John Koepke has been a longtime supporter and leader in farmland preservation. His committed actions and voice as a farmer from Oconomowoc have proved invaluable to farmland protection in Wisconsin.
In 1995, John earned a degree at Cornell University in New York and then moved home, to Oconomowoc, to become a partner in his family’s 300 plus dairy cow farm. His family has been farming since the 1870’s in Waukesha County. John continues to build upon and grow his family’s legacy.
In 2005, John was a key player in his town’s rejection of a plan for a new subdivision that was to be located near his farm. This defeat propelled him into various roles: a member of the Town Board, Tall Pines Conservancy Board, and the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection board.
John has also been a leader in an effort to pass a DATCP Board resolution opposing weakening the Working Lands Initiative. He has also been asked to be a member of the PACE council that has preserved up to 5,000 acres of farmland in the state.
“John has stepped up to the plate time and again in efforts to protect Wisconsin Farmland. He leads by example, never shunning a job, always making time for the cause.”
–Bill Berry, President –American Farmland Land Trust
