NFU Blog

From NFU Summer Intern Kale Van Bruggen

On Tuesday, the three interns – Kale Van Bruggen, Mike Stranz and Tyler Fischer - were treated to lunch by Tom Buis and Katy Ziegler at North Dakota Farmers Union’s restaurant, Agraria, located on Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown waterfront.  We were very impressed with the upscale service at the restaurant as well as the “from our fields to your table” theme consistent with the entire dining experience. (more…)

Have you ever wondered about crop conditions around the country? Sure, you can learn about them on the news or look them up online - but now you can discover first-hand how America’s fields are doing from fellow Farmers Union members through our new Crop Conditions Blog.

What’s the catch? We need you to submit reports of how your crops are coming along. To do this:

1. Sign up for a Google account - it’s free!
2. Email your new Google username to us at nationalfarmersunion@nfudc.org
3. We’ll then activate your profile as a contributor to the blog and give you further instructions.

Good luck and happy blogging! Check out the blog today to see the first few entries.

**Thanks Minnesota Farmers Union member Tim Henning for the great idea!

Lila Watkins lives in Claremore, Okla., with her husband Ralph, and the couple has been happily married for 58 years. Both Lila and Ralph are lifetime members of Oklahoma Farmers Union. Lila has been very involved, but not in a typical way. She has attended local and state meetings, as well as a few national conventions, but Lila has also been the All-States Leadership Camp nurse for twenty years.

“To watch and follow the development of our young people throughout the country has been a great joy for me,” Lila said. “I am so grateful to be part of this organization and to be able to help our youth learn about Farmers Union.”

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When asked what activities and organizations she was involved with, Marge Kilkelly replied, “Oh, where to begin…”

In addition to New England Farmers Union, Marge rattled off several organizations including Knox Lincoln Soil Water Conservation District, Maine Farm Bureau, American Meat Goat Association, Empire State Meat Goat Association and Main Regulatory Fairness Board.

A Masters Degree in Community Economic Development is also under Marge’s belt. She uses her knowledge and skills off the farm for the Council of State Governments Eastern Region on agriculture and rural policy.

“Rural economic development should honor and celebrate the skills of rural people, not try to change them,” Marge said. “I have tried my best to stay true to that theory in my work.”

Marge also served in the Maine legislature, where she helped create The Northeast States Association for Ag Stewardship. After her term finished, she continued on the project as a staff person. Marge has also developed a free weekly e-newsletter, NSAAS News Gleanings, which covers news and issues from around the region. Click here to sign up!

“I am blessed to be able to work from my farm on regional ag policy and then walk out in the barn and live ag policy,” Marge said. “I think it helps keep me very pragmatic about the impact of public policy on the ability of farmers to earn a living.”

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Andrew Vetter grew up on a small family farm outside Linton, N.D., and eventually inherited the land from his parents without much contest when his three other brothers decided to leave farming. Andrew has been keeping the Vetter family tradition going strong for nine years, after his parents retired from the business.

Kristen became involved in farming when, well, she married a farmer. She has completely embraced farming as if she were born and raised on a farm, and works right alongside Andrew five days a week. The other two days, Kristen works off the farm for North Dakota State University Extension Service which aims to educate North Dakotans, emphasizing strengthening agriculture and developing the potential of youth, adults and communities.

The Vetters’ farm raises cattle, has a cattle feedlot and runs a small grains operation. The couple also used to own and operate a pumpkin patch and a corn maze for six years.

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Dan Moore grew up on a family farm, so when it came time for him to choose his career path, farming came quite naturally to him. Deciding to join Illinois Farmers Union at the age of 20 seemed to come almost as naturally as his decision to become a farmer. At the time, there was not a county chapter in Dan’s area, but he knew he wanted to become a part of the organization. He soon chartered the Tri-County chapter where he is currently the president.

“I joined Farmers Union because it is the only organization that helps keep farmers on the farm,” Dan explained. “I knew it was an organization I needed to be a part of.”

Over the years, Dan has stayed very active and involved in the ILFU state organization as well as his local chapter. He currently sits on the state board and served for three terms as the state secretary and treasurer. Dan has also been to several national conventions where he was awarded a Silver Star.

“National conventions are my favorite Farmers Union events because they bring together members from all over the country,” Dan said. “Everyone can meet and discuss their ways of living and farming, which I feel can be very interesting and beneficial in this industry.”

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Boyd Munns grew up in a small ranching community about eighty miles north of Salt Lake City. Today, he lives outside Garland, Utah – about half a mile from where he grew up – with his wife Sally and near his five children. Boyd has spent his whole life, nearly 82 years, in the area, aside from the few years he was in Europe serving America as part of the armed forces during World War II. Boyd’s whole life has been about agriculture, and his hard work and perseverance has passed onto his children and grandchildren.

When I asked Boyd what he does for fun, he simply replied, “I’ve done it my whole life – cultivating the land, raising cattle, breaking horses, hunting, fishing, cowboys, rodeos, spending time with my kids – agriculture is my life, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

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When asked why she became a part of Farmers Union, Nancy Matheson simply replied, “If you’re a farmer, you belong to Farmers Union.”

At least that’s why she joined with her family as a young girl. While she hasn’t changed her mind about the accuracy of that statement, she has stayed in the organization not because she’s supposed to, but because she believes in the mission and the people involved.

Nancy grew up on a wheat farm outside Conrad, a small farming community in north-central Montana. After college, and many years working in agriculture away from the farm, she returned to try her own hand at farming. She took over a section of the family farm, and survived three years by herself through one of the worst drought periods Montana has seen. During this time Nancy also transitioned the land to organic. She was also still working part-time for an agricultural non-profit and living in Helena, which was a 180 mile commute.

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Trevor Jensen, of Owatonna, Minn., will be attending NFU’s National Convention next week for the very first time. Trevor will also be serving as a delegate for Minnesota Farmers Union. Both Trevor and his wife Vicki are very involved in Farmers Union, and Trevor is excited to be attending the convention this year.

“I feel that it is vital for all members attending the convention take the opportunity to learn and understand the challenges that face other areas of the country so when we vote on policy we keep our minds open to the effects that those decisions have on everyone,” Trevor said.

Trevor was born and raised on a crop and livestock farm near Windom, Minn., where he lived until moving to Owatonna in 2002. After college, Trevor continued to farm with his father and brother while also working off the farm, but the family soon realized there was not enough land to support three families. Trevor decided to focus his efforts on his insurance career, and was thrilled to be able to use his insurance expertise to help other farmers at the Minnesota Farmers Union Insurance Agency. His father and brother continue to farm the family land, and Trevor loves returning home during the spring and fall to help with planting and harvesting, running equipment and hauling grain.

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The 2008 NFU Policy Committee, consisting of members from across the country, met in Washington, D.C., Jan 7-9 to consider changes and amendments to NFU’s policy. The committee will reconvene at convention March 2-4 to make final 2008 policy decisions. Their recommendations will be voted on by delegates to the convention before being adopted.

Susan Frazier, committee chairwoman, and her husband Richard, both grew up in farming and ranching families. They currently live in the Sandhills area of Nebraska, where they have owned a farm for more than 20 years. The Fraziers grow irrigated white corn and soybeans, and had a small cow-calf herd until a few years ago. The couple have two children. Susan has been an activist for family farm agriculture for many years and is honored to be this year’s Policy Committee chairwoman.

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