Can't make it to this year's exciting convention? Stay up-to-date with daily posts on our blog during the event!

 

On Feb. 21, NFU sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel commending them for their leadership on legislation that would spur production of clean, renewable energy from wind and biomass. The legislation would also generate billions of dollars in investments in rural America.

 

NFU President Tom Buis said of the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, "Not only does fostering renewable energy provide the opportunity for energy independence, it also provides a source for rural economic development that will significantly jump-start rural economies. Two provisions of this bill, extending the Production Tax Credit and authorizing funds for the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, are essential."

 

The legislation would extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for three years and expands the successful Renewable Fuels Standard first adopted by Congress in 2005. NFU is urging all House members to support the bill when it is brought to the floor.

 

Read the letter.

Read our release.

 

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.

 

Continue reading Trevor's story.

 

 

Nearly 70 students from 11 states visited the Twin Cities Feb. 14 - 17 to learn about cooperatives. The students participated in the College Conference on Cooperatives, hosted by National Farmers Union Foundation through a cooperative education grant from CHS Foundation.

 

"This is an opportunity for Farmers Union and the cooperative community of the Upper Midwest to teach young adults about cooperatives, to show them that there are great careers in the field and to teach them the history and philosophy of cooperatives in our communities," said conference coordinator and Wisconsin Farmers Union Education Director Cathy Statz. "Farmers Union has a strong commitment to providing cooperative education not only to our own members, but also to the general public and especially to young people."

 

College students and professors from Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Montana, Washington, Ohio and Colorado participated in the conference. In addition to hearing presentations from cooperative leaders, participants saw co-ops in action through visits to CHS headquarters, local housing co-ops, worker co-ops, retail co-ops and natural food co-ops. They learned about traditional and value-added agricultural cooperatives, as well as perspectives from electric co-ops, consumer co-ops, credit unions and international cooperative development organizations.

 

South Dakota Farmers Union celebrated 2007's successes, honored its leaders and looked to the future of family farming at its 93rd annual convention Feb. 15 - 16 in Huron.

 

Several distinguished speakers addressed the members, focusing their comments on the pending farm bill and the importance of renewable energy development. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., highlighted the need for higher blend rates of ethanol, saying, "Ten percent ethanol is what's in the pump today...but we need to get the blend rates raised, nationally. Not just to ten percent, but at twenty percent, maybe up to thirty percent."

 

Gov. Mike Rounds was also on hand to update SDFU members on timely legislative issues, particularly property tax reform. NFU President Tom Buis and SDFU President Doug Sombke highlighted the past year's successes and looked ahead to another profitable year for South Dakota's family farmers.

 

During the event, Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., was honored with the Farmers Union Meritorious Serive to American Agriculture Award. Johnson was present to accept his award, remarking, "My doctors saved me from near death and gave me a second chance at life. I intend to use that second chance to work even harder for the people of South Dakota, to work harder for you, because you deserve it."

 

Sombke remarked on the successful event, "I think this was an excellent convention. The discussion panels were well-attended, with great participation from our members. It has been several years since the South Dakota governor addressed our convention, so we were honored to have Gov. Rounds here, as well as Sens. Thune and Johnson. Having both our senators at the convention, expressing their concerns for completing the farm bill before the March 15 deadline was good news to us."

 

Have NFU news you want to share? Send any info about meetings, conventions, state fairs, individual members' success, state government news, or anything else relevant to NFU and its members to Amber Birtcher.

Each week we include the Farmer's Share in the e-newsletter - what do you think of it?

 

View a printable version of Farmer's Share.

 

Taken from "Agricultural Prices," USDA/NASS.

Taken from "Agricultural Prices," USDA/NASS.