Minnesota Farmers Union

ST. PAUL (November 29, 2010) – Dean Pederson of Gary; Dolores Windingstad of Dawson; Alan Teich of Pine City; and Brian Rohrenbach of Rosemount were elected to represent Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) at the National Convention in San Antonio, Texas, March 13-15.  They were elected by other MFU members from their area, at the MFU state convention.

 “These delegates know the Minnesota Farmers Union policy, and will be a great advocate for that policy at the national convention,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.  “I congratulate all of them on their election and I look forward to working with them on behalf of family farmers and rural communities in Minnesota.”

Delegates to the National Convention will be advocating for the following priorities: the continuation of programs in the 2012 farm bill that are effective, especially those that help during difficult times; disaster assistance to farmers - money will be extremely tight for agriculture initiatives, so it is essential that the farm bill uses resources efficiently to protect farmers and ranchers from economic instability; and extensions of both the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the Biodiesel Tax Credit.

ST. PAUL (November 21, 2010) – The Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) held its 69^th annual state convention on Saturday, November 20 and Sunday, November 21.  Policy and special orders were passed, and delegates for the National Convention in San Antonio, Texas in March were elected.

This policy is what MFU, as an organization, fights for in the upcoming year.  Special orders passed by the delegates include: support of the proposed new rules to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), which would lead to less consolidation and manipulation of the marketplace; since MFU is a strong supporter of biofuels, delegates urged Congress to pass extensions of both VEETC and the Biodiesel Tax Credit; and guidelines for the 2012 farm bill were outlined for the new Congress.

“The reason Minnesota Farmers Union works is because we have a dedicated and thoughtful group of members who realize the importance of passing grassroots policy that is good for the future of family farmers and rural communities,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.

St. Paul (March 26, 2010) - Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) supports federal legislation that would extend the 45-cents per gallon Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the tariff on imported ethanol until 2015.

"In Minnesota, the ethanol industry provides about $6 billion for our economy and about 26,000 jobs," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.  "That is why passing this legislation is so important to continue the development and production of ethanol and support our local economy."

The tax credit is set to expire at the end of 2010.  This legislation would extend the tax credit for small producers, and also extend a tax credit for producing cellulosic ethanol, the second generation of ethanol.  Representative Collin Peterson and Representative Tim Walz are cosponsors of this bill.