The Isle Hotel & Casino in the Quad Cities, Iowa, is scheduled for National Farmers winter meeting next February. “COVID-19 has thrown a monkey wrench into our meeting plans, because of the unknowns,” said National Farmers Director of Communications Perry Garner.

National Farmers Organization dairy leaders say it’s time for the elimination of bloc voting by co-ops, when it comes to Federal Milk Marketing Order hearings. Currently, only dairy farmers who are independent and not members of…

The pandemic continues to harshly impact people and businesses around the globe, and National Farmers staff have stepped up to help dairy farmers and those less fortunate. Dairy Operations Director Dave Kaseno coordinated…

Farmers help farmers. That’s the standard, the ag ethic, in fact. Because of that, in January, when National Farmers leaders saw an opportunity to help Pacific Northwest Organic Valley dairy farmers, they proposed handling their milk.

Steve Armour, a former grain marketing staff member who left National Farmers in 2010, has been named the independent contract marketer for members in the organization’s North Grain Region. Members in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota…

While we all continue to live in a world of uncertainty and overabundance of bad news, I would like to switch gears and talk about some of the positive things that enhance the goals of National Farmers Organization.

When I began working for National Farmers in 1972, we were uniting most local bargaining groups into a nationally coordinated structure. Going national gave us the clout we needed to impact dairy price levels positively for…

The year’s corn and soybean crop sizes are substantial and developed faster than normal. Throughout the growing season, crop conditions have seemed to improve. The saying rain makes grain is true, and there has been plenty of…

I read an article at the end of July that said cattle feeding margins were slowly improving to a loss as of July 24 of $141. Further, it said packer profits were estimated at $302. That’s a $443 swing. And not in the cattleman’s favor.

Corn and soybeans carpet the rolling cropland of the Dan and Marlene Rempe farm through the summer, a treat to an observer viewing the panorama. The Corning, Kansas, area farm belonged first to Dan’s grandfather,

(Ames, Iowa) August 10, 2020 — National Farmers Organization dairy leaders say it’s time for the elimination of bloc voting by co-ops, when it comes to Federal Milk Marketing Order hearings. Currently, only dairy farmers who are independent and not members of cooperatives may cast individual ballots.

On South-Mont Farms, nestled into the hills of eastern Pennsylvania, the Shedden family farmers tend to a 375-head milking herd that’s two-thirds Holstein cows and one-third Jersey. A decision based on the farm’s facility, when the milk check arrives, the blend of dairy breeds also rewards the Sheddens in component premiums and healthy production level payoffs. Scott Shedden, sons Mark and Bryan, and Mark’s sons, Lance and Eric farm together.

Normalcy. When do we expect that again in cattle markets? After COVID-19, we may never look at consumer demand and uncertainty the same way again.But, if you really think about it, we still know the same things we always know. The cattle on feed numbers have been calculated and we have a tremendous back log, nearly one million head.

USDA has noted that crop year 2020’s planting progress was swift, as corn acres were 97 percent planted by June 8. Neutral weather did not create dramatic yield reduction prospects, and prices appear to have a difficult climb past previous price highs from the past six months.

The changes we have seen since we gathered in Minneapolis for our national convention have been staggering. However, one thing has not changed, our commitment to do what they say can’t be done. Momentum is building for everything we are doing, to make a better life for family dairy farmers.

As I reflect on the last 120 days, it’s hard to put into words what Americans have endured, and the lessons we can learn. One of the first thoughts that comes to mind is I hope as a nation, we have learned something about national security, and in particular, food security.

National Farmers Organization onApril 28, endorsed the Relief for America’s Small Farmers Act introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y.
For more than six years, farmers and ranchers operating at a wide range of scales and producing a variety of commodities have received prices consistently below…

A long time National Farmers national board member passed away April 19.
Wayne Forder, Highwood, Mont., was born April 25, 1944, along with his twin brother, Dwayne. They were adopted by Conn R. and Rose Mary Forder in 1946.

National Farmers signed onto a June 10 letter to Congress by the Organic Farmers Association and National Organic Coalition supporting the Origin of Livestock rule.
It will close loopholes by specifying that organic dairy animals must be raised organically from the last third of gestation or be raised organically…

According to Bloomberg News, the Justice Department has delivered civil investigation requests to the largest four meatpackers, Tyson Foods, JBS SA, Cargill and National Beef Marketing.
State attorneys general from Missouri, Idaho, Arizona, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota requested…

If the dairy commodity markets stay at the higher levels of June, we will see an enormous negative Producer Price Differential in several Federal Orders. For some reason, negative PPD’s make most dairy people cringe. If you’re a dairy farmer and your milk is pooled under the Federal Order system, you should want to see negative PPDs.

(Ames, Iowa) May 7, 2020 — National Farmers Organization dairy leader says it’s time for milk regulators to recognize U.S. milk markets should be treated as one national system, rather than the regional approach USDA’s Federal Milk Marketing Orders uses now.

Farming for decades, Tom and Karen Wencl, on their Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, organic dairy farm, in 2012, launched the transition process of integrating their sons, Wayne and Chris, into the operation as partners.
“We operate as an LLC, where the sons are taking some ownership…