SAINT PAUL – National Farmers Union (NFU) and Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) mourn the passing of David Velde, a long-time Farmers Union leader and General Counsel for the organizations.
Velde, 74, of Alexandria, died June 26.
Dave’s connection to Farmers Union ran deep. He grew up in a Farmers Union family and was the director of public affairs for Minnesota Farmers Union before serving as NFU and MFU General Counsel. He presided over countless member-driven policy-setting deliberations and provided steady counsel to the organization for decades. Dave also co-managed his firm, Velde Moore, Ltd., where he practiced law alongside his wife, Brenda Velde.
“Dave Velde was a gifted counselor in the fullest sense: sharp enough to see every angle of a difficult problem, and human enough to know it often took a little lighthearted banter to get through a tense debate. That skill was never more evident than at our national convention, where he chaired the grassroots policymaking process that is at the heart of this organization; he made sure every delegate felt heard even in disagreement,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “His legacy will endure as a steady, trusted steward within Farmers Union — one who helped reshape how we deliver results for the people we serve and our partners around the world. The wit and warmth he brought into every room will be impossible to replace. We are a stronger organization for his service, and I am a better person for having worked beside him.”
“Dave Velde spent his entire career championing family farmers and rural communities,” said MFU President Gary Wertish. “He advocated for policies that supported family farmers as director of public affairs for Minnesota Farmers Union, deputy commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and board member for the Minnesota Rural Finance Authority. He served as General Counsel for the Minnesota Farmers Union and the National Farmers Union (NFU). He was the voice of the Minnesota Farmers Union State Convention for decades, skillfully guiding the policy debate with both humor and purpose. He also presided over policy debate at the WFU and NFU annual conventions and the World Farmers Organization general assemblies, where he previously served as a board member.
“On behalf of all Farmers Union members, I offer my deepest sympathy to the Velde family as I join them in celebrating Dave and the many contributions he made to family farm agriculture in Minnesota, the United States and around the world,” Wertish said. “He will be sorely missed.”
NFU and MFU extend their deepest condolences to Velde’s family and to the many Farmers Union members and staff whose lives he touched through decades of dedicated service.
An obituary can be found online at https://www.andersonfuneral.net/obituaries/dave-velde
