NFU Blog

Dillon Seth Lilly is a senior high school student in Pittsville, Wis. After graduation, Lilly plans to attend either Viterbo or Globe University to become an artist or massage therapist.

Lilly has been extremely active while in high school, having participated in many extra-curricular activities including hockey, basketball, snowboard club, prom court and FFA and having served as the manager for both the girls volleyball and girls basketball teams. Beyond extra-curricular activities, Lilly was also the homecoming king and enjoys several hobbies, including paintball, snowboarding, golfing and disc golfing. Continue reading…

Leading up to the National Farmers Union Convention in Washington, DC, we will be profiling the nine members of the NFU National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC).

Maranda Mahr was raised on a small crop and dairy farm in Stanley, Wis., and is currently attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls pursuing a major in marketing communications. She has long been active in Farmers Union and participates in many organizations and activities including 4-H, Girl Scouts, FCCLA, choir, student council and dance team.

“My grandparents were very active in Farmers Union and their twelve kids attended the Wisconsin Farmers Union Kamp Kenwood,” Mahr explains. Mahr’s mother continued the tradition and sent Maranda and her siblings to camp since she was eight. Continue reading…

Wayne Frost is no rookie to agriculture or Farmers Union. The Lincoln, Neb., man is originally from St. Paul, Neb., and attended the University of Nebraska.

While in college, Frost earned three bachelor degrees in four years: Animal Science, Soil Science and Soil Conservation. After college, he served in the United States Army, taught high school agriculture classes, coached and worked for a feed company as a livestock specialist. In 1980 and at age 55, Frost moved back home to take over his father’s ranch where they had a calf-cow operation of about 250 cattle.

His father was a lifetime member of Nebraska Farmers Union (NEFU). Frost joined NEFU in 1983.

“I’ve always believed in what Farmers Union represented, so it was very easy for me to get involved in it,” Frost says. Continue reading…

Ryan Soren and his family have been involved with Farmers Union for more than 25 years. The family has attended every state Farmers Union convention since Ryan was born. Ryan attended local, county, district and state Farmers Union camps as a camper and a counselor in South Dakota where he earned the SDFU Torchbearer Award. At NFU All-States Leadership Camp, he was elected to the National Youth Advisory Council.

Ryan has earned an associate’s degree in automotive technology and is currently pursuing an associate’s degree in automotive body repair and a certificate in entrepreneurship at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb.

When Ryan moved to Nebraska he pursued new avenues of leadership and participation.

His introduction to Nebraska Farmers Union (NEFU) happened when he came across a Farmers Union Facebook group and was encouraged to attend a local meeting. Shortly thereafter he was unanimously elected vice president for Madison County and was selected as a delegate to the state convention. Continue reading…

This profile is based on an interview from the December 2008 Wisconsin Farmers Union News.

Jake Cramer is a senior at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls (UWRF) majoring in Agricultural Education and Dairy Science. After graduation this spring he plans to teach agriculture at a high school in Wisconsin.

Becoming a member of Farmers Union was a unique experience for Jake. Two of his close friends, Jim and Mike Kvalheim, had long been involved with WFU and told Jake of the opportunities the organization provided. Ever since, Jake has been an active member.

Not only does Jake actively participate in Farmers Union, he helped establish the UW-River Falls chapter and currently serves as its president while Kvalheim serves as vice president. WFU provided the necessary assistance to develop the collegiate chapter.

“I served on the rules and regulations committee at my first convention,” Jake said. “I have also had the chance to serve as president of our Collegiate Local and attended the 2008 NFU fall fly-in and collegiate conference.” Continue reading…

Jim Jones, known to his colleagues as Jim “Co-op” Jones, was recently inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. A Michigan Farmers Union member and MFU Foundation board member, Jim has been involved with cooperative development for most of his life and currently serves as the Assets Manager for the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO).

Jones was among five inductees this year who will each be recognized May 6, 2009 at the annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

“The profiles of these individuals reflect lifetimes of achievement as leaders, educators, advisors, innovators and advocates for cooperative development, but particularly in their given sectors,” said Steven Thomas, Executive Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation, which administers the Hall of Fame. “The contributions of these five individuals provide solutions on how to succeed in any economic era, any region of the country, and any economic sector, which is especially instructive in a down economy.” Continue reading…

By Katie Pass, Minnesota Farmers Union

Former Minnesota, and National, Farmers Union President Cy Carpenter has been honored by Experience Works for his service creating employment and community service opportunities for older workers. Not only did Cy receive an award for his service, but the award is actually named the Cy Carpenter Award. This award will be presented annually to a person whose long-standing leadership and advocacy has contributed to improving the lives of low-income, older Americans by fostering individual economic self-sufficiency and promoting community service activities.

In 1965 Cy joined the Wisconsin and Arkansas Farmers Union Presidents to start Green Thumb, Inc. The organization was renamed Experience Works in 2002. Continue reading…

A lifelong Farmers Union member and active participant, Brandon Hokana is now the president of the Fargo-Moorhead Collegiate Farmers Union. The North Dakota State University junior is an Animal Science and Crop and Weed Science double major.

Brandon grew up on a family farm which now consists of 350 head of beef cattle, mostly Black Angus cows bred to Simmental bulls. In addition, they farm about 500 acres. Brandon started his own operation last spring by purchasing 42 head of commercial Black Angus cows.

Farmers Union has always been a part of Brandon’s life, having participated in the entire Farmers Union Youth Program and received his Torchbearer’s Awards in 2005. Brandon’s parents have long been involved with Farmers Union as well: his father, Gary, has served as Dickey County Farmers Union president for the past ten years, and his mom, Loreli, is the assistant Dickey County youth director.

“I can proudly say the Farmers Union spirit is in my heart and soul,” Brandon says. Continue reading…

A relative newcomer to Farmers Union, Brooke White of Jackson County, Ohio, is already the president of the Ohio State University Collegiate Farmers Union. The Agricultural and Extension Education major and Crop Science minor grew up in southern Ohio where her family has raised laying hens and hogs off and on for the past fourteen years.

Brooke has always been interested in everything that encompasses agriculture and growing up with livestock helped expose her to the industry. Last summer she had the opportunity to learn more about crops through an Early Field Experience internship at the Pike County Extension. Continue reading…

Minnesota Farmers Union Member Jan McNallan, a long-time 4-H leader and supporter, was recently named the National Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer in the 2008 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards Program. This award is given to one 4-H volunteer leader in the United States, and Jan is the first ever recipient from Minnesota. She will be recognized in Washington, D.C., this week and receive a plaque and cash award to donate to a local 4-H program of her choice.

Jan has been involved in 4-H in one way or another for most of her life, having been a 4-H’er herself from the age of 8 until 18. When she was young, she worked on her family’s farm milking cows and attended trade school after graduating from high school. It was in trade school that she met her husband, Bill. After being married about five years, they bought a 3 ½ acre lot about half way between Pine Island and Rochester where they raised two sheep and a horse. They had only been there about three weeks when some local 4-H kids stopped by asking Jan and Bill to buy some candy. Of course they did, and after chatting for a while, Bill and their oldest son attended the next 4-H meeting. The rest is history. Continue reading…