FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2015
Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106
ajerome@nfudc.org
WICHITA, Kan. (March 17, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) concluded its 113th Anniversary Convention today in Wichita, Kansas. The four-day event drew more than 480 family farmers, ranchers and fishermen from across the country and featured a number of high-profile speakers, workshops and grassroots policymaking.
“Our convention theme, ‘Driving the Future of Agriculture,’ aptly describes what happened here this week,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “NFU members not only heard from key policy makers, but were personally involved in shaping future policy for American agriculture that will make family farmers and ranchers more successful while they continue to be the best stewards of our nation’s lands,” said Johnson.
Highlights of the convention included a keynote address from United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Dr. Temple Grandin, whose movie was screened for participants eager to see it.
But the heart and soul of this convention, like every convention, were the nuts and bolts of policy making, whereby NFU delegates from across this great nation debate and vote on driving the future of agriculture.
“As always, NFU delegates took the policy discussion and adoption process very seriously, considering the needs of family farmers and ranchers and planning the best path forward for them and the future of American agriculture,” said Johnson.
Johnson, NFU president, and Donn Teske, Kansas Farmers Union president and NFU vice president, will both remain in their respective offices until their terms expire in 2016.
Delegates to the convention adopted 6 special orders: Family Farming and Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL); Family Farming and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS); Family Farming and Transparency in Livestock Markets; Family Farming and Cotton in the 2014 Farm Bill; Family Farming and Trade Policy; Family Farming and Animal Disease Protection and Research.
Full text of the adopted policy manual will be available soon at www.nfu.org.
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
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