LINCOLN — Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) President John Hansen was re-elected National Farmers Union (NFU) Treasurer by the NFU Board of Directors at the 115th Annual National Farmers Union Convention held March 5-8 in San Diego, California at the Catamaran Resort Hotel. “It is an honor to serve as Treasurer for a national organization whose mission is to serve and defend family farm and ranch agriculture,” Hansen said.
Six NeFU members attended the NFU Convention. The delegates from Nebraska were: Lynn Belitz, Fullerton; Graham Christensen, Omaha; David Mohlman, Red Cloud; and NeFU President John Hansen. NeFU Vice President Vern Jantzen of Plymouth served on the National Farmers Union Policy Committee and Midwest Agency LLP General Manager Jeffrey Downing of Elkhorn also attended.
NeFU President John Hansen said, “We appreciated California Farmers Union’s warm hospitality. Midwesterners seldom realize that California is the top agricultural producing state in the nation thanks to its amazing diversity of production. The challenging financial times for farmers and ranchers set a serious and determined tone for convention as our delegates looked for ways to minimize the challenges facing farm producers while maximizing the positive opportunities and remedies.
NFU Convention highlights included panels on conservation and the prospects for the next Farm Bill as well as interesting break-out sessions on regenerative agriculture, local food and Farmers Union history, and area farm tours. Mike Dain from Oklahoma received the Milt Hakel Media Award. The NFU Meritorious Service Award was presented to former NFU staff Cheryl Cook of Pennsylvania, former Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President Kent Peppler from Colorado, and long-time ethanol advocate and pioneer Merle Anderson of Minnesota.
In addition to updating NFU’s policy, the 136 delegates from 33 states approved 6 Special Orders of Business:
- Family Farming and Crisis Relief
- Family Farming and Farm Bills
- Family Farming and Trade Policy
- Family Farming and Leading the Way on Climate Change
- Family Farming and Expanded Higher Ethanol Blend Utilization
- Family Farming and Dairy Policy
Full text of the adopted policy manual will be available soon at www.nfu.org.
The 2018 National Farmers Union Convention will be held in Kansas City, Missouri March 3-6, 2018.
— Nebraska Farmers Union
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