Rock County in the late 1940s after moving here from Illinois. At an early age, he understood that being a good steward of the land was the most important aspect of being a great farmer.

Robert was not afraid to implement new technology or management styles. He was one of first to establish a confinement beef operation in Wisconsin and to use satellite global positioning systems for more accurate plating and minimal soil tillage for soil conservation. He served as president of the Confinement Beef Association Board and was a member of the Rock County Beef Producers. He twice hosted the Rock County Beef Producers Beef Cookout. Venable again opened his farm to Wisconsin’s premier agricultural event – Farm Progress Days in 2001. Any given day during the growing season, Robert could be found making rounds, evaluating his fields of corn and soybeans. Rock County lost this agriculture leader in December of 2007, but his farming values and ideals live on at Venable Farms.

Well-known for their commitment to the Rock County 4-H Fair and agriculture promotion, Dick Zanzinger and Nancy Nienhuis have dedicated decades to Rock County agriculture. Zanzinger is a retired dairy farmer from Center Township, who for the past 20 years has served as the Grounds Committee Chairperson for the Rock County 4-H Fair. He has been instrumental in building and grounds upkeep as well as creating an enjoyable environment for all fairgoers. He is also an active member of the Rock County Dairy Promotion, as a founding member in 1977 and host to the county’s first June Dairy Breakfast in 1980. He works diligently behind the scenes for the group, hauling the Rock County Dairy Promotion Trailer to numerous events year-round.

Nancy Nienhuis, grew up on a farm in La Prairie Township. A retired nurse, Nienhuis has dedicated her life to teaching the young and old about agriculture through vegetables and poultry production. She has served as the Rock County 4-H Fair Fruits and Vegetables Superintendent for the past 30 years. With the aid of a USDA grant in 1977, Niehuis helped the Beloit School District begin a community garden project. Seeing the educational impact, Nancy converted her family farm, The Good Acres, into a community garden, which currently boasts over 20 individual gardens maintained by Janesville community members and the La Prairie 4-H Club. The gardens not only provide 4-Hers with fair projects, but also provide produce to Salvation Army, ECHO and Saint Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in Janesville. The good-natured Nienhuis opens her farm to over 200 Janesville School District elementary students each year so they can experience and learn about agriculture.

During the annual event, the Ag Business Council of Rock County will be presenting scholarships to Rock County youth, and the Dennis Nehring $1,000 Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Ag Fund will be presented.

To register for this event, contact Bill Murphy at william.murphy@bakertilly.com or Randy Thompson at 608-757-5699 by March 14. The cost is $20 per person. The evening will begin with social hour at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. with the program to follow.

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