Dennis C. Wolff

Dennis C. "Denny" Wolff (born September 9, 1951) is an American farmer, non-profit founder, and former public official who was the 2018 Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania's (new) 9th Congressional District.

Wolff is a former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, where he served in the cabinet of Governor Edward G. Rendell.

He is a fifth-generation Pennsylvania dairy farmer and began his own farming operation in 1970.

Wolff started in a rented farm with thirty-five Holstein cows and grew into an operation which spanned several farms and included over 500 Holsteins.

From 1970 through the early 2000s, Pen-Col Farms operated a dairy store just outside of Millville that sold fresh milk and other dairy products.

The store was noted particularly for their chocolate milk.

In the 1980s, Wolff took Pen-Col Farms international and entered the world market for fresh and frozen bovine embryos.

The farm has since shipped to over 30 countries.

The Pen-Col herd has received international accolades for their impact on the global Holstein breed.

The farm has bred 456 cows rated Very Good or Excellent, 54 Gold Metal Dams, and 122 Dams of Merit.

Pen-Col emphasizes breeding for superior performance as measured by protein yield.

In 1984, Wolff's youngest son, Nicholas, was born with biliary atresia, an extremely rare liver disease.

Nicholas spent the first two years of his life in and out of hospitals until receiving a life-saving liver transplant in 1986 at the University of Minnesota.

Once Nicholas returned home after his 1986 transplant, "the Wolff family, realizing the value of having a place to share their triumps and struggles, shared a dream to found a camp for chronically ill children."

Wolff donated the initial 35 acres of land to start the camp.

Through partnerships and an outpouring of community support, Camp Victory began construction.

Wolff received a Master Farmer award in 1994 and was appointed by Governor Ed Rendell as Pennsylvania's Secretary of Agriculture in 2003.

Wolff is the president and chairman of the board of directors of Camp Victory, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The camp is "A Special Camp for Special Kids."

In 1994, the camp hosted in first campers, when five groups brought 325 campers.

Since this time, Camp Victory's hosted over 30,000 overnight guests and counselors.

Camp Victory consists of 14 guest cabins, a dining hall, and a medical shed to address special health needs of campers, among other buildings.

Campers can utilize a nature center, fishing pond, zip line, arts & crafts building, chapel, sports pavilion, archery area, outdoor stage, baseball field, swimming pool, volleyball court, basketball court, game pavilion, wetlands preserve, climbing wall, and wheelchair-accessible tree house during their time at the camp.

Newly sworn-in Governor Ed Rendell appointed Wolff to be his Secretary of Agriculture, a cabinet-level appointment, in January 2003.

He was confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate later that year.

Wolff played a leading role in the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, the largest indoor agricultural exhibit in the United States.

After Wolff stepped down from his role as Secretary in 2009, Governor Tom Corbett signed state House Bill 1424 in 2011, making PA Preferred the permanent branding program of agricultural commodities produced in Pennsylvania.

Governor Corbett stated that "Buying PA Preferred products helps support farmers and local businesses that work to produce quality products, while making investments in local economies and keeping Pennsylvania growing. PA Preferred makes a difference."

He also implemented the "Blueprint to End Hunger," an initiative that brings together local, state, and federal government entities to engage the issue of hunger and food insecurity.

Wolff also founded the "PA Grows" program, which helps agribusinesses in Pennsylvania obtain low-rate financing necessary to begin, continue or expand their operations.

After the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the congressional map put in place in 2011, the Court crafted a new map to eliminate the gerrymandering of the previous version, and Columbia County was placed in the new 9th congressional district.

Wolff is also the founder and president of The Nicholas Wolff Foundation, a non-profit which operates as Camp Victory.

Camp Victory is a summer camp for chronically ill children and their families.

Wolff is the owner of Pen-Col Farms, based in Millville, Pennsylvania.

In 2014, the agriculture sector contributed over $8.1 billion to Pennsylvania's economy.

In 2016, one out of every seven jobs in the state were related to agriculture and 7.72 million acres of land in the state were used for agricultural purposes.

During his time leading the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Wolff implemented several key programs intended to promote the agriculture industry.

He founded the Center for Dairy Excellence, which "was created to develop and support programs for both the Center for Dairy Excellence and other Pennsylvania dairy organizations which educate, cultivate, and inspire a thriving and sustainable Pennsylvania dairy industry."

Wolff implemented the "PA Preferred" program, a branding program to promote Pennsylvania agricultural products.

On October 12, 2017, Wolff, a Columbia County dairy farmer, announced his candidacy for Congress.