Jacob VandenPlas is a Wisconsin native, combat veteran, farmer, and community leader whose life has been defined by service. Born and raised in Abrams, Wisconsin, VandenPlas enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from Oconto Falls High School in 2002, going on to serve 13 years in the Wisconsin National Guard — including two tours to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After his military career, he channeled that same commitment into founding DC Farm for Vets, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting fellow veterans through agriculture and community. Now a farmer based in Sturgeon Bay, VandenPlas has built a reputation as a straight-talking advocate for working families, rural communities, and the men and women who have served this country. His priorities center on lowering the cost of living, strengthening family farms, expanding veteran care, and protecting constitutional freedoms — values shaped not by political ambition, but by a lifetime of real-world service.