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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bill Bullard and Goellers Receive President’s Awards At NEFU State Convention

December 11, 2008. Lincoln, NE. At its recent State Convention, Nebraska Farmers Union presented John and Mardelle Goeller of Pilger and Bill Bullard CEO of R-CALF with their organization’s highest honor, the President’s Award, for service to family farm agriculture.

Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF received the second President’s Award. Bullard joined the R-CALF organization as its Chief Executive Officer in Billings, Montana in April of 2001. Before joining R-CALF, Bullard served as the Executive Director of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission from 1995 to 2001. Bullard previously worked for National Farmers Union as its Northwest States Membership Services Director, Oklahoma Farmers Union as its Membership Services Director, and also for a brief period for Nebraska Farmers Union.

“Bill Bullard is a man of vision, values, courage and integrity who has tirelessly championed the interests of family farmers and ranchers. He has become a respected national leader on issues facing the cattle industry, including Country of Origin Labeling, concentration and non-competitive marketing practices in the meat packing industry, unfair trade practices, and animal health issues,” Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen said in his presentation.

“Bill Bullard is not confused about whether he works for U.S. cow calf producers or U.S. based international meat packers. Bill Bullard consistently champions the interests of U.S. cow calf producers. We need that kind of clear and strong leadership at a time when all too many livestock commodity organizations fail to stand up for our traditional American system of independent family farmers and ranchers efficiently and responsibly producing safe, high quality food for our nation. We appreciate his presence on the national stage,” Hansen concluded.

John and Mardelle Goeller of Pilger are long time organizational members, officers, and boosters. John Goeller served on the NEFU Board of Directors from District 7 for nine years from 1981 to 1989. In 1984, Goeller originated the Country of Origin Labeling concept. His idea traveled up the process from NEFU District 7 Fall meeting, to the state policy committee, to full State Convention where it was adopted. Hansen said, “John Goeller is a man of ideas. Organizations need people with new ideas.”

NEFU State President John Hansen noted that while John Goeller originated the COOL concept, it took the organizational efforts of Farmers Union and many other organizations over a 24 year period to finally get mandatory COOL implemented at the national level. Hansen noted that it was especially appropriate to have Tom Buis, National Farmers Union present and at the head table for the award ceremony since it was Tom Buis who House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson designated to negotiate the final agreement and details of the mandatory COOL provision in the 2008 Farm Bill with the lobbyist from the meat packing industry during the House Ag Committee deliberations. Hansen said, “A Farmers Union member initiated the Country of Origin Labeling concept and a Farmers Union President finalized the details and implementation on the concept. That shows the power of grassroots ideas and the importance of a strong organization dedicated to getting the job done on behalf of its members.”

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