Kenya and Paraguay RPCV Richard “Otto” Wiegand is the new area agriculture dairy and livestock agent for the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension
Wiegand joins ag station staff
Spooner Advocate
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 18th, 2004 02:55:15 PM
Richard “Otto” Wiegand is the new area agriculture dairy and livestock agent for the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension in Burnett, Sawyer, and Washburn counties. He replaces Bill Saumer, who left the position in January.
Wiegand moved to the area from Madison, where he spent the past five years working as a consultant for dairy in the private sector and teaching at a technical college.
He was born on a 120-acre Jersey dairy farm in Cleveland in southern Manitowoc County. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in dairy science from UW-Madison in 1970.
Between two stints with the Peace Corps in Kenya and Paraguay, Wiegand worked for his father on the farm and did odd jobs off the farm. In the 1980s, after obtaining a master’s degree in African studies from Ohio University, he operated the farm for six years, expanding from 28 to 45 cows.
In 1988, Wiegand left the farm to work on a master’s, and doctorate degree in dairy science nutrition at UW-Madison, finishing in 1995. He did his field work in Ethiopia, where he fed tree leaves to sheep. Wiegand then worked for Agri-Management, a dairy placement company in Madison, the African Development Bank in Ivory Coast, and New Age Computers in his hometown before his five years at Dairy Strategies in Madison, with part-time teaching at Northeast Technical College in Green Bay.
Wiegand also did short-term international work with Dairy Strategies in Costa Rica and Holland, and with the Babcock Institute in Cyprus.
Wiegand brings considerable experience to farmers and residents of Northwest Wisconsin in dairy business planning, placement, and teaching.
He also has interests in international issues, historic preservation, land conservancy, and the environment in general. Wiegand travels, likes bicycling, and enjoys taking photographs. He said he is looking forward to serving his constituents in the tri-county area.
Wiegand joins area Agriculture Development Agent Kevin Schoessow. Their offices are located at the Spooner Ag Research Station, W6646 Hwy. 70 in Spooner. Wiegand can be reached by calling 800/528-1914 or 635-3506, or by emailing otto.wiegand@ces.uwex.edu.
