Board of Directors
Sarah Cope
President
LtCol, USMC Retired
Sarah is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps and a former federal employee whose career spans more than three decades of public service. While serving in the federal workforce, she was frequently mobilized and deployed to Iraq for 3 tours and Afghanistan for combat operations and humanitarian missions, experiences that sharpened her leadership and strengthened her resilience. Her dual career reflects a remarkable ability to balance civilian responsibilities with the demands of military service, always leading with discipline and care for others. In retirement, Sarah has turned her focus to farming, applying the same work ethic and sense of stewardship to the land that she brought to her service. She finds fulfillment in the rhythm of agricultural life while also volunteering her time at her children’s school running the gardening program. She values her time with her family, surrounded by her dogs and loved ones. Sarah continues to embody the principles of service, balance, and community that have defined her journey.
Mary Nachreiner
Treasurer
Col, USAF Retired
Mary is a retired Air Force Colonel who served 27 years, including 19 on active duty and 8 in the reserves. A board-certified trauma and emergency medicine nurse, she completed six wartime deployments to the Middle East, directing aeromedical missions and logging combat flight hours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her final assignment was as Chief Nurse at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the largest trauma center in Europe and the hub for stabilizing combat injuries before medical evacuation to the U.S. Returning to her family roots in Wisconsin, she and her partner, retired Army veteran Rob Hare, now manage an 80-acre certified organic farm. Together they raise Belted Galloway cattle, maintain 75 organic egg-laying hens, and sell grass-fed beef, maple syrup, honey, and elderberry-blossom tea. Their farm honors the legacy of her great-grandparents who first homesteaded the land in the mid-1800s. Mary holds a Bachelor’s in Nursing, a minor in Psychology, and a Master’s in Public Administration. Today, she is passionate about supporting fellow veterans in agriculture and sustaining Wisconsin’s farming traditions.
James Stansfield
Communication Director, Interim
National Guard Retired
James joined the Wisconsin National Guard at 17 as an Engineer and proudly served for 20 years, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and state missions supporting natural disaster response, before retiring in 2021. Now based in Madison with his wife and two children, he is pursuing his lifelong dream of farming, carrying forward the legacy of his family’s former farm in Hollandale, Wisconsin. James has completed training in permaculture and organic farming and currently raises chickens and bees at home while also producing maple syrup, mushrooms, fruits, and berries on family land in Watertown. Deeply committed to community and sustainability, he works to provide healthy food sources while restoring the land for future generations. Beyond farming, James is an active volunteer with the Wisconsin Farmer Veteran Coalition and expresses his creativity through art and pottery in his home studio.
Michelle Bachand
AgrAbility of Wisconsin Rep
Michelle joined the AgrAbility staff in May 2024, bringing with her a strong background in management and outreach. She holds a Management degree from Park University and has built an eclectic professional career shaped by more than two decades of relocating around the world with her military husband. Following his retirement, Michelle and her family have established permanent roots in Wisconsin, where she has devoted herself to supporting the agricultural community. She began her work with Extension in 2023 as a Farm Management Project Coordinator, then transitioned into her current role as AgrAbility and Tractor Safety Outreach Program Coordinator in 2024. Before joining Extension, Michelle gained valuable experience serving as County Support Specialist for Extension Dunn County for five years. Her work reflects a commitment to strengthening farm families and providing resources that enhance safety, management, and quality of life across Wisconsin agriculture.
Paul Dietmann
Compeer Representative
Paul is a senior lending specialist on the New Markets team at Compeer Financial, where he provides loans and guidance to emerging
market farmers across Wisconsin. He brings over 16 years of public service experience, having served as a county agriculture agent and department head with UW–Extension in Sauk County for 11 years, followed by five years as Director of the Bureau of Farm and Rural Services at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign with a degree in agricultural economics, Paul also earned a master’s degree in continuing and vocational education from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is co-author of Fearless Farm Finances: Farm Financial Management Demystified and has published extensively while teaching hundreds of workshops on farm management. Paul remains active in the agricultural community by serving on the advisory council for the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center and the advisory council for the VA FARMS project. He and his wife Julie live in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, where he is also working to return his own small farm to pasture production. Outside of work, he enjoys gardening, beekeeping, cooking, reading, and fishing.
Archie Morton
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Rep
Arch is a lifelong Rock County farmer, began his career with the resolve to rebuild his family’s dairy herd after a barn fire devastated their farm while he was studying at UW–Madison’s Farming and Industry short course. His call to service began in 1999 when he was elected to the LaPraire town board, where he still serves, and continued through two decades of leadership with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, including roles as Vice President, President, and currently District 2 Director for six counties. In these positions, Arch has advanced programs supporting Wisconsin farmers with insurance, advocacy, and leadership development, while also representing the Farmer Veteran Coalition of Wisconsin to honor and serve veterans entering agriculture. Though his family stepped away from dairy farming in 2008, Arch continues to raise corn, soybeans, and alfalfa on his farm east of Janesville. Away from his professional commitments, he enjoys bowling, softball, and his season tickets with the Green Bay Packers.
Tom Manley
Marbleseed Rep
Tom is the Climate and Conservation Director and Organic Conservation Specialist at Marbleseed (formerly MOSES), where he advances sustainable farming practices across the region. He and his wife own a 40-acre homestead farm near Spring Valley, Wisconsin, where they are developing a long-term system built around woody perennials, alley cropping, and grazing. Dedicated to both conservation and creativity, Tom hopes one day to earn the title of “Gentleman Farmer” as his farm continues to evolve. Away from his professional work, he enjoys running, winemaking, and woodworking, pursuits that reflect his commitment to balance, craftsmanship, and living close to the land.
Kevin Plante
DATCP Representative
Kevin serves on the staff of the Wisconsin Farm Center at DATCP, where he leads the Veteran Farmer Assistance and Outreach Program. In this role, he helps veterans pursue careers in agriculture by supporting business planning, connecting them with resources, and building partnerships with veteran organizations. He also works closely with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to coordinate the Veteran Farmer Marketing Logo, a program designed to highlight veteran-grown products. Outside of work, Kevin stays active in his community through the Lions Club and Habitat for Humanity. He also enjoys fishing, riding his motorcycle, and lending a hand on friends’ farms during planting and harvest season, keeping him connected to the land and the farming community he serves.
OPEN BOARD POSITIONS
Please contact James Stansfield if you would like to fill any of these vacancies. Email: farmerveterancoalitionwis@gmail.com.
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Member at Large
- Member at Large