FU dudes totally down with keeping COOL

Former state representative Al Juhnke, now a Greater Minnesota-based aid for Senator Al Franken, has told the story more that once of driving on back roads in Central Minnesota looking for a Minnesota Farmers Union county chapter picnic during his first campaign.

When he and his wife thought them might be lost, they suddenly spotted a homemade sign that said "FU" with an arrow pointing in the right direction.

Latent Minnesota passive aggressive tendencies or just the best and most ribald acronym in the North Star state? You be the judge.

Bluestem's editor is a Farmers Union member and thus was pleased to read on the group's Facebook page:

Farmers Union pleased the U.S. District Court ruled on the side of consumers and their right to know where their food comes from. USDA can move forward on Country-of-Origin-Labeling (COOL).

Country of Origin Labeling is a sound, consumer-friendly policy that allows us to know where our food is grown or raised.

The MFU posted a link to the following press release with the Facebook note:

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today denied plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction that, if granted, would have blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from implementing and enforcing its revised Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations until a lawsuit filed July 8 is concluded.
“The judge’s ruling to deny the injunction on COOL regulations continues to reinforce NFU’s positive position on COOL. We have long supported COOL and the consumer’s desire to know where their food comes from. We are pleased that the packer-producer organizations and foreign interests’ attempts to thwart COOL have been denied. We are committed to defending COOL and will continue to do so throughout this legal process.

“I am thankful for the support of other organizations, our members and others who have supported the U.S. COOL Defense Fund. This undertaking has not been taken lightly and we appreciate those who have helped provide funding to ensure that we are represented in the most effective manner.”

NFU, along with the U.S. Cattlemen's Association, American Sheep Industry Association and the Consumer Federation of America, became intervenors in the lawsuit on Aug. 19, when the court entered an order granting their motion to intervene in full, permitting the groups to participate in the preliminary injunction hearing as well as the remainder of the litigation.

Photo: Where's the beef (from)? via Food and Water Watch.

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