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| NFU and Hastings Mutual Insurance Company Announce PartnershipNFU and Hastings Mutual Insurance Company (HMIC) announced their marketing partnership last week. HMIC is an award-winning, regional Property/Casualty insurance carrier serving the Midwest since 1885.
Through this new partnership, Hastings Mutual will serve as an endorsed insurance carrier of Farmers Union and will offer a premium discount on its farmowners insurance policies to Farmers Union members in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.
“Hastings Mutual is an outstanding insurance company that can offer top farm insurance products to our members, in addition to other great coverages including home, auto, and commercial insurance,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “We look forward to the added resources and benefits available to our members through this strong marketing partnership.”
In addition to offering insurance expertise and a farm policy discount, the partnership between Hastings Mutual and Farmers Union will support rural communities through farm safety training courses and materials, membership networking and educational events, community co-ops, and additional farm industry resources for mutual members of the partner organizations.
“We are thrilled to partner with National Farmers Union and the individual state organizations in our territory to offer increased benefits for our mutual members,” said Dan Hill, vice president of Marketing at Hastings Mutual.
“This partnership will also create a unique marketing opportunity for our independent insurance agents to service new farm insurance accounts.”
The partnership will also seek to increase growth for Farmers Union’s association membership in the Midwest as well as continue to expand Hastings Mutual Insurance Company’s presence in the region’s farm insurance market. |
First Hand: Farmer to Farmer In conjunction with National Cooperative Month, we have been featuring a series of blogs detailing the recent work Farmers Union members have done in western Africa through the Farmer-to-Farmer program. Erin Schneider, a Wisconsin Farmers Union member, recounted time abroad. 
Rain, heat, traffic, frogsong, coupled with the steamy smell of ocean and fish, greeted our descent into Dakar’s soon to be flooded streets. I have landed, usurping my temperate cool for tropical steam, traveling deep into the belly of Baobabs, fonio fields, and jujubee fences. I had to keep reminding myself that I have arrived in Senegal, Africa. Once outside of Dakar’s riverine streets and metro limits, the landscape opened up revealing a lively, generous, culture amidst expansive skies.
Yes I saw wild monkeys, sampled nandom fruits (which taste like kumkwats), slept soundly under thatched roofs, awoke to the calls of Abyssinian rollers, got held up in ‘traffic jams of grazing goats’, blazed new roads in the bush en route to farms, was startled by lizards jumping from roofs, haggled for market wares in Woloff and French, swam under waterfalls at Dindefello, attempted to balance baskets on my head while walking, learned new harvest songs and dances, sampled amazing peanut sauces, gumbos, and rice dishes (despite my stomach flora’s occasional protests), rested my eyes under giant Baobab trees, felt very white, and had an amazing time traveling across the country to the far Southeast reaches of the mountainous Kedougou region of Senegal.
But why was I really here, on the other side of the world, away from my farm in the summer, in the middle of the Sahale during the rainy season?
Visit www.nfu.org/blog to continue reading more about Erin’s experience! |
Need More 2012 Farm Bill Information?
Log on to www.nfu.org/farmbill for the latest information on the 2012 Farm Bill. It includes both the House and Senate version of the bills and many farm bill resources, along with letters, news releases, and testimony that NFU has done about the legislation. |
What’s New on the NFU Blog
Don’t forget to check out NFU’s blog at www.nfu.org/blog. We will use this space to encourage dialogue about Farmers Union events throughout the country, education and outreach, our members, cooperative development and issues that impact U.S. family farmers, ranchers, fishermen and their communities.
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NFU Education Activities and Opportunities
Annie’s Sustainable Agriculture Scholarships
Annie’s Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship Program is open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students studying at an accredited two- or four-year college or graduate school. The program offers a total of $100,000 in funds to students studying sustainable agriculture.
Applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2012.
NCBA Webinar Featuring Co-Ops & Social Media
NCBA will host a webinar on How to Raise Your Co-op’s Profile Using Social Media on Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 2-3 pm EDT.
NCBA’s Colette Beyer and Wendy Goldman Scherer, Social Media Manager for Cabot Creamery Cooperative, will provide an overview of social media best practices, provide quick tips for getting started and involving a team, and focus on how to create influence with individuals and organizations outside the co-op.
World Food Day on Oct. 16
Agricultural cooperatives are the focus of World Food Day 2012.
The official World Food Day theme, announced each spring by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), gives focus to World Food Day observances and raises awareness and understanding of approaches to ending hunger.
“Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world” is the formal wording of the 2012 theme. It has been chosen to highlight the role of cooperatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger.
Interest in cooperatives and rural organizations is also reflected in the decision of the UN General Assembly to designate 2012 “International Year of Cooperatives.”
Watch this page for information materials and news about World Food Day observances taking place around the world.
To learn more, please visit http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/
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Join Farmers Union Members to Help Feed America’s Hungry
NFU and Feeding America have partnered for the second year to help fight hunger throughout the United States with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
For the second consecutive year, the foundation has pledged matching funds up to $50,000. According to Feeding America, one in six Americans struggles with hunger, including one-fifth of all children.
All member-driven donations go to food banks that serve hungry people in their communities. Feeding America’s more than 200 member food banks serve 61,000 agencies across the United States that addresses hunger through emergency food assistance and programs.
Through Buffet’s challenge, every dollar donated helps provide $17 worth of food and groceries to Americans in need. With the Buffett Foundation’s matching grant, NFU members will see that number double to $34. If Farmers Union members can reach the goal set of $50,000, it will provide $1.7 million worth of food.
Click here to find out how you can help! The campaign concludes on Dec. 15, 2012. |
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NFU Partners with Home Grown Cow
NFU is teaming up with Home Grown Cow to provide farmers and ranchers with an opportunity to market certain products directly to consumers. Home Grown Cow also gives consumers an opportunity to browse products by location and farming style.
Visit Home Grown Cow’s website at www.homegrowncow.com. |
Farm Price Barometer
September 2012Current Parity % of
Commodity Price Price Parity
Crops
Barley (bushel)……………..5.76………..12.70……….51
Corn (bushel)…………….. .7.35………..12.10……….61
Cotton, Upland (lb) ………0.723………..2.10……….34
Flaxseed (bushel)………. .13.10……….32.10………41
Oats (bushel)………………..3.75………..7.66……….49
Peanuts (lb)…………………0.353………0.758………47
Rice (cwt)…………………..14.60……….42.50………34
Sorghum Grain (cwt)…….12.20……….21.20………58
Soybeans (bushel)…………16.30………29.10……..56
Wheat (bushel)……………..8.49……….18.50………46
Livestock
Cattle (cwt)………………120.00……….294.00………41
Hogs (cwt)…………………57.10……….161.00………35
Dairy/Poultry
Eggs, (dozen)………………1.23………..2.65………..46
Milk, All (cwt)………….. ..19.10……….52.50……….35
*Lamb and manufacturing milk prices are one month behind all other prices in this analysis.
** Egg Prices are Mid-month in this analysis.
Taken from “Agricultural Prices,” USDA/NASS. |
 NFU in the News
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson and staff work with the media to be ensure NFU and its members’ voices are heard throughout the media. For the latest NFU-related news and interviews, please visit
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