Several state lawmakers and the Democratic candidate for Senate Robin Carnahan spoke at the Missouri Farmer’s Union annual meeting last Saturday. Poor weather condition forced MFU leaders to move the two day conference to a one day annual meeting in Columbia, Missouri. Topics included current legislation about seed monopolies, job creation, grain indemnities, and dog kennels.
Members of the Missouri Farmer’s Union also approved of two policies at their meeting.
The Missouri Farmers Union would oppose the move of the Plum Island Animal Disease Research laboratory to the Midwest saying that it would pose environmental and health concerns to one of the nation’s most important livestock regions. The lab is currently in New York and researches diseases such as BSE and the West Nile virus.
Not only were these issues tackled, but also a new slate of officers was elected for the upcoming year
State Officers for 2010
President- Richard Oswald of Langdon
Vice President- Steve Wright of Madison
Treasurer- Marilyn Simpson of Clarence
Secretary- Jan Beach of Leonard
New Members to the Board of Directors
Jim Foster of Montgomery City
Harold Beach of Leonard
Dick Wilson of Rogersville
Missouri Farmer’s Union members hope to schedule another conference in November to reach out to those who could not attend the meeting due to weather and location.
Newly elected president Richard Oswald also spoke about what Missouri Farmer’s Union members can look forward to in the next year.
“We want to see more markets for Missouri produce. We want to see more opportunities for Farmer’s market producers,” said Oswald. “We want to see this bill that moves more produce directly into schools, the Farm to Cafeteria Bill that I have worked on and helped with when I could. We want to see that and try to fight for more local markets.”
Oswald is a corn and soybean farmer from Langdon in the Northwest corner of Missouri.
AUDIO: Richard Oswald, Missouri Farmers Union President (1 min., MP3)
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