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National Farmers Organization

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528 Billy Sunday Road Suite 100

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Ames, IA 50010

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800.247.2110

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National Farmers' Market to the Max Convention a success

National Farmers' Market to the Max national farm business convention in Milwaukee, Wis., Jan. 14-17, members voted in support of key provisions for a new farm bill, elected its top leaders for the next four years and conducted several important farm-business workshops, including CWT-What's Next?

National Farmers members expressed their desire for a final farm bill that includes dairy legislation favoring:

Extending the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program through the farm bill's full term, with a payment rate increase
Increasing the price support of milk to $16 per hundredweight to help cover rising energy and feed prices
Full implementation of country of origin labeling (COOL), on all food products
Creation of a Special Counsel for Agricultural Competition at the Agriculture or Justice Department
The prohibition of large packer ownership of livestock within 14 days prior to slaughter
Increased funding for and full implementation of programs which enable producers to protect working lands such as EQUIP, CSP and others
Reauthorization of and full funding for environmentally-sensitive land retirement programs CRP, WRP and GRP
Authorization and funding for a Bio-Energy Reserve Program
Members also opposed an increase in the beef checkoff

Leaders elected

Paul Olson, Taylor, Wis., was re-elected by acclamation at National Farmers national convention in Milwaukee, Wis., Thursday. Ron Mattos, Hanford, Calif., was elected vice president.
Olson was nominated for re-election by Tom Crosby, a 31-year-old Shell Lake, Wis., dairy producer. The nomination was seconded by Gene Paul, Delevan, Minn., past president of National Farmers. Daniel Kleaving, a 30-year-old livestock producer from Tell City, Ind. also spoke out in favor of the nomination. Ron Mattos

     Mattos has been serving as acting vice president. He specializes in corn, wheat, cotton, and alfalfa hay. Mark Rohr, Bluffton, Minn., also ran for vice president.

Farm Business Workshop
    At the farm business workshop CWT-What's Next?, Dr. Richard Levins proposed the next step dairy farmers could take to leverage the success of Cooperatives Working Together (CWT).
     Levins, professor emeritus, Department of Applied Economics at University of Minnesota, said CWT has provided solid returns. "I agree with National Milk's Jim Tillison that CWT has returned good dividends to dairy farmers in the form of enhanced prices," Levins said. But he also suggested there may be even more money on the table for dairy farmers to claim. Dr. Richard Levins

     Levins proposed an effective marketing agency-in-common (MAC) be formed that would control a large share of the nation's dairy products. A representative of that organization must bargain prices on behalf of all participating sellers with all buyers.
     "I recommend that CWT's next step be one of developing stronger cooperation among dairy cooperatives in pricing milk," Levins said. "Those who do not have market power will always be at a disadvantage when pricing their products."
     You can read more details about Convention '08 in the February-March 2008 edition of National Farmers Reporter, available in early February.

Prepare now for the 2009 National Farmers Convention in Coralville Coralville Marriott, Iowa

Convention '09
Coralville, Iowa
January 12-15, 2008