Vice President Wertish to attend DOJ-USDA workshop on agriculture competition
St. Paul (March 9, 2010) - On Friday, March 12, Minnesota Farmers Union Vice President Gary Wertish will be attending the Department of Justice and the United States Department of Agriculture's workshop about competition and regulatory issues in agriculture. The workshop will be held in Iowa at the Des Moines Area Community College's FFA Enrichment Center.
"There is more and more concentration in agriculture these days, which threatens farm families and leads to less price at the farm gate for livestock and grain" said Gary Wertish, Minnesota Farmers Union Vice President. "Hopefully this workshop will be a first step in getting stricter restrictions on consolidation; more competition; and more price discovery for farmers and consumers."
MFU members heading to National Convention
(March 8, 2010) - Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members will be attending the National Farmers Union Convention in Rapid City, South Dakota March 14-16.
"This is where Minnesota Farmers Union members bring the issues that are important here in Minnesota to the national level and try to make them part of National Farmers Union policy," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.
MFU members attending are: Eunice and Robert Biel of Harmony; Sam and Norma Holmgren of Atwater; George and Bessie Klose of Atwater; Larry and Gina Jacobson of Hitterdal; Dave and Donna Johnson of Fergus Falls; Melvin Kinnunen of Menahga; Tom Schulz of Sebeka; Jim Stone of Canby; Sylvester Sanow of Minneota; Jerome Graff of Sanborn; Ron Seitz of Sleepy Eye; George and Dorothy Bowman of Blackduck; Ed and Lynn Jostock of Rochester; Merlyn and Sandy Hubin of Westbrook; Richard Moen of Clearbrook; Marvin and Marlys Jensen of Kensington; Alan and Karen Perish of Browerville; Brian Rohrenbach and Linda Larson of Rosemount; Tim and Bridget Henning of Adrian; and Allen and Elaine Torpet of Fertile. Doug Peterson, MFU President and Gary Wertish, MFU Vice President will also be in attendance. If you would like to speak with either of them, or anyone else attending, please call Katie Fitzsimmons, MFU Communications Director, 612.616.5252.
Members get face time at the State Capitol
St. Paul (March 1, 2010) - Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members from all around the state recently went to the State Capitol to discuss Farmers Union policy and the 2010 legislative session with legislators. Members also met with Attorney General Lori Swanson, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, and attended a House hearing on Governor Pawlenty's recommended budget for the Department of Agriculture.
"The opportunity for our members to speak directly to those who represent them in the State Legislature is so important because it gives the legislator a chance to hear directly from the constituents that are impacted by the votes they make," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President. "Minnesota Farmers Union is based on three principles - education, legislation and cooperation and our lobby days are an example of all three of those principles at work as we educate the legislators with what is happening to rural Minnesota, impacting the way they vote on legislation and promoting cooperation in order to get things done for the betterment of everyone. It is democracy at its finest."
Food, 2050 and beyond
(February 28, 2010) - Type the phrase "farmers feeding world" into Google's search engine and "about 15 million results" pop up in "0.12 seconds."
Some results may surprise American farmers who, in good old U-S-of-A modesty, may have thought they had been, were and will be feeding the world. Not so, suggests the hunter-gatherers at Google.
"Smallest Farmers Key to Feeding World's Poorest," claimed a headline in the Feb. 11 edition of Scientific American. "Women Farmers Feed the World," declared the Yonkers (NY) Tribune last Nov. 28. "Organic Farmers can feed the world!" shouted a recent newspaper article from India.
Americans farmers need not worry; all-well, some anyway-have a role in filling the global food cart; "U.S. Soybean Farmers Feeding the World," suggested the Jan. 27 issue of Iowa-Illinois Soybean Review.
Despite this muddy picture on whom and how the world will be fed, one fact seems clear: In the future, the world will be needed to feed the world.
And, of course, it will be a more populous world. According to the latest United Nations estimate, global population will reach 9.07 billion by 2050, or about one-third more than today's 6.8 billion. (Population will top 7 billion by 2012, says the UN.)
FFA youths receive Blue Jackets with help of MN Farmers Union
ST. PAUL (February 19, 2010) - Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) donated money to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Blue Jackets Bright Futures program. With MFU's donation, ten Minnesota youth were awarded a blue jacket.
Recipients of the jackets were: Samantha Bishop of Morgan; Paige Bourne of Clara City; Quincy Carter of Hancock; Michelle Covington of Belle Plaine; Rayann Locken of Long Prairie; Rachel Ourada of Redwood Falls; Rachel Shaffer of Leroy; Paige Strand of Herman; Patrick Wendinger of Morgan; and Rebecca Zander of Howard Lake.
"MFU strongly supports FFA and educating young farmers and future farmers, and this program is key for supporting youth involvement in agriculture," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President. "The blue jackets are a great way for the FFA kids to show their commitment and pride, and I commend them for their hard work. Minnesota Farmers Union is proud to have contributed."
In order to receive the jacket, individuals had to apply, and answer the following questions: why they felt they needed a jacket; how the jacket would help them make an impact; what they had done in FFA since becoming a member; and what their FFA future looked like. The essays were judged by state officials and board members.
Is it livestock’s turn to experience grain’s export turbulence?
(February 19, 2010) - To us there is a disconnect between agricultural export expectations in this country-particularly with regard to meats-and the stated intentions and market actions of China and Russia, which are the very countries being touted as US agriculture's export saviors. US producers are caught in the cross-hairs, hoping that those touting exports are correct and fearing that the rosy projections will once again come to naught.
Heather Thorstensen of AgriNews-Minnesota reports that at the recent Minnesota Pork Congress meeting, Nick Giordano, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) vice president and counsel for international affairs, "told attendees there is no greater money-making opportunity for US pork than China. 'Everything pales in comparison to China.' He said, calling it the 'mother load.'"
Pork exports to China sky-rocketed in 2008 as the Chinese prepared to feed the influx of foreign visitors attending the 2008 summer Olympics at the very time China's domestic pork production plummeted due to disease outbreaks and weather-related death losses.
Despite the ban on U.S pork imports over the H1N1 controversy imposed in 2009 and continued drug-related issues, U.S. short-term optimism apparently presumes elimination of the ban and return to the glory export days of 2008.
Exports: Agriculture’s holy grail
(February 12, 2010) - The farm media is all atwitter over the announcement by the Obama administration that they have set a goal of doubling US exports in five years. This will include help for farmers in boosting their exports.
You will have to pardon us if we don't get overly excited about the implications of this export initiative for US farmers.
The lure of a permanent export-driven prosperity has been the holy grail of agricultural producers since shortly after the first Europeans settled in what is now the US. Tobacco proved to be a profitable enterprise for early settlers until a burgeoning supply from the colonies exceeded the demand and prices plummeted.
Over the next three-and-a-half centuries, there were years of export-driven agricultural prosperity, no question about that. But for major commodities, it is equally true is that export volumes typically accelerate for a few years then level off, grow agonizing slow, or decline.
The years of sharp increases were often caused by external political events or decisions.
Farmers have a stake in the health care debate
(February 5, 2010) - The issue of universal-or near universal-health care has been in the news for much of the last year as the Obama administration has been seeking to fulfill a promise made on the campaign trail. The Senatorial election in Massachusetts, the State of the Union message, and the discussion between the President and the Republicans in Congress has forced a re-evaluation of how far health-care reform should go and what measures could be taken.
While health care issues take center stage about once every 20 years, it is an issue that we hear farmers talk about year-in and year-out. For many farmers, the concern is not universal coverage, it is their coverage and the coverage of their children who have come back to the farm or might be considering a return to farming.
This ongoing concern on the part of farmers caused us to think about the stake that farmers have in the current debate.
Some farmers or their spouses work for an employer who offers group health care coverage as a part of employment. At times, health care coverage is the primary reason for seeking off-farm employment and staying with it until Medicare kicks in.
NFU President Roger Johnson Discusses Sugar Programs
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson on CNBC discussing sugar programs
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1403833108&play=1
Priorities set for 2010 legislative session
ST. PAUL (February 4, 2010) - With grassroots input from its farmer-membership, Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) has set priorities for the 2010 legislative session. These include: protecting agricultural portions of the state budget, addressing property tax concerns, and promoting energy legislation. The 2010 legislative session begins Thursday February 4.
"This legislative session will be about the state's budget shortfalls and how we improve the economy and create jobs", said Doug Peterson, MFU President. "MFU will be working with our farmers to ensure that rural Minnesota is represented in those discussions."
Agriculture makes up a very small part of the states $36 billion budget, yet agriculture makes up somewhere between 20-30% of the jobs and wealth in Minnesota. MFU will work to make sure that cuts the state needs to make to address the over $1 billion budget deficit does not do undo harm to rural Minnesota and the farming sector. MFU will also work to ensure sound funding for food safety, energy, livestock, sustainable and organic programs, and continue our work toward eliminating bovine tuberculosis from Minnesota.
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Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) works to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. MFU is a nonprofit membership-based organization. Membership is open to farmers and non-farmers.
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Farmer's Share
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