Among those recognized at the RMFU Convention was FUSA insurance agent Kyle Bradley of Colorado Springs. Announcing the award, RMFU President Kent Peppler said, “Farmers Union Service Association and its agents are our friends and partners in rural communities. Our success depends on the FUSA agencies’ strong tradition of community service. The Agent of the Year Award goes to an agent who stands out among these friends, one who  strives to make a difference for their clients and also takes an active role in RMFU and their community.”

Kyle Bradley certainly fits the description. He has been with Farmers Union Service Association for nine years.  During this time he has worked hard to serve the values and needs of the RMFU community. He has committed time and effort as the president of the RMFU Agents Association. He has sponsored a camper each year to RMFU summer leadership camps in Bailey, Colo. He has worked the RMFU booth at the Colorado State Fair and supported the RMFU/FUSA charity golf tournament. He has demonstrated leadership through his service.

Kyle is a graduate of the RMFU Fellows program and newly elected president of the Denver/Jefferson County Farmers Union, which he served last year as vice president. He has consistently been one of the top membership recruiters, and he contributed his agency’s time to help test a new on-line membership dues process.
Bradley’s commitment to his community extends beyond RMFU and FUSA. He is a member of the Black Forest Business Group and the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce. He helps with the local fairs, and he sponsors the Royalty Breakfast at the El Paso County Fair and High School Rodeos.  “His District Manager describes him as ‘a model agent,’” Peppler concluded, “and we at Rocky couldn’t agree more.”

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.

State Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer and Colorado Representative Glenn Vaad (ranking minority member of the Transportation Committee) will be in Longmont Saturday morning, April 18, for a legislative coffee hosted by the Adams/St. Vrain Farmers Union and the Larry Roe insurance agency. The legislators will be at the Buzz Coffee Shop from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. to answer questions and review the legislative session.
Details:
Saturday, April 18, 2009
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Buzz Coffee Shop
1139 Francis St., Longmont, Colo.

Delegates representing Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) at the National Farmers Union (NFU) annual meeting held recently in Washington, D.C., played a key role in developing the NFU policy for 2009. They also took the concerns of rural Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming to the offices of their congressional representatives.

“Our delegates worked hard to advance the interests of farmers and ranchers in this region,” said RMFU President Kent Peppler. “They helped shape policy on transmission towers, National Animal Identification, the Conservation Reserve Program, and commodity prices. These programs are key to energy development, conservation, and agricultural profitability.”

“I was pleased that we delegates successfully offered a policy that would see that landowners with transmission towers on their property receive annual payments based on the amount of electricity they carry,” said Roy Pfaltzgraff, a farmer from Haxtun, Colo. The transmission policy proposal was unanimously adopted by the NFU convention.

“Farmers and ranchers are facing lower commodity prices while our production expenses remain so high there are very slim profit margins, if any. Rocky offered a policy statement calling for the immediate implementation of the 2008 farm bill to get new programs going. We also urged Tom Vilsack to issue immediate rules for re-enrollment of Conservation Reserve acreage with expiring contracts,” said Dorothy Zavorka, RMFU delegate from Torrington, Wyo.

“During floor debate, we pointed out that the current animal ID program will do nothing to prevent a livestock disease outbreak or to ensure food safety. We called for enhancing coordination between state and federal agencies and for increased funding for disease prevention and testing programs that are already in place,” said Armando Valdez, RMFU delegate from Alamosa, Colo. “The convention took a position opposing mandatory NAIS and urged improved coordination between state and federal agencies on disease prevention and testing programs.”

In addition to Peppler, Pfaltzgraff, Zavorka, and Valdez, RMFU delegates included Brian Albers of Louisville, Colo., Barbara Marty of Strasburg, Colo., Monty Niebur of Akron, Colo., Vince and Carol Potestio of Pueblo, Colo., John Ellis of Boulder, Colo., and Gregg Gossett of Portales, N.M.

After the conclusion of the NFU convention, RMFU delegates spent the following day visiting with members of Congress from Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. “Our delegates took our concerns into the offices of our elected representatives. We had a chance to visit directly with members and their aides on the important issues in their community, state and region. It helped our members of Congress put a face on their rural constituency and appreciate how important agriculture is in the Rockies,” Peppler said.

About thirty members and officials from Rocky Mountain Farmers Union spent Wednesday, January 28, meeting with legislators and administration representatives to identify rural priorities for the new legislative year. In a full morning of meetings at the First Baptist Church across from the State Capitol, the group was joined by representatives of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources, and Governor Bill Ritter took 45 minutes from his busy schedule to listen and answer questions.

Representatives Dickie Lee Hullinghorst, Judy Solano, Joe Miklosi, Andy Kerr, Jerry Sonnenberg, Cory Gardner, and Jim Riesberg joined the group at various times to discuss pending legislation, as did Senators Mary Hodge and Greg Brophy. Some scheduled attendees were unable to conclude committee business in time to come by.

In the afternoon, participants visited legislative leaders: Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll, Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer, and Senate President Peter Groff. Senator Gail Schwartz joined the group in Sen. Shaffer’s office, where water and energy issues were discussed.

Gov. Ritter emphasized the importance of treating urban and rural citizens equitably as we review existing programs and consider pending legislation. He observed that agriculture is buffered somewhat against unemployment, where the state ranks 32nd overall. On the other hand, we are behind Nebraska in rural broadband access. Members asked many questions about the potential impact of the stimulus package. While infrastructure projects must be “shovel-ready,” there are a number of projects, including numerous outmoded water treatment facilities, that fit that description.

Speaker Carroll responded to a question about “green collar” jobs by calling them win/win ideas. “You can’t outsource green jobs to Bangalore,” he added.

It was a busy but productive day for both lawmakers and representatives of rural Colorado. One member, John Ellis of Boulder County, was able to bring a small but valuable federal program to the attention of lawmakers. “If that effort creates state support for farmers market vouchers, that alone will make the day worthwhile,” said RMFU President Kent Peppler, a Mead, Colo., farmer. “Putting rural constituencies in front of our legislators benefits both sides.”

Some new faces at the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) Annual Convention (Cheyenne, Wyo., Nov. 21-22) represented the chapter recently formed in north Denver.

RMFU is a grassroots organization of farmers and consumers that promotes rural communities, local foods, and renewable energy. RMFU Director of Renewable Energy Development Tony Frank helped organize a unique urban chapter in early November. The Denver/Jefferson County Farmers Union got off to a solid start with 86 members. At their first meeting, they elected Brian Greenman as their president and selected delegates to the RMFU convention.

“Everybody eats,” said Frank, “so why not a Denver chapter? Our group has a strong focus on urban issues like energy efficiency and local food markets. We want to help connect urban consumers with agricultural communities.”

Family membership in RMFU costs $75. Members receive news on education programs, such as RMFU summer camp, pending food and agriculture legislation, and co-ops. Membership entitles families to $3,000 of complimentary insurance and to discounts on auto insurance in Colorado. They are also eligible to join the National Farmers Union Federal Credit Union.

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union delegates gathered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on November 21-22 to elect a president and two board members, debate legislative policy for the coming year, and discuss two important topics in agriculture: energy and livestock production.

President Kent Peppler won re-election to his second term. Board members Jan Kochis, who chairs the board, and Ken Anderson, the board’s secretary, were unopposed for re-election. “This election was an endorsement of an important decision Rocky made two years ago, when we agreed that the organization would be best served by a president who is also a producer. As a farmer, I have firsthand knowledge of the challenges agriculture faces, and I’m honored that our members have given me the opportunity to serve them for two more years.”

The Saturday program featured two presentations on important issues facing 21st century agriculture: addressing America’s energy needs and facing the problems created by factory meat production. A morning panel featured speakers from RMFU’s directory of renewable energy, Tony Frank, Bob Mailander from the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office, and Mac McLellan, a senior vice president at Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. The three led a lively discussion of energy needs and solutions.

After balloting, the delegates filled the afternoon with a discussion of the Pew Commission report on industrial meat production. The executive director of the commission, Bob Martin, gave the audience background and a summary of the commission’s findings. Then commission member Bernie Rollin, Professor of Bioethics at Colorado State University, gave his own perspective on the report. After these presentations, four livestock producers responded to the report. On the panel were pork producer John Long, and beef producers Taylor Haynes, Charles Klaseen, and Reed Kelley.

The program concluded with a simple question from the audience: “What should we do?” Martin’s answer was equally simple. “A startling thing we learned was that many consumers don’t even know alternatives to factory meat production exist. You can change that.”

The major event of the 2008 Rocky Mountain Farmers Union annual convention (Cheyenne Little America, Nov. 21-22) will be a presentation and panel discussion on the challenges of livestock production, particularly industrial meat production.

Our special guests will be Bob Martin, Executive Director of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, and Professor Bernard E. Rollin, University Bioethicist at Colorado State University. Martin will give an overview of the Pew Commission’s report on industrial farm animal production, followed by remarks from Dr. Rollin, who serves on the commission. The speakers will be joined by a panel of local livestock producers.

The Pew Report, issued in spring 2008, is a comprehensive assessment of the history and future of factory-style meat production. Its findings will play a major role in the development of farm policy under the new federal administration and, more importantly, guide the evolving meat industry for years to come.

The RMFU annual convention is an opportunity to shape farm policy for the coming year. Among featured speakers will be John Etchepare, Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.