Nebraska Farmers Union

2008 accomplishments

Taking Your Message To Washington And Other Areas

ü NEFU continued its national leadership for agricultural market reforms, including a ban on packer feeding, mandatory price reporting, captive supply reforms, enforcement of anti-trust laws, contract producers reforms, and mandatory country-of-origin-labeling (COOL).

ü NEFU President John Hansen, Chairman of the NFU Legislative Committee, spent over five weeks in Washington D.C. and on conference calls to make sure a Farm Bill was finally signed into law.

ü Public Affairs Director Graham Christensen gave a presentation to the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office telling about Nebraska’s success with the newly passed C-BED Legislation.

ü NEFU President John Hansen represented family farm interests at ‘My Rural America’, a Rural Strategy Briefing in Denver, Colorado.

ü Four NEFU members, officers, and agents traveled to Washington DC for the Fall Fly-In to express their concerns. The Production Tax Credit extension for wind energy and other renewables, Cap and Trade, and Farm Bill implementation were the primary topics.

ü NEFU President John Hansen represented Nebraskan’s interests at the Department Of Energy strategic planning session for implementation of 20% wind energy by 2030 in Washington D.C.

ü NEFU President John Hansen served as a national trade advisor on the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Grains, Feeds, and Oilseeds. Since 1994, he has championed the interests of family farmer and ranchers for Fair, not Free Trade policies.

Making A Difference For You In Lincoln & Across Nebraska

In the 2007-2008 Legislative Session, NEFU leaders testified on 51 Bills at their Legislative Hearings, supported 43, and opposed 18. NEFU brings the policy set by members to Lincoln. Win or Lose, we always try our best.

ü Corporate farming: LB1174-NEFU supported Sen. Dierks’ effort to place a statutory version of I-300 back into law. We lost.

ü Wind: LB629-NEFU supported Sen. Dierks’ effort to put C-BED, Community-Based Energy Development into state law. We won.

ü Wind: LB648 & LB1137-NEFU lead the effort to secure sales tax relief for C-BED wind projects in 2007 & updates in 2008. We won.

ü Taxes: LB159 NEFU supported Sen. Heidemann’s effort to exempt ag equipment from sales taxes. We lost.

ü Ethanol: NEFU opposed LB881 & LB946 to impose an excise tax on ethanol. We won.

ü Class I Schools: LB234-NEFU supported Sen. Dierks’ effort to honor Referendum 422 that won 56% voter approval to undue the forced consolidation of local schools. We lost.

ü Tractor Test Laboratory: LB200-NEFU successfully fought efforts to reduce the revenue stream and weaken the NE Tractor Test Lab at risk. We won.

ü Landowner Wind Rights: LB923-NEFU supported Sen. Dubas’ effort to place limits on the number of years wind developers can control land prior to development. We lost.

ü Biodiesel: LB343-NEFU supported Sen. Langemeier’s LB343 to create an investment tax credit for biodiesel facilities. We won.

ü Livestock: LB632-NEFU helped Sen. Dierks win approval of making state efforts relative to animal identification systems voluntary. We won.

ü Wind Energy Transmission: Wind: NEFU President serves on the NE Power Association & National Renewable Energy Lab Wind Integration Task Force.

ü Trichomoniasis Advisory Committee—NEFU President Hansen serves on this state committee.

ü Governor Dave Heineman invited NEFU Board of Directors to his office for a Roundtable Discussion on livestock issues, farm and ranch challenges, wind development, property taxes, and ethanol.

ü NE Rural Response Hotline: NEFU Pres. Hansen & Sec. Jantzen serve on the Board of Directors for this joint effort with Interchurch Ministries to serve farm and ranch families in their time of crisis. Call 800-464-0258

Carbon Credit Program And Wind Energy Outreach

ü Led the way in renewable energy education by teaming up with other Nebraska organizations to hold over 65 plus educational programs including informational meetings, presentations, workshops, conferences, and campus visits on Carbon Sequestration and Wind Energy Development in Nebraska.

ü Since October of 2006, more than 1,125,000 acres have been signed up in the Farmers Union Carbon Credit Program in Nebraska! This includes over 255,000 acres of no-till, alfalfa, and seeded grasses and more than 870,000 acres of rangeland. It appears the hard work is paying off as Nebraska has become the national leader in Rangeland acres.

ü Along with local landowners and Nebraska farmers, NEFU is a partner with the American Corn Growers Foundation on the 42 MW Crofton Hills Wind Farm scheduled for construction in 2009. This farmer and community owned wind project will maximize the economic benefits of wind energy.

ü Made Carbon Credit presentations sponsored by UNL Extension in Rushville, Chadron, Harrison, Kimball, and Gordon, Sandhills RC&D/NRCS No-Till Field Day south of Paxton, Panhandle No-Till Partnership Winter Meeting in Scotts Bluff, and NRD No-Till meetings in McCool Junction, Aurora, Norfolk, Sidney, Alliance, and Clinton. Carbon Credit booth at No-Till On The Plains in Salina, KS.

ü Wind Working Group & Carbon Credit booths at Conventions, Conferences, and Trade Shows including: Northeast NE Farm and Equipment Show in Norfolk, R-CALF in Omaha, 25x25 National Convention in Omaha, Southeast NE Farm Show in Saline County, State Fair in Lincoln, Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, Nebraska Renewable Energy Fair in Hartington, Governors Ag Conference, Wind Power 2008, and the Nebraska Ag Classic in Kearney.

Working To Educate Our Youth

ü NEFU took 16 students and professors from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Southeast Community College in Beatrice, and Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis to “The College Conference on Cooperatives” in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

ü Wind Energy Presentation to UNL Resource and Environmental Economics Class in Lincoln.

ü Wind Energy Presentation to SCC Ag Students in Aurora during their trip to Husker Harvest Days.

ü Wind Energy & Carbon Credit Program Presentation to UNL Climate Change Conference at College of Architecture in Lincoln.

ü 4 Day NEFU Youth Camp at State 4H Camp in Halsey.

ü Wind Energy Development Presentation to UNO Business Class.

ü Wind For Schools Dedication to Tilden Elkhorn Valley Public Schools. Many other schools in Nebraska have been or are in the selection process for this NREL funded educational program.

ü Creation of Nebraska Farmers Union Facebook Group to connect Farmers Union Youth.

Key To Success Is Teamwork…Working With Our Organizational Partners

American Corn Growers Association of NE Nebraska Environmental Action Coalition (NEAC) American Corn Growers Foundation NE American Society Of Civil Engineers (NE-ASCE)

Burt County Supervisors NE Dry Bean Growers

Center For Rural Affairs (CFRA) Resource, Conservation, and Development (RC&Ds)

Cherry County Ranchers Saline County Wind Association

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sandhills Task Force

Geneva Chamber of Commerce Saunders Co Soybean Association

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) Sidney Area Farmers

National Farmers Union Insurances Sierra Club

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Southern Kimball Co Wind Farm Association Natural Resource Districts UNL County Extension

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Winnebago Tribal Council

Nebraska Grange Women Involved In Farm Economics (WIFE)