CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — As a global pandemic and extreme weather batter an already weak agricultural economy, hundreds of farmers and rural allies are gathering online this week to speak with elected representatives and administration officials as part of National Farmers Union’s fall legislative fly-in. Thirty-five Wisconsin Farmers Union members will be among them.
“Between low commodity prices, corporate control of the food industry, chronic overproduction, global trade disputes, underfunded infrastructure, and inadequate access to broadband internet, family farmers and rural communities have had a tough go of it for the last several years,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Now, the coronavirus pandemic and climate change-related disasters have made many of those problems worse while also creating new ones. But Farmers Union members won’t just be highlighting the challenges they’re confronting; they’re also proposing sensible legislative solutions to build a better, more equitable, and more resilient food system for everyone.”
Advocates from across the country will campaign for policies that support pandemic recovery, reduce chronic overproduction, restore competition to agricultural markets, strengthen rural healthcare, improve access to broadband internet, ensure the success of the U.S. Postal Service, help farmers and ranchers implement climate-smart practices, and expand the market for homegrown biofuels.
Fly-in participants will be building on National Farmers Union’s long history of grassroots advocacy; since 1909, the organization’s members have traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with their lawmakers about the issues that matter most to them. In a first, this year’s event will be held completely online in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of attendees.
“It’s always incredible to join with hundreds of other farmers in Washington, D.C. each fall, so we’ll definitely miss that spirit of camaraderie and feeling of unity,” WFU President Darin Von Ruden said. “But thanks to modern technology, we’ll still be able to lift up the voices of family farmers and our grassroots policy.”
The week-long event begins today with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) briefing. NFU members will hear from Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand. Tomorrow, NFU will host a Congressional briefing featuring Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture Collin Peterson, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senator Jon Tester, and Representative Frank Lucas. Throughout the rest of the week, WFU participants will also join small-group meetings with congressional offices, a panel discussion on USPS, and a virtual social gathering.
More details on the fly-in and key rural issues can be found https://nfu.org/fly-in/
— Wisconsin Farmers Union
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