Montana Farmers Union (MFU) President Alan Merrill and 14 MFU members traveled to the National Farmers Union convention in Santa Fe, NM, which was held March 8-11, 2014.
In addition to Merrill, the group included six delegates who helped shape the direction of the organization’s national public policy. Delegates included Brett Dailey, Jordan, MFU board representative; Calvin Lane, Molt, MFU board representative; Jay Buckley, Great Falls; Jacob Cowgill, Power; Kristie Rutledge, Big Sandy; and Maggie Shane, Great Falls, youth delegate. William Downs, Molt, served as Montana’s representative on the NFU Policy Committee.
Other MFU members joining President Merrill at the convention include: Donna Dailey, Jordan; Katie and Jeff Bangs, Inverness, FUE Young Couple representatives; and Paul Kanning, Flaxville, NFU Beginning Farmer Institute participant. Attending from the MFU state office were Delisa Clampitt, MFU Education Director; and Chris Christiaens, MFU Legislative and Special Projects. Violet Green, Carter, also attended as a member of the National Youth Advisory Council.
“Every year we look forward to helping shape the policy discussion at the national organizational level,” said Merrill. “There were great presentations and workshops, including U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who talked about the important aspects of the Farm Bill that are yet to be implemented.”
Special Orders of Business adopted at the convention included policy statements on the International Year of Family Farming, Implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill, Immigration Reform, Trade Policy, Animal Disease Protection and Research, Renewable Fuel Standard, Reform of the Beef Checkoff, and Sequestration. More detail on the Special Orders is available at http://www.nfu.org/policy-nfu/special-orders-of-business.
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