Term of Appointment: May 2018 – May 2025
cris.peterson@wisconsin.edu
(715) 463-5799
Cris Peterson is a dairy farmer and writer from Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she earned a B.S. in Education from the University of Minnesota before marrying her husband, Gary, and moving to the farm. In partnership with their son, Ben, they have operated Four Cubs Farm near Grantsburg for the past 45 years. They milk 1000 cows with 16 robots. The farm has been in the Peterson family since 1877.
Peterson has written twelve books for children. She also wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column on literacy for Universal Press for eight years. An overriding theme of all her work involves proactively promoting agriculture and working to overcome public misperceptions about how food is produced.
Peterson has chaired Wisconsin’s Dairy 2020 Council, has served on the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association board, the International Dairy Foods Association advisory board, and was named the 2004 National Dairywoman of the Year. Currently she serves on Burnett Dairy Cooperative’s board of directors, is president of Grantsburg’s scholarship foundation, and is treasurer of Grantsburg Revitalization Operation, working to develop strategies to revitalize her community.