MFU can do: ag group passes policy and special orders at 2010 state convention

 I'm at the Minnesota Farmers Union convention--I'm my county president--which is wrapping up in Minneapolis. Here's a press release about the event :

The Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) held its 69th 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.

A distinguished list of speakers addressed the delegates during the convention and banquet, including: Senator Amy Klobuchar; Senator Al Franken; Governor-elect Mark Dayton; Representative Tim Walz; Colleen Landkamer, State Director of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development; Katy Ziegler Thomas of Growth Energy spoke about E15 and other ethanol issues; Tom Davenport, Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Director; Chandler Goule, National Farmers Union Vice President of Government Relations; Chandler Winkels of the National Youth Advisory Council; and Linda Hennen, State Executive Director with the Farm Service Agency.

Several awards were given out at the banquet Saturday night, including the Lifetime Family Achievement Award to Bessie and George Klose of Atwater; the Friend of Minnesota Farmers Union award to William Nelson of CHS; the Outstanding Leadership Award to Allen and Elaine Torpet of Fertile; and the Outstanding Agricultural Reporting Award to Janet Kubat Willette of AgriNews.

Minnesota Farmers Union (www.mfu.org) is a nonprofit membership-based organization working to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers, as well as rural communities.

Photo: My friend Clara Sandberg, who has been working with urban children on food education, gives a thumbs up approval to the MFU auction after last night's banquet.

And yes, MFU is the best acronym ever.

Comments

[Phoenix Woman]

Thanks for the report, Sally. This is the classic example of the sort of event that is of extreme importance in regard to how things get done, yet aside from BSP there wasn't very much coverage of it.