“You, the county members, are the most important people in our organization,” American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall told Wyoming Farm Bureau (WyFB) members during the organization’s 100th Annual Meeting Centennial Banquet held Nov. 14. (more…)
LARAMIE, Nov. 22, 2019--Wyoming families facing hunger received a boost mid-November with the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee “Harvest for All” project. The annual fund drive and raffle to benefit the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies raised $3,103.35 which is the equivalent of 12,413 meals for Wyoming families. (more…)
November 22, 2019—Laramie County Community College (LCCC) student Kathi LaPoint discussed agriculture issues at the Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Collegiate Discussion Meet and earned $300 cash and an expense-paid trip to Louisville, Kentucky. LaPoint competed Nov. 12 in Laramie. Twelve competitors representing LCCC, Sheridan College and the University of Wyoming (UW) entered the competition. The competition is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected. (more…)
November 21, 2019— Irrigation infrastructure, taxes, private property rights, and migration corridors were among the many topics included in policies adopted at the 100th annual meeting of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB). Held Nov. 13-15 in Laramie, Wyo., the meeting is an important step in the grassroots policy development process of Farm Bureau.
“County Farm Bureau members start the policy development process at the local level,” said Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President. “The process continues through the district, state and national levels as members discuss a wide variety of policy issues that are of concern to them.”
Infrastructure at all levels is critical to agriculture production. “The collapse of the irrigation tunnel in Goshen County this summer brought the discussion on emergency funding to the forefront,” Hamilton explained. “Farm Bureau members recognized the importance of managing our water resources and addressing aging irrigation infrastructure through policy calling for the creation of a funding mechanism to utilize in emergency irrigation infrastructure situations.”
Regarding taxes and state expenditures, Farm Bureau members spoke out against tax increases when they supported a policy to oppose any new fuel taxes. “In addition to opposing new fuel taxes, our members expressed concern over state expenditures on school capital construction,” Hamilton explained. “Our members know education costs and school capital construction costs are a large item and they feel the state should work diligently to ensure school buildings are only updated or replaced when necessary.”
Concern about eminent domain use by county, state or federal governments led to policy calling for the limit of this use within the state to protect property rights. “Farm Bureau members are always concerned when entities use eminent domain to take property,” Hamilton said. “They approved policy that would support amending the Wyoming State Constitution to limit the use of eminent domain within the state for state and county government projects.”
Farm Bureau members weighed in on discussions surrounding migration corridors in the state and what points they feel should be considered. The policy highlighted the need for: local involvement on decisions; a risk analysis process to be used; protection of existing economic and planned activities as well as private property rights; consideration of any funding increases to the state; and if there are any state mandates, they must be paid for by the state.
In other issues, members reiterated their concern of the need for a humane slaughter facility for horses in America. “Additional policy specified that U.S. horse meat should be used to feed animals in U.S. Zoos and Game Parks rather than importing horse meat,” Hamilton explained.
Farm Bureau is dedicated to the principles on which our nation was built. Farm Bureau members reiterated their support for the Second Amendment again this year with discussions surrounding Red Flag laws. “Several resolutions were discussed on this issue and members eventually settled on a policy that does not support these types of laws,” Hamilton said.
Regarding brand inspection issues, discussion looked at eliminating brand inspections for crossing county lines. “This idea was rejected by the voting delegates because they feel brand inspection provides protection and they expressed the desire to retain the ability to have a brand inspector look at movement across the county line,” Hamilton explained.
“This policy discussion is the reason we hold our annual meeting,” Hamilton concluded. “By the time a resolution makes it to our state policy book, it has been discussed by our members at three different levels. This grassroots policy development guides the work of our organization and we are proud to have just completed that process for the 100th year of the organization.” (more…)
LARAMIE, Nov. 15, 2019—Todd Fornstrom, of Laramie County, was elected to his fourth term as President of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) at the organization’s 100th annual meeting in Laramie. (more…)
LARAMIE, WY–“Honoring Our Past, Growing Our Future” is the theme of the 100th Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB). The meeting will be Nov. 13-15, 2019 in Laramie at the Hilton Garden Inn/UW Conference Center.
“We are about to celebrate a century of improving our way of life in farming and ranching by way of policy development,” WyFB President Todd Fornstrom said. “Annual meeting is the culmination of a year’s worth of grassroots efforts. We as farmers and ranchers harvest our crops and livestock each year. We must also harvest the resolution process to guide our policy work each year.” (more…)
–Competitions in Laramie
Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18-35 and college students in Wyoming are invited to participate in the 2019 Discussion Meet competitions. There are two different competitions that will be held during the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Annual Meeting in Laramie in November. (more…)
Farm Bureau’s grassroots policy development is the strength of the Federation. Wyoming farmers and ranchers will grow the policy to the next grassroots level, the state level, at the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) 100th Annual Meeting Nov. 13-15, 2019 in Laramie. The Centennial Celebration will be one you don’t want to miss as we will be “Honoring Our Past, Growing Our Future.” (more…)
September 12, 2019 – The administration’s announcement of a fresh start for clean water and clear rules is a victory for farmers and ranchers, according to the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation. (more…)
“Wyoming Needs Agriculture” Day is coming to a University of Wyoming Cowboy Football game on September 28, 2019 and the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is proud to sponsor the game day event. (more…)