LA VISTA, Neb. (March 8, 2012) – National Farmers Union (NFU) concluded its 110th Anniversary Convention yesterday after four days of speakers, breakout sessions, tours, and policy discussion. More than 500 Farmers Union members from across the country attended the event.
“Convention is the most important even of the year for Farmers Union, because it is where our members determine our policy for the coming year,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “It is particularly important that we focus on our top priorities this year, since we will be writing the next farm bill and be doing so under significant budgetary constraints.”
Farmers Union delegates re-elected President Roger Johnson and Vice President Claudia Svarstad and passed special orders of business relating to investment priorities in the 2012 Farm Bill, the Market-Driven Inventory System, Country-of-Origin Labeling, dairy, beginning farmer programs, the beef checkoff, and cuts to rural U.S. Postal Service offices. Members heard from numerous speakers, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Reps. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., and Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis.
Convention attendees also had the opportunity to attend breakout sessions on topics such as using charitable donations to create tax savings, beginning farmers and ranchers, dairy, the Market-Driven Inventory System (MDIS), farm safety, grassroots advocacy, Farmers Union’s place in global agriculture, gaining access to credit, renewable energy and climate policy, and the roles of women in agriculture and philanthropy.
“The farm bill is a complex piece of legislation that affects so many portions of the agriculture industry,” said Johnson. “We had breakout sessions and speakers to discuss various components of the bill to help educate our members on the different aspects of it. This allowed them to make more informed choices as they discussed organizational policy.”
The convention also featured agricultural tours and the “Evening for Education” gala, an event to support the educational efforts of the NFU Foundation.
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