2017 Legislator of the Year

Minnesota Milk’s 2017 Legislator of the Year, Senator Torrey Westrom, was given the honor during Minnesota Milk’s Dairy Conference and Expo November 28, 2017, at Treasure Island Resort and Casino.

Westrom has three children, is married, and graduated with a degree from Bemidji State University, and later from William Mitchell College of Law. He served on the federal Ticket to Work task force under President George W. Bush from 2002 to 2006. Torrey was also inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.

Back in his youth, he was the man on the hayrack, throwing bales of hay and straw for his dad.

Lately, Westrom has been the man doing the work for dairy farmers. Last year, he heard Minnesota Milk’s plead for processing capacity support and provided through value-added incentives, infrastructure in the city of Litchfield, and help with small milk trucks – all three bills passed and were signed by Governor Mark Dayton.

Senator Westrom has always been an advocate for agriculture, and kept the work ethic of someone born on a farm. In his first years in the legislature, elected at age 23, he ran a forage baling and rental property business, while attending law school at night. And he has done all this while being legally blind since age 14 due to a farm truck rollover accident.

During his time in the legislature, he’s served as vice chair of the Agriculture Policy and Transportation Policy Committees, Energy Committee Chair, and House Civil Law Committee Chair in the House. In the Senate, where he’s represented District 12 since 2012, Torrey serves as Chair of the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Committee.