By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
Beloved Janesville farmer and community leader Alfred Trahms was honored posthumously as a distinguished leader in Waseca County Agriculture during the annual Farm and City Luncheon Thursday, March 16.
Each year Waseca County recognizes a deceased leader who dedicated his or her life to the advancement of agriculture in the county.
When Trahms passed away in 1984 at the age of 74, he left behind a legacy of hard work and dedication to family and public service. Trahms, along with his wife Dorothy, raised eight children while running a successful farm just south of Janesville. He focused on hogs, corn, and soybeans, and later turned over operations to his sons. Under his leadership, the farm grew in both size and productivity.
Trahms was known throughout the area for not only his farming skills, but also his acumen as a leader. In the early 1960s, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Janesville Creamery Association and then served as Chairman of the Board before retiring in 1974. He was also named to the Governor’s Board of Land O’ Lakes from 1966 to 1976.
Janesville residents also benefited from Trahms’ commitment to public service, as he served on the Janesville Public School Board from 1960 to 1978, serving as treasurer, and on the Waseca County Zoning and Planning Commission from 1968 – 1978.
Trahms was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church and served in many leadership positions throughout the years.
“Few farmers have given more leadership to this county and perhaps the state than Alfred Trahms,” the Farm and City program read. “His long-time, diversified leadership exceeded industry standards at all levels.”
Trahms has left behind a strong legacy. His grandson Jae Trahms accepted the award on behalf of the Trahms family. Jae, a 2016 graduate of JWP, said he didn’t have the chance to know his grandfather, but family members had assured him: “It’s true what we heard today.”