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6MEDIA OUTREACH

MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS

AMPLIFYING NFU MESSAGES

Placement of editorials, proactive earned media from audio news releases, and rapid response on breaking news ensures NFU’s messaging is included with media coverage on policy priorities important to family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

Ensuring NFU’s voice drives conversation around issues important to our members is key to educating the general public, influencing policy, and supporting membership growth for the organization.

UNITING THE STATE DIVISIONSThe NFU communications team coordinates Farmers Union Media Association (FUMA) meetings, messaging and event coverage to ensure a united front for family agriculture. FUMA also works together to cover NFU events like the organization’s fall legislative fly-in and convention.

EMBRACING NEW MEDIANew media platforms, such as social media and blogs, allow the organization to both maintain its public image and interact with NFU’s target audiences - members, potential members, politicians, thought leaders and consumers. The importance of ensuring a strong new media presence for policy and membership goals is steadily increasing and vital to the long-term success of the organization.

This type of communication is a two way street; these platforms allow NFU to get its message out to our audiences, and, equally as important, listen to what these audiences have to say back. NFU’s social media following has increased nearly fivefold in the last year – from roughly 6,500 followers to 33,000 followers - and engagement levels on NFU communications have seen a similar rise.

LEADING NEW GROWTHMembership in Hawaii had a solid 26 percent increase in 2016, as Hawaii continues its path toward chartered status. New England experienced a 27 percent increase in membership during 2016 as they strongly recovered from a down year in 2015. North Dakota added 2,027 new members in 2016, strengthening their position as one of the largest and most influential Farmers Union states.

HEALTHY PARTNERSHIPSThe partnership with NFU and Hastings Mutual Insurance has helped to increase membership in the participating states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin by four percent since 2012. Michigan led all of the Hastings states with a seven percent increase in membership for 2016.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTUREMembership staff conducted strategic planning sessions with the staff and board members in Pennsylvania, the Northwest, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Utah, and the Hastings States.

ANNUAL CONVENTIONNFU held its 114th Anniversary Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota March 5-8, 2016. The four-day event drew nearly 500 family farmers, fishers and ranchers from across the country to develop NFU policy for 2016. The convention also included many informative speakers and educational activities.

ENCOURAGING NEW GROWTHNFU’s Small States Assistance and Development Grant programs provide programatic and developmental assistance for smaller state divisions. States participating in these programs have benefited from increased resources to host events, participate in educational programs, hire staff, improve membership programs and grow their total membership.

GROWING FROM STRENGTHOklahoma and Rocky Mountain recorded 1,598 and 1,295 new members respectively in 2016. Minnesota recorded a seventh consecutive year of increasing membership.

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONSTRADE

Successfully defeated the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multilateral agreement with 11 other countries, in pursuit of a fair trade agenda.

CONSERVATIONAdvocated for full funding for farm bill conservation programs and conservation technical assistance.

COMPETITION AND ANTITRUSTAdvocated for greater scrutiny of multiple agribusiness mergers that would negatively impact family farmers including Bayer-Monsanto, Potash-Agrium, Dow-DuPont, and ChemChina-Syngenta. Successfully advocated for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on major mergers and testified on behalf of family farmers.

FARM BILLAdvocated for keeping nutrition programs tied into the farm bill and for prompt consideration of the next farm bill.

CHECKOFFSSuccessfully halted inclusion of language on Freedom of Information Act that would restrict the public from information on the undertakings of checkoff programs.

URBAN AGRICULTUREPartnered with Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow to launch the Urban Agriculture Act of 2016, a comprehensive bill to support urban farming efforts.

DAIRYFought to have direct emergency assistance funded by congress and broader authority for USDA to assist struggling producers.

CREDITAdvocated and succeeded in getting higher funding for USDA loan programs to meet the needs of producers that experienced lending backlogs.

LIVESTOCKDefeated attempts to include a policy rider to restrict USDA from proposing rules in accordance with the National Organic Standards Board recommendations on standards for organic livestock and poultry. Successfully advocated for release of the long-awaited “GIPSA” rules to protect farmers and ranchers from the worst abuses resulting from a lack of competition in the marketplace.

EDUCATIONWOMEN’S CONFERENCE

43 women participated in the annual NFU Women’s Conference. The conference highlighted women agricultural leaders and women veterans, and included training on the 5 areas of risk management.

BEGINNING FARMER INSTITUTEHosted the 6th Beginning Farmer Institute program participants in Washington, DC and Salinas, CA. The sessions included training on leadership, boards, farm finances and taxes, as well as farm tours. NFU partnered with several non-profits to offer training to more beginning farmers.

COLLEGE CONFERENCEON COOPERATIVES

105 college students and educators participated in the NFU College Conference on Cooperatives in Minneapolis, MN. Participants learned about co-op business structures and visited local cooperative businesses.

ALL-STATES LEADERSHIP CAMPHeld the 80th annual All-States Leadership Camp, where 52 young adults learned about leadership, diversity and cooperatives. Six new National Youth Advisory Council members were elected to plan and lead next year’s camp as well as participate in convention and the annual fly-In.

INTERNSHIPSHosted five college students as interns from different universities across the country. Interns participated in events such as fly-In and convention while learning about family farm advocacy and agricultural education.

CURRICULUMDeveloped a comprehensive curriculum for youth in grades 1 to 12 and early college students that focused on the theme of, “Broaden Your Horizons,” and emphasized career readiness and agricultural industries.

SCHOLARSHIPSAwarded five college scholarships for $1,000 to $2,000 to students across the country.

FOOD SAFETYIn partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), launched the Local Food Safety Collaborative to provide education, outreach, and training to local food producers and processors in advance of the Food Safety Modernization Act regulations.

FARMING FOR THE FUTURENFU’s first online conference connected over 1,000 beginning farmers with risk management, marketing, USDA programs, cooperative organization and other information important to beginning farmers. It included on-demand content, live sessions and lively discussion groups. The conference marks a new milestone in NFU’s ability to reach large numbers of beginning farmers online.