The purpose of HB 1060 (Concerning Regulating Dietitians) is only to license dietitians in Colorado. We are not trying to regulate any other group who gives out nutrition information or does nutrition counseling.

Several groups do not understand the intention of the bill and have started a campaign to oppose it. There are actually nine exemptions or exclusions in the bill which cover anyone who performs or engages or practices nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition assessment, or nutrition care. That means certified nutritionists, nutritionists, herbalist, naturopaths, chiropractors, retail employees of Vitamin Cottage, Vitamin Cottage Nutritional Health Coach, employees of Whole Foods, etc., can practice “nutrition” as they do now. We do not intend to infringe on anyone’s business or professional practice.

Please call the members of the House Ag Committee to ask them to vote for the bill. The bill will be heard in the Ag Committee on Monday, Feb 6, so make your call this week!!

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is supporting this bill, and as Chairman of the Board and a Registered Dietitian, I am asking you to call the members of the House Ag Committee now!

Jan Kochis, Chair
Board of Directors
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union members will join with National Farmers Union to meet a challenge grant benefitting Feeding America. Executive Director Ben Rainbolt announced today that RMFU and FUSA Insurance Agency will donate $500 to start RMFU’s commitment.

The Howard G. Buffet Foundation has offered to match every dollar given through Farmers Union members to Feeding America, up to his $50,000 challenge. Howard G. Buffett is a farmer and philanthropist with roots in the Midwest and an advocate for of Feeding America’s fight against hunger. The challenge grant provides a medium for the agricultural community to support hunger relief and help their neighbors in need. Feeding America will send the funds from each states’ members back to food banks serving their communities.

Over the years Feeding America has been a friend to farmers, standing by their side on many legislative issues of interest to the farming community. The Buffet challenge is a chance to give back. Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Every year they reach 37 million hungry Americans, nearly 14 million of them children. Their network of local food banks uses donations so efficiently that each dollar donated is worth $17 in food and groceries. The Buffet challenge is a chance to double that impact.

RMFU members and FUSA agents will be spreading the word and donating generously in the coming months. Donations can be made online at www.feedingamerica.org/NFU, or by sending a gift to Feeding America NFU Campaign, PO Box 96749, Washington, D.C., 20090-6749.

RMFU President Kent Peppler praised Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s announcement today that Interior will look closely at water issues and agricultural impacts as the discussion of oil shale development moves forward. “Secretary Salazar described water use as an essential issue in the oil shale debate, and we couldn’t agree more,” Peppler said. “Most of the oil shale lands are on the Colorado River basin, which has been over-allocated from the beginning of the interstate compact. We need to know how much water oil shale developers need, where they expect to get it, and what condition it will be in when they are through with it. Agriculture is the cornerstone of Colorado’s economy and the basis for America’s food security. The secretary understands this, and we urge him to keep it in his thoughts as we move forward slowly on oil shale development.”

Pursuant to our by-laws provisions, you are hereby notified that the 102nd annual convention of the Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union of America, Rocky Mountain Division, will be held November 19 and 20, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel, 1775 E. Cheyenne Mtn. Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colo. for the purpose of electing three members to the Board of Directors from districts I, III, and IV; to elect a President; and to transact the annual business of the organization.

Official registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, November 18. The county officers will be in session beginning at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 18. The official convention opening session is at 8:00 a.m. Friday, November 19.

Individuals who will be running for the above positions must send a letter of intent to Ken Anderson, Secretary/RMFU, 7900 E. Union Blvd., Suite 200, Denver, CO 80237. The letter of intent must be received by the state office by September 20, 2010.

Ken Anderson
Secretary, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

“With the passing of Dave Naibauer,” RMFU President Kent Peppler said, “family farming and ranching lost a lifetime friend.” David Naibauer died Monday, July 12, 2010, at Windsor Health Care Center in Windsor. He was born on April 8, 1917 in Greeley, Colorado. He spent his life farming in northeastern Colorado and was a Farmers Union member for more than sixty years.

Naibauer joined Farmers Union in 1948 in Briggsdale and rose quickly in prominence. He was selected by then-President Harvey Solberg to assist with organizational development across the state, and he played an important role in re-establishing the New Mexico Farmers Union in the early 1950s. In an interview two years ago, he fondly recalled convincing a Fort Collins farmer to trade a coon dog for an RMFU membership. The dog became a fixture in the Naibuaer household.

Naibauer served as president of the Weld County Farmers Union for 14 years, and as president of the Logan County Farmers Union after the family moved to Merino. Dave’s son Roland only recently retired from the presidency of Weld County Farmers Union. “Dave devoted his life to Farmers Union,” said Peppler, a Mead, Colo., farmer. “From calling square dances in Mead to lobbying Congress, he was there for us. We will miss him.”

The estate auction for Charles and Clella Petty is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on April 8 in Clovis, N.M. Charles Petty, lifetime member of RMFU and member of the board of directors for eighteen years, died January 11 in a work-related accident.

Petty was cutting metal on his Ranchvale, N.M. property when his cutting torch ignited a grass fire. According to local authorities, he was trying to put out the fire when he collapsed from smoke inhalation. He was pronounced dead at Plains Regional Medical Center.

Charles was born in Ranchvale, northwest of Clovis, on September 5, 1930. In 1950 he married Clella Hays, and together they farmed and ranched in the Ranchvale community all their lives.  His life companion Clella died in 2007.

Charles was a lifetime member of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. He played an active role in re-establishing Farmers Union in New Mexico and served on the RMFU board for 18 years, and took on the role of vice president after Todd Hagenbuch stepped down in mid-2009. Charles was a member of the First Baptist Church in Ranchvale where he served as a Deacon and Sunday School Director. He was also a legendary cook with closely guarded recipes.
Funeral services were held at the First Baptist Church. Farmers Union members from across the state, along with more than a hundred family and friends, filled the small church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Baptist Children’s Home, P. O. Box 629, Portales, New Mexico 88130.

The estate auction will be handled by Tate Auction Service.

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Service Association (FUSA) is putting money back into local communities. FUSA is the network of agents who sell Farmers Union Insurance in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The organization recently launched a Community Builder program to distribute a total of $12,000 to worthy causes in their communities. “Our goal is to build stronger communities so our region can pull through these tough times,” FUSA General Manager Gary Wilmoth said.

There is a contest element in the program, as the money is given to top-performing agents in each district. Every two months, the top agents in each district are allowed to select the charity or community program they would like to see receive up to $1,000 from the pool. “The amount available to the agent depends on their standing in the district. First place is worth $500, second is $300, and third is $200,” Wilmoth explained.

The first round ended in April. So far, five of the winning agencies have distributed funds:

• The Stafford Agency, Wray, Colo., directed $200 to the Wray Food Bank.

• The Miriam Pletan Agency, Casper, Wyo., had $200 given to The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Casper.

• The Taylor Agency, Fort Morgan, Colo., presented the Life Fellowship Church with $500.

• The Steve Baer Agency, Wiggins, Colo., gave a check for $300 to American Legion and added their own matching donation of $300.

• The Jonathan Schrack Agency, Casper, Wyo., gave $500 to Child Evangelism Fellowship.

“Our agents are integral parts of their communities,” Wilmoth said, “and we have several agencies that span two and three generations. The Community Builder contest gives them a chance to compete and give back at the same time.”

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) members will be in Washington, D.C., September 8-10 to meet with federal legislators and urge them to support policies that sustain rural economies and ensure our nation’s security. The delegation includes current RMFU Fellows – a select team of individuals who enrolled in a year-long leadership class that will help them contribute to their communities. The group will be accompanied by RMFU President Kent Peppler, who is a Mead, Colo., farmer, and RMFU Education Director Jennifer Luitjens Bahr. “This is a great opportunity for these young community leaders to exercise their new skills,” Bahr said. “We are especially looking forward to meeting with the Department of Energy to stress the importance of rural communities to our national energy security.”

Development of renewable energy, fair international trade agreements, competitive markets, implementation of the 2008 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act, and sensible food policies will be on the agenda as farm and ranch families from the region and other state Farmers Unions visit senators, congressional representatives, and administration officials from the USDA, the DOE, and other agencies.

High on the priorities of the delegation is raising awareness of the need to extend the renewable energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), which expires in December. “The PTC helps level the energy playing field by matching the sorts of tax credits routinely offered to oil and coal producers,” RMFU President Kent Peppler said. “If Congress allows it to expire, it will do tremendous damage to the new energy economy in the Rockies and even to our nation’s energy independence.” Peppler said.

The delegation will also take the opportunity to counter myths propagated by corporate agri-business, such as the singling out of ethanol as a scapegoat for high food costs or the notion that the family farmer and rancher are getting rich on higher supermarket prices.

“Rural America is struggling, as all Americans are, to stay ahead of a failing economy. And we hold the key to food and fuel security in our country,” Peppler said. “Our food supply and the new energy economy depend on wise use of rural lands. Our members represent lifetimes of experience and innovation in stewardship, conservation, and production. We hope we can keep Washington listening to our members’ voices.”

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) announced today that it will coordinate a series of Farm Bill workshops in rural Colorado and Wyoming, beginning with a meeting in Greeley, Colo., on August 11.

RMFU President Kent Peppler, a Mead, Colo., farmer, said, “The so-called ‘Farm Bill’ is 700 pages of legislation on food, energy, conservation, and rural community programs. It took two years to reach compromises that protect our food and energy security without hurting the environment or breaking the budget. This bill impacts everyone, not just farming and ranching families. Nearly two-thirds of the funding goes to nutrition, conservation, and energy programs, but it also addresses specific interests of food, fuel and fiber producers and rural communities. It addresses many issues that are important in the Rocky Mountain region. We are pleased that we have been able to build a team of experts who can help rural families understand how the bill affects them.”

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union has put together a group of speakers who will be at workshops in five high plains communities during the week of Aug. 11 -14. The team includes experts from farm and commodity groups, conservation organizations, rural banking and crop insurance.

The workshops will include brief presentations and in-depth question-and-answer sessions. National Farmers Union VP of Government Relations Katy Zeigler will the keynote speaker at all five workshops. Located in Washington, D.C., Zeigler has been deeply involved in the shaping and analysis of farm bill legislation for many years.

Other speakers will be drawn from the many sponsoring organizations. The following organizations will participate: Colorado Sugar Beet Growers Association, Colorado and Wyoming Associations of Conservation Districts, Independent Bankers of Colorado, the Wyoming Bankers Association, Baca County Conservancy District and Southeast Colorado RC&D, Weld Food Bank, county Farmers Union officers, and local Farmers Union Insurance agents.

Schedule of Events:

• Monday, August 11
  Greeley, Colo: 7:15 p.m.
  – Bunkhouse at Island Grove Park
• Tuesday, August 12
  Torrington, Wyo: 7 p.m.
  – Brand Room at Goshen County Fairgrounds
• Wednesday, August 13
  Sterling, Colo: 1:00 p.m.
  – Sterling Room at Ramada Inn
  Wray, Colo: 7:15 p.m.
  – City Hall Roundhouse
• Thursday, August 14
  Lamar, Colo: 2:00 p.m.
  – Empire Room at Best Western Cow Palace Inn

Sponsors

• Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
• Independent Bankers of Colorado
• Wyoming Bankers Association, Inc.
• Colorado Sugar Beet Growers
• Colorado Association of Conservation Districts
• Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts
• Baca County Conservation District
• Southeast Colorado RC & D
• Weld Food Bank
• Colorado and Wyoming County Farmers Unions
• Colorado and Wyoming Farmers Union Insurance Agents

The neighborhood store takes on new meaning with the launch this week of the High Plains Food Co-op (HPFC). Using the web to connect markets on the Front Range with producers in eastern Colorado and western Kansas, HPFC gives urban consumers instant access to a variety of wholesome local food.

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) helped HPFC obtain federal money to turn their idea into a reality. Through the RMFU Cooperative Development Center (CDC), RMFU also provided consulting assistance during the development process. “Moving the co-op model to the Internet poses some special challenges,” CDC Director Ben Rainbolt said. “The people at High Plains have learned from other successful web-based cooperatives like OklahomaFood.coop and NebraskaFood.org. This kind of creative problem-solving gives consumers an alternative to food of unknown origin and gives producers a market they rely on. It’s a win/win situation for urban and rural interests.”

HPFC currently offers a wide variety of products, from pork and beef to fresh eggs, vegetables, and spices (including catnip). Members order products during the first two weeks of the month for delivery on the third Thursday their pick-up location, 7th and Kalamath near downtown Denver.

HPFC is accepting charter memberships until July 1 (or 150 enrollments). Consumer members pay $100 for a charter membership. Producer members pay the same membership fee, but they must also meet an approval process that guarantees products will be local and that principles of sustainable, environmentally sound agriculture are being followed.

“High Plains Food Co-op puts your farmers market a keyboard away,” Rainbolt said. To enroll, go to highplainsfood.org.