Minnesota’s Rohr Announces Candidacy for National President
After much soul searching, and encouragement from others, I have decided to run for NFO President. Paul has served for 20 years, and that is a long time. Even a good man, which Paul is, does get tired and run out of new ideas in time. I think it would be beneficial to NFO, and all of agriculture, to have new and enthused leadership in the only major farm organization that believes in and uses collective bargaining.
I think we need to be more visible; the office of president of a national farm organization does carry some importance. I think that person needs to be at all kinds of meetings, whether they are policy meetings put on by government or commodity groups. We need to remind all of them that price is the issue, and a fair price will cure the big problems rural America is facing. And if farmers are paid as they should be paid, there will be enough money in rural America to fix many of the smaller problems.
Agriculture media is a big business; if we are at these meetings and speak up, farmers nationwide will know that NFO is still around. Furthermore, what is happening to family farmers need not be happening, because in 1922, Congress gave farmers the right to market together in the Capper-Volstead Act.
The buy side has continuously manipulated farmers, small processors and the government to buy our production for less than it costs to produce it. Family farmers do not need to be in the position they are in. There are many groups out there that do support family farms; we need to search them out and work with them where and when we are able to do so.
Come to the NFO national convention in February to help chart the path for the next four years.
