Dick Pavelski is owner of Heartland Farms, a major potato and vegetable grower in Wisconsin’s central sands region. The operation includes land first cultivated by Pavelski’s great-grandfather in 1873. Pavelski has served on the boards of several state and national agriculture organizations, including the Wisconsin Agribusiness Council and National Potato Council. He is the founder and president of the Food & Farm Exploration Center, which opened in December 2023 in Plover.