By John Stencel A firestorm of protest has erupted since U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, announced plans to cut $19 billion or about 25 percent of the total budget of federal agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and rural development programs. Farmers Union was among the lead organizations that earlier this month sent a letter [...]

By John Stencel Actions and inaction by top U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials over the past several years have led many to question if its leadership has lost touch with its mission and constituents. Last year, as producer groups from all commodities, regions and political leanings called for congressional action to legislate disaster assistance [...]

By John Stencel January is the month for state of the state (in Colorado) and the state of the union (in Washington, D.C.) addresses. On behalf of producers in the Rocky Mountain region, I would like to use this column to offer the “state of agriculture.” Colorado’s economy is expected to make a modest rebound [...]

By John Stencel Over the last generation, “bigger is better” and “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” seem to be the mantra of corporate America’s boards. Mergers and buy-outs among large firms that were once fierce competitors occur almost daily. Nowhere is this trend more evident than in the food production, processing and retailing [...]

By John Stencel One or more years of the worst drought in history, several years of low commodity prices, increasing urbanization, long-term water problems. . . . . Conditions in rural Colorado could not be worse. Farmers have been affected by low yields and have had to sell off livestock. The resulting shortage of cash [...]

By John Stencel Picture this: A devastating hurricane, arguably the worst one to hit in a decade, rips through several states. There is widespread damage to homes and other buildings. Roads and bridges must be repaired before they can be used.” Not unexpectedly, the governors of the affected states declare them disaster areas, and emergency [...]

By John Stencel The ink has been dry for several months now on the 2002 farm bill, and USDA staffers are settling in to the arduous task of writing the rules that will govern its provisions. Just as producers lobbied for passage of the new farm bill, they need to stay informed and participate in [...]

By John Stencel It is an established fact that Colorado is in a drought, possibly the worst drought on record. Wheat production is one-third normal and ranchers are selling off herds and flocks in unprecedented numbers because they cannot afford to feed them. I commend the Denver-based media outlets for raising the public’s awareness of [...]

By John Stencel The ruling, June 21, by South Dakota Federal District Court Judge Charles B. Kornmann that the beef checkoff program is “unconstitutional and unenforceable” because it violates the First Amendment should serve as an opportunity for beef producers to control promotions of their product. The initial idea of the checkoff—to pool producer monies [...]

By John Stencel Weather conditions throughout the majority of Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico are now classified as “extreme drought.” While the advent of restrictions on lawn watering over the past several weeks has caused consumers along the Front Range to become more aware of the drought, farmers and ranchers throughout the region have been [...]

By John Stencel As of May 8, both houses of Congress have passed the farm bill, and President George Bush is expected to sign it. Applicable to the 2002 crop year, the legislation—while still lacking in some areas—is a considerable improvement to the previous “freedom to farm” bill that has bankrupted family producers and cost [...]

By William Lee-Ashley Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) members see themselves as progressive forces in the rural Rocky Mountain West. Whether they are Republican or Democrat, members are united in the common belief that the full-fledged crisis in farm and ranch country demands innovative solutions and a strong voice. They look to each other, through [...]

By John Stencel As Middle Eastern tensions escalate and allies in the U.S. war on terror seem less than committed, it is time to again reexamine U.S. energy policy. Unfortunately, it is only in times of worldwide unrest—more specifically, when prices at the pump spike—that there is any talk of developing alternative fuel sources. We [...]

By John Stencel A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report documents what has been a trend over the past generation or more. According to the report, released Feb. 21, only 12 percent of households operating farms or ranches say the farm/ranch income was their largest source of income in 2000. The remaining 88 percent said [...]

By John Stencel Fred Macy, a young farmer from Pine Bluffs, Wyo., who attended the National Farmers Union’s 100th Anniversary Convention, March 1-4, in Irving and Point, Texas, summed up the experience best when he said it was exciting to reflect on Farmers Union’s history while getting to know the leaders that will launch Farmers [...]

By John Stencel Organic food production is a growing market that offers a good opportunity for many producers in the Rocky Mountain area. The U.S. organic food industry is growing at an estimated 15-20 percent per year. Colorado is on the leading edge of this trend, leading the nation in the number of open range [...]

By Paul Stout I am taking this opportunity to speak to you not as your Rocky Mountain Farmers Union vice president, but as a fellow member and farmer, to put in my two cents worth regarding the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and its website showing farm program payment recipients from 1995 to 2000. I spent [...]

By John Stencel The recent posting of all federal farm program recipients on the Environmental Working Group’s web site has raised the ire of farmers and renewed the debate of what role the government should play in production agriculture. I recently spoke with Randy Adler, a Longmont, Colo. farmer who was listed in the Longmont [...]

By Paul Stout This is my first opportunity to address the membership since the convention, so bear with me. First I want to begin by thanking those who voted for me and for this great opportunity to serve. I want to give a special thanks to Kent Peppler, Mike Goranson, Dale Petty, Lawrence Gallegos, Marvin [...]

By John Stencel I was elected Rocky Mountain Farmers Union president Nov. 17, at RMFU’s 93rd Annual Convention in Pueblo. I expect that I have met many of you in the past, as I served as RMFU president from 1970 until 1993. I left RMFU eight years ago for an appointment as Colorado state executive [...]