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PREAMBLE. 8
ARTICLE I - Agricultural Programs for the Family Farm 10
A. National Food and Fiber Policy. 10
B. General Program Provisions. 11
1. Measure of Economic Equity. 11
2. Directing Benefit Protection to Family Farms. 11
3. Providing a Safety Net 12
4. Establishing a Farm Viability Program for Family Farms. 13
5. Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. 13
C. Dairy, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fishing. 15
1. Dairy Policy. 15
a. Domestic Dairy Policy. 15
b. Market Order Reform.. 16
c. International Dairy Trade. 16
d. Milk Protein Concentrate/Ultra-Filtered Milk Products. 17
e. Consumer Protection. 18
2. Livestock. 18
a. Animal Welfare. 18
b. Livestock and Livestock Product Imports. 18
c. Consumer Protection. 19
d. Livestock Health. 19
e. State Animal Identification. 21
f. National Animal Identification. 21
g. Aquaculture, Fishing and Alternative Livestock. 22
D. Labeling of Commodities and Commodity Products. 23
1. Country-of-Origin Labeling. 23
2. Labeling of Food Products. 24
3. Labeling of Dairy Products. 25
4. Nutrition Labeling. 25
E. Commodities. 25
1. Wheat, Feed Grains, Oilseeds, Rice and Cotton. 25
2. Other Program Commodities (wool, mohair, honey, pulse crops, etc.) 26
3. Tobacco. 27
4. Peanuts. 27
5. Sugar 28
6. Tree Farms and Forestry. 28
7. Specialty Crops. 28
8. Honey/Pollination. 29
F. Agri-Tourism.. 30
G. Risk Management 30
1. Livestock Producer Assistance. 30
2. Crop Insurance. 31
3. Risk Management Education. 33
H. Farm Program Administration. 33
1. Farmer-Elected Committees. 33
2. Natural Resources Conservation Service. 34
3. Improved Marketing Mechanisms. 34
I. Special Agricultural Policies and Services. 34
1. Farm Labor 34
2. Safety of Farmers and Farm Workers
3. Storable Commodities Producer Protection
a. Federal Warehouse Act
. 36
a. Federal Warehouse Act. 36
b. Ag Merchandiser or Supplier Bankruptcies and Receiverships
c. Commodity Basis
36
4. Agricultural Census 36
5. Commodity Research and Promotion Programs. 37
6. Grain Standards. 38
7. Grain Inspection. 39
8. Perishable Commodities. 39
9. USDA’s Information Mandate. 40
10. National Organic Standards. 40
11. Genetically Modified Organisms and Biotechnology. 41
12. Plant Variety Protection Act 42
13. UN Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. 42
14. Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory. 43
ARTICLE II - Agriculture Competition and Concentration 44
A. Competition and Antitrust 44
B. Livestock Market Reform.. 45
C. Production Contracting. 46
ARTICLE III - International Trade, Cooperation and the Family Farm 48
A. Agricultural Trade Negotiations. 48
B. Trade Promotion Authority (Fast Track) 50
C. Unfair Trade Practices. 51
D. Health and Inspection Standards for Food and Fiber Imports. 51
E. China Trade. 51
F. International Food Assistance. 52
G. World Farmers Organization (WFO) 52
H. Policies Toward Developing Nations. 52
I. Farmer and Farm Youth Educational Exchange Program.. 53
ARTICLE IV - Credit and the Family Farm.. 54
A. Farm Service Agency (FSA) Credit Programs. 55
B. Farm Credit System.. 56
C. Cooperative Financing. 57
ARTICLE V - Farm Cooperatives and the Family Farm 58
A. Cooperative Law.. 58
B. Rochdale Principles. 58
C. Additional Principles. 59
D. Teamwork of Farmers Union and Cooperatives. 61
E. CHS. 61
ARTICLE VI - Water and Land Policy, Conservation and the Family Farm 62
A. Objectives of a Comprehensive Land Policy. 62
B. Prohibition of Foreign Ownership of Farmland, Commercial Fishing Privileges and Disclosure. 62
C. Land Transfer 63
D. Public Lands. 63
E. Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. 65
F. Forest Health. 65
G. Water Quantity and Quality. 66
1. Water Quantity Distribution. 66
2. Water Quality Protection. 67
H. Air Quality. 69
I. Animal Feeding Operations (AFO) 69
J. Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) 70
K. Pesticide and Herbicide Regulation. 71
L. Fertilizer Regulations. 72
M. Infestation Control 72
N. Noxious Weeds. 73
O. Controlled Field Burning. 73
P. Owner Rights. 73
Q. Eminent Domain. 73
R. Zoning. 74
S. Farming Operations. 75
T. Climate Change and Carbon Sequestration. 75
U. Conservation. 76
1. Land Retirement and Easement Programs. 78
2. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 78
3. National Buffer Strip Initiative. 79
4. Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) 80
5. Conservation Land Diversion. 80
6. Sodbuster and Swampbuster Provisions. 80
7. Wetlands. 81
V. Predator and Rodent Control 81
W. Endangered Species. 82
X. Army Corps of Engineers. 82
Y. Nuclear, Radioactive and Toxic Wastes. 83
Z. Surface Mining. 83
ARTICLE VII – Energy and the Family Farm.. 84
A. National Policy. 84
B. Distribution. 84
1. Petroleum Supply. 84
2. Electricity and Deregulation. 85
3. Economic Assistance. 86
4. Public Ownership of Power Marketing Agencies and Power Generators. 86
5. Hydroelectric Power 86
6. Pipelines. 87
C. Development of Renewable Energy and Fuels from the Farm.. 87
1. Priorities. 87
2. Ethanol 90
3. Renewable Fuels Standard. 91
4. Biodiesel 92
5. Wind Energy. 92
6. Solar Energy. 93
7. Cooperative Demonstrations. 93
8. Flex Pumps. 94
D. Environmental Precautions in Energy Production and Use. 94
1. Fuel Storage Tanks. 94
2. Waste Products. 94
3. Hydraulic Fracturing
. 94
E. Landowner Rights in Natural Resource Project Development 95
ARTICLE VIII - Economic Regulation and the Family Farm 97
A. Federal Budget Reform.. 97
B. Money and Credit Policy 97
C. Bank Regulation. 97
D. Credit Unions. 98
E. Estate and Gift Tax Policy. 98
F. IRS Tax Code 1031 Exchanges. 98
G. Income Tax Reforms. 99
H. Taxation. 99
I. Tax Credit 100
J. Commodity Futures. 100
ARTICLE IX - Rural Development and the Family Farm 102
A. Rural Community Development 102
B. Transportation. 103
1. U.S. Highway Trust Fund. 103
2. Truck Transportation. 104
3. Rail Transportation. 104
a. Rail Service. 104
b. Certificates of Transportation (COT) 106
c. Safety. 106
C. Port Development, Shipping Policy. 106
D. Air Transportation. 107
E. Rural Utilities. 107
1. Telephone Deregulation. 107
2. Electric Services. 108
3. Telecommunications. 108
4. Rural Access to Technology and Information. 108
F. Small Business Development 109
1. Industrial Development Bonds. 109
2. Small Business Policy. 109
3. Enterprise Facilitation. 109
ARTICLE X - Quality of Life in Rural America. 110
A. Health Care. 110
1. Health Care Coverage, Access and Care
2. Prescription Drugs
. 110
2. Prescription Drugs.. 111
3. Medicare and Medicaid. 112
4. Veterans’ Rights. 112
B. Education. 112
1. Public Research. 114
2. National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 115
C. Social Security. 115
D. People with Disabilities. 116
E. Employment, a National Priority. 116
F. Immigration Policy
G. Expanding Opportunities for Senior Citizens. 116
H. Food and Nutrition Programs. 117
1. Administration of Food and Nutrition Programs. 117
2. Food Stamps and Food Banks. 118
3. Child Nutrition Programs. 118
I. Nutrition Monitoring 118
J. Food Safety 119
1. Regulatory Authority. 119
2. Food Safety Standards. 119
3. Agri-terrorism.. 120
K. World Food Day. 120
L. Housing. 120
M. Liability Insurance. 121
. 121N. Consumer Protection
O. Campaign Finance and Elections. 121
1. Campaign Finance. 121
2. Elections and Elected Officials. 122
P. U.S. Freedom and Liberties. 122
Q. Fairness Doctrine. 122
R. Postal Service. 122
S. Rural Emergency Services and Management Planning. 123
T. State Legislative Districts. 123
ARTICLE XI - Family Farmers and Their Organization 125
A. Educational Activities. 125
1. Seminars and Workshops. 125
2. Farmers Union Youth Programs. 125
3. Farmers Union Young Farmer Program.. 126
4. Farmers Union Center 126
B. Communications. 126
C. Farmers Union Legislative Budget Fund. 126
D. Political Effectiveness. 127
E. Membership Expansion. 127
F. Membership Budget Information. 127
G. Farmers Union and Related Services. 127
H. Cooperation with Religious Organizations. 128
I. Cooperation with Other Organizations. 128
Special Order of Business – Market-Driven Inventory System and the Farm Bill 129
Special Order of Business – The 2012 Farm Bill: Investing in Rural America 130
Special Order of Business – Country-of-Origin Labeling and the World Trade Organization. 134
Special Order of Business – Dairy Policy Reform.. 135
Special Order of Business – Fast-Track Trade Authority. 137
Special Order of Business – Beef Checkoff and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board 138
Special Order of Business – Beginning Farmer Programs. 139
Special Order of Business – United States Postal Service 140
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