Farm Director, KC Sheperd, is visiting with the National Farmers Union Biofuels Advisor, Anne Steckel, about the Fairness for Farmers Campaign and more.
“The National Farmers Union is a very grassroots-driven organization,” Steckel said. “All of our policy starts from our farmer members at the state level.”
Through the Fairness for Farmers Campaign, NFU advocates for fair agriculture markets and supports specific policy actions such as reforming the Packers and Stockyards Act, allowing for the Right to Repair equipment, and diversifying marketing opportunities and antitrust enforcement.
“It is actually exciting to see the Fairness for Farmers Campaign and kind of the evolution of it,” Steckel said. “For a long time, this has been a very big issue for the National Farmers Union: having more competition and more choice for our farmers. Certainly, the folks in Oklahoma understand this and are at the forefront of it.”
Looking into the Farm Bill, Steckel said NFU is focused on ensuring there is a competition title. Steckel said while NFU was happy to see an extension, there is still pressure to see a farm bill sooner rather than later.
“If we don’t, it could slide into 2025, and we know that there are so many important programs within a farm bill that need to be reauthorized,” Steckel said. “That is what we are doing is having our members really get out there and talk to elected officials about the importance of getting this farm bill done sooner rather than later.”
