National Farmers Organization

    At National Farmers Market to the Max Convention 2008 in Milwaukee, Wis., Paul Olson, Taylor, Wis., was re-elected by acclamation Jan. 17. 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. And Daniel Kleaving, a 30-year-old livestock producer from Tell City, Ind., also spoke out in favor of the nomination.
     Mattos was acting vice president. He has served on the National Farmers national board of directors for several terms, and is a distinguished member of the Executive Board for the past 12 years. He has served as President Pro Tem of the Executive Board since 1995. In his south-central California farm operation, near Fresno, Mattos specializes in corn, wheat, cotton, and alfalfa hay.
Mark Rohr, Bluffton, Minn., also ran for vice president.

President focuses on farming's positive future
     In his president's address to members at convention, President Paul Olson painted a positive picture for agriculture in the years ahead, and offered solutions for the challenges family farmers face in today's volatile ag markets. Before the election, acting Vice President Ron Mattos, reached out to rural America's young producers in his convention address.
     Olson, himself a dairy producer, addressed concerns in the market today, including dairy producer market access, as a challenge that looms large.
     Hurdles in agriculture Olson highlighted were the following: volatility, and balancing the reward of rising grain prices for corn producers, with the difficulty for hog and cattle producers facing low pork prices and increasing input costs.

     Olson noted that National Farmers members have a staff who are educated to meet challenges like the three he outlined, and that producers have contemporary marketing tools at their disposal.
     Mattos agreed. "We have a toolbox. We've got all our programs," he said. The organization offers more than 18 commodity marketing and risk management programs to producers. The importance of market knowledge and management is evidenced by the corn market going up-the-limit on Friday, Jan. 12, a few days before the convention opened.
     Olson noted NFO's marketing and risk management services provide part of the solution by helping producers access markets. "I joined National Farmers in 1969, because I wanted somebody on my side," he said. He advised members to stay positive and focused on National Farmers' main goal - profitable prices for producers. And he emphasized the need for members to be flexible in achieving that goal. "This organization has to embrace change," he added.
Final farm bill positions endorsed
     At Convention '08 in Milwaukee, Wis., organization members voted in support of key provisions for a new farm bill. National Farmers members expressed their desire for a final farm bill that includes dairy legislation favoring:

National Farmers favors a permanent disaster payment program operated on an as-needed basis, with a rapid response rate to help producers stricken with crop losses. The organization also favors increasing federal oversight of the Federal Crop Insurance Program to streamline administrative and program delivery costs.
As a commodity marketing and price bargaining group for America's independent producers, National Farmers understands the importance of limiting anti-competitive practices and maintaining open, free and transparent markets. NFO members support:

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

As a friend to the land, National Farmers believes America's soil and water resources must be protected through proven voluntary conservation programs. Therefore, members voted to support:

Increased funding for and full implementation of programs which enable producers to protect working lands such as Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Security Program (CSP) and others
Reauthorization of and full funding for environmentally-sensitive land retirement programs including Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
Authorization and funding for a Bio-Energy Reserve Program

Members also opposed an increase in the beef checkoff.
Convention informs and entertains
     National Farmers convention attendees listened to division directors report about marketing program performance and opportunities for the new year.
     Dairy Director Bradley Rach spoke about how bargaining keeps independent dairy producers strong. He also reported that the NFO dairy division ranks in America's top 10. Rach also introduced an advertising campaign centered around the theme: Strong, Independent, NFO.
     Livestock Division presenters noted that price volatility is increasing the need for producers to use National Farmers risk management programs. Curently, hedging programs are less popular than forward contracts.

     On the antibiotic-free front, livestock representatives noted that four years ago only 1 percent of the nation's meat sold was ABF. Last year, the figure jumped to 5 percent, and in the next 24 months the forecast projects a 10 percent increase for ABF meats. The organization's ABF program offers a real opportunity for members to cash in on both the retail and production sides of the table.
     In the Grain Division, Tim Ennis, an organic grain marketing adviser, reported that NForganics bushels sold has grown 57 percent in the last year. He said there are opportunities to secure good prices for the future.
     In conventional grains, Pete Lorenz, a grain marketing adviser, acknowledged there is an elevated level of price risk for producers. He suggested producers continue selling into the market as long as they can and consider using options. He underscored that producers should consider selling as far into the future as they can.
     At the annual convention dance, the group Passion performed, led by the daughter of National Farmers Wisconsin member, Earl Schaad. The Farm Kids for College Scholarship ATV raffle winner was Martin Schlottach, Owensville, Mo.