Young NFU members with President Tom Buis at the 2008 Convention
There must be a voice to represent those who are working on the land, those who must deal with the swing of commodity and fuel prices, feeding families, and retaining ownership of working agricultural lands. The interests of farmers and ranchers, who don’t have the lobbying weight of the big 4 packers, must still be fairly represented when policies are being made (or not made). The National Farmers Union gives independent producers a voice in Washington. When we talk about Grass-fed Change on this blog, we always come back to the need for effective policy change and the work of the National Farmers Union has proved a devotion to active grassroots development of new policy through programs such as the Farm Bill Listening Sessions. They work on issues surrounding taxes, renewable energy, conservation, country of origin labeling, fair trade, and fair competition, among others. They take part in the crafting of the Farm Bill, and work to see that the laws created in the bill are enforced and regulated. This week, we were able to interview Liz Friedlander, the director of communication at the National Farmers Union, to find out more about how the NFU is helping to give small farmers a voice in our nation’s agricultural policy.
What historical conditions gave rise to the formation of the National Farmers Union?
National Farmers Union was founded in 1902 in Point, Texas, to help the family farmer address profitability issues and monopolistic practices while America was courting the Industrial Revolution.
How does the NFU assist producers in retaining ownership of their commodities further to the processing channel?
NFU passed a policy position in 2008 recognizing consumers’ increasing demand for fresh, source-verified, direct from the farm food. This is the fastest growing sector of the food industry and a win-win for both farmers and consumers. Many of the Farmers Union state organizations have embraced the idea as well. A few examples: North Dakota Farmers Union owns two restaurants in Washington, D.C. – Founding Farmers and Agraria – that specialize in local food; Kansas Farmers Union’s members sell their products to local school districts for school lunches; Missouri Farmers Union has formed Heritage Acres Pork, natural pork products direct from the farm and supplier of the Chipotle restaurant chain.
What are some major accomplishments in Washington that the NFU has made on the behalf of it’s members?
In 2008, NFU was a key player during the farm bill debate with several of our priorities, most notably the creation of a permanent disaster program and implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling, becoming law as part of the final bill. In years past, we have advocated for emergency disaster assistance which has resulted in billions of dollar to farmers who sustain losses as a result of natural disasters. We’re continuing to monitor USDA’s implementation of the new farm law to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture follows Congressional intent. NFU has also been a long-time advocate for increasing the use and production of renewable fuels and were the first agriculture organization to support establishing a national Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).
How does the NFU work to support co-ops, and how do the co-ops offer farmers and ranchers greater independence and control of their products and income?
NFU promotes rural economic and cooperative development by supporting existing agricultural co-ops and helping form new farmer co-ops and other rural businesses. The primary objective is to help family farmers and ranchers add value to the food, fiber and energy they produce. NFU assists producers to retain ownership of their commodity further into the processing channel and enhance market returns on their investment. By working together with other persons and groups, Farmers Union helps family farmers and ranchers advance their farm, ranch, co-op and community enterprises. We also advocated in strong support of the Value-Added Producer Grant program, included in the farm bill, which provides grant dollars to producers who wish to pursue creative strategies to add value to their raw commodities.
How can a small farmer benefit from being a part of the National Farmers Union?
NFU provides a voice for farmers, ranchers and their rural communities. The key to NFU’s success is our grassroots structure. All NFU policy is developed by our members, beginning at the local level, before being formally adopted by delegates to the organization’s annual convention. It is these policy positions that NFU staff and members advocate during visits with policy decision-makers both in Washington and across the country.
For more information about the National Farmers Union activity and commitments click on this link. Also, their check out their blog and gallery to see profiles of members and pictures from their events.
