Dennis Bangart Recipient of MACCI Agribusiness Committee Lifetime Achievement Award

Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 -- 8:00 AM

Dennis Bangart is the 2024 recipient of the MACCI Agribusiness Committee Lifetime Achievement award.

Dennis was taken from us November 1, 2023 as a result of complications related to his leukemia diagnosis, at the young age of 41. Dennis Bangart was employed as a VP Loan Officer at AgCountry Farm Credit Services where he enjoyed working with and educating farmers on their business decisions.

Dennis was also a partner in their family dairy farm south of Loyal known as Viaduct Holsteins. Dennis had an undeniable passion for dairy cattle and agriculture in general and wore this heart on his sleeve during activities.

Dennis's keen eye for cattle brought the herd into one of the top Large Herd BAA's in the country almost every year for the last decade. He really enjoyed selling starter project calves to area youth so he could watch them thrive and grow and have the same opportunities he had while growing up.

As a youth Dennis was named the Wisconsin Outstanding Holstein Boy and was a national Distinguish Junior Member finalist. Dennis grew up on the family farm in Auburndale, graduated as Salutatorian from Auburndale High School, was an active 4-H, FFA, and Jr Holstein member and was a graduate from UW-River Falls with a bachelor's degree in Dairy Science and Summa Cum Laude Honors.

Dennis could never say no to volunteer work, especially when it was related to supporting agriculture and youth projects; a passion that he developed as a youth and continued for his lifetime.

Dennis was a member of Wood County Holstein Breeders and past chairman of the State Show when held in Marshfield. He spent several years as chairman of the spring Purple Ribbon Classic Heifer Sale, breathing a change and evolved it into one of the premier show calf sales in the country today.

Dennis was a member of the Wood County Market Sale Committee, where he enjoyed watching youth thrive with their livestock projects and also volunteered his time helping with the Jr. Dairy Show at the CWSF to give back to exhibitors what he had been blessed to experience as a youth.

Dennis enjoyed being the MC for the Little Britches Show at the Clark Co Fair and was an active member of the Clark Co Dairy Promotion Committee. Dennis was a member of the Loyal FFA Alumni.

Dennis had the special privilege of being the Chairman for the 2018 Wood County Farm Technology Days Show - promoting community unity that built friendships locally that would last for a lifetime and return nearly a half million dollars of profit back to the community for agricultural and youth programs.

Dennis served on the Governor's Dairy Task Force 2.0 in 2019. Dennis was chairman of the MACCI Agri-Business Committee until the time of his diagnosis and was part of the development of the Power of Ag Tour for high school students, an event that showcased and promoted agricultural careers to several hundred youth each year.

Dennis had pure passion for agriculture and poured his heart into volunteering to observe the next generation create similar passions - he felt that "you just need to plant the seed and youth would grow."

He was a light and inspiration to all who loved & knew him. An agricultural scholarship is being planned in his name by the family. Accepting the award on his behalf is his wife Sara and other family members.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.