By John Stencel European policy assures the continuance of an ample and diversified agriculture at all costs. Japan sees that its farmers, especially its rice farmers, stay in business, despite the fact that wildly escalating land prices make producing food in Japan far more expensive than importing it. Yet U.S. policymakers, perhaps because our country [...]

By Paul Stout Do you remember back to your childhood when you were read the story, Little Red Riding Hood? Do you also remember the tale about the boy who cried wolf? From our earliest days, we were taught about the predatory instincts of these animals. As adults involved in the business of farming and [...]

By John Stencel Consumers who think they save money by shopping at discount chain stores need to think again. A congressional report released earlier this year shows that federal taxpayers pay over $2,000 per Wal-Mart employee to supplement the low wages paid by the mega retailer. According to the report, a store with 200 employees, [...]

By John Stencel Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) is opposed to the possible purchase of a member of the Federal Farm Credit System, Farm Credit Services of America (FCSA), by the international, Netherlands-based banking conglomerate Rabobank. The proposal is attractive, as it would yield good payouts to cash-strapped producer owners, yet the long-term impact of [...]

By John Stencel Unfortunately, the Colorado Legislature closed its latest session without acting on a number of important issues. The voting public via general election referenda will now have to deal with much of the Legislature’s unfinished business. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union’s board recently decided to sign on with other supporters on two of the [...]

By John Stencel Little media attention has been given to two very significant trade agreements passed into law in the last several months. First there was the agreement between the United States and Australia, which provided better intellectual property rights for U.S. musicians, filmmakers and manufacturers into the Australia in exchange for reductions and, in [...]

By John Stencel The recently released 2002 Census of Agriculture shows a trend that we should find alarming. Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming—all states represented by Rocky Mountain Farmers Union—have between 1997 and 2002 experienced significant declines in the number of farming and ranching operations between 500 and 2000 acres in size. Colorado and Wyoming [...]

By John Stencel Ever remember shopping for something, only to have your mother declare, “That’s too expensive. I’ll make it myself,” and march her family out of the store? I believe we need to be taking a cue from good ole mom and doing the same when it comes to energy. Fuel for automobiles hit [...]

By John Stencel At the time the citizens of Colorado adopted constitutional amendments limiting taxes—namely the Tabor and Gallagher amendments—many felt they were merely curbing the Legislature’s ability to over tax and over spend. Today, these amendments, along with Amendment 23, which mandates increases in public education spending, have left the Colorado Legislature with some [...]

By John Stencel America can now rest at ease. The U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement finalized last week includes protection of intellectual property rights—mostly music and movies—for the U.S. entertainment industry. As we all know, this disadvantaged industry was in danger of economic devastation without help from U.S. trade negotiators. I can’t avoid sarcasm when the [...]

By John Stencel If there is a positive side to the Dec. 23, 2003 detection of a cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in the United States, it is greater consumer awareness of how their food is produced. Following the announcement of the BSE positive cow in Washington, Rocky Mountain Farmers [...]

By Paul Stout As 2004 comes upon us, I am reminded of those famous words that we in agriculture so often say, “maybe next year.” This statement gets repeated over and over again by many generations during a 30- to 50-year career span. In all those years, on average, one out of six are bountiful. [...]

By John Stencel As we say goodbye to 2003 and usher in 2004, it is a good time to reflect on past blessings and look to the future. Rural Americans truly have much for which to be thankful. The open prairie makes the spirit soar. Raising livestock and crops enables one to ponder the master [...]

By John Stencel John Long, a pork producer from Weld County (Colorado), called me the other day with a very good question. “How can the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) continue to collect and spend producers checkoff dollars when the pork checkoff program has been voted down by producers and twice ruled unconstitutional by federal [...]

By John Stencel In September I had the privilege of traveling to Cancun as part of National Farmers Union’s delegation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. Agriculture was a major part of these discussions, and disagreement over WTO policy on agriculture is what ultimately caused the talks to end. In a nutshell, the WTO [...]

By Paul Stout Over the years we have spoken out against mergers and acquisitions of large corporations and the decline of locally owned businesses in our rural communities. We also have talked about market concentration in our grain and meat industries. Today I want to speak to you about another type of concentrated power in [...]

By John Stencel Rocky Mountain Farmers Union’s Water Task Force and Board of Directors recently decided to oppose Referendum A and took the unusual step of asking Gov. Bill Owens to call a special session of the Colorado Legislature to address the referendum’s shortcomings before presenting it to Colorado voters. Proponents argue that the referendum [...]

By John Stencel Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is pleased with the July 8 U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals decision that the mandatory beef checkoff is not constitutional. It is the second court that has made this ruling. The plaintiffs, including the Livestock Marketing Association, the Western Organization of Resource Councils and individual producers are [...]

By John Stencel I rarely use this column to write about decisions that have already been sealed, but I feel so strongly about this issue that I will make an exception. In mid-June, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union was notified by Colorado State University (CSU) Cooperative Extension Service Director Milan Rewerts of the allocation of budget [...]

By John Stencel Consumers want it. Producers want it. It’s not illegal or even difficult. So, why all the fuss over requiring country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on all fruits, vegetables, peanuts, meats, honey and fish by September 2004? Mandatory country-of-origin food labeling became law as part of the 2002 farm bill, signed by President George W. [...]