Minnesota Farmers Union

ST. PAUL (July 17, 2012) – Mitchell Farmer-Lies, son of Tim Lies and Kathy Farmer of Belle Plaine was elected to serve on the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC).

NYAC is made up of six youths who were elected by over 70 of their peers from across the country at the NFU All-States Leadership Camp in Bailey, Colorado.  Those Minnesotans attending the All-States Leadership Camp are youths who have completed four years of Minnesota’s Senior High Camp and have shown dedication to working in a cooperative manner with a commitment to bettering themselves through education and leadership.

St. Paul (March 8, 2012) – Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members return from the National Farmers Union (NFU) Convention held in Omaha, Nebraska. 

“The National Farmers Union Convention is important because it is a great display of grassroots policy-making,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President. “National Farmers Union members from throughout the country decide policies important to farmers, and give direction to Congress.”

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.  You can view each Special Order here, http://nfu.org/policy-nfu/special-orders-of-business.

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.

ST. PAUL (August 2, 2011) – Young adults from across the country spent a week in Bailey, Colorado July 10-16 at National Farmers Union (NFU) All-States Leadership Camp. Leaders in the Farmers Union youth program came together at the NFU Education Center to take part in cooperative activities and listen to several inspirational speakers. The camp was themed “Know Yourself, Know Your Options,” and included presentations by William Nelson, president of CHS Foundation, and Brittany Jablonsky and Jan Ahlen, NFU government relations representatives. 

“The world is run by people who show up,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Of the people who show up, there is a special elite group of people who end up being leaders. Those folks are like those who have gone to All-States Camp. All of those businesses and organizations are as good as their leadership and their leadership is only as good as those who show up at the meetings and are active at the meetings." 

St. Paul (March 17, 2011) – Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members return from the National Farmers Union (NFU) Convention held in San Antonio, Texas.  

“The focus of the National Farmers Union Convention is NFU policy. It is the platform that we place in front of Congress to represent family farmers,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President. “In true grassroots fashion, each state delegate has an opportunity to represent family farmers from their state to ensure every Farmers Union member has a voice.” 

Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members will be attending the National Farmers Union (NFU) Convention in San Antonio, Texas March 13-15.  

“The National Farmers Union Convention is important because it is a great display of grassroots policy-making,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President. “All the Farmers Union states get together and push for policies their states deem important to get in the National Farmers Union policy. It is farmer-made and farmer-lead policy-making at its finest!” 

Minnesotans attending:

Trevor Jensen of Owatonna is on the National Farmers Union policy committee, which has the task of sorting through all resolutions passed at the many state conventions throughout the NFU organization. The Committee forms a working document, which will be debated and passed at the convention. 

Chandler Winkels-Muff of New Richland will be attending as part of the National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC).  He was one of only eight people elected by his peers to be on NYAC. Chandler will make a presentation to the entire convention body, and help plan next year’s NFU All-States Leadership Camp.