McHargue Elected to American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors, AFBF Delegates Adopt Nebraska Policies
LINCOLN, NEB. – Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue has been elected to serve on the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Board of Directors. McHargue was elected to the position by delegates from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin during the Jan.13 Midwest Region Caucus of the virtual AFBF Annual Convention.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve with other state Farm Bureau Presidents from across the country in helping provide leadership and direction for a wonderful organization that is committed to serving as a voice and advocate for America’s farm and ranch families,” said McHargue. “Midwestern agriculture is critical to our nation and the world in producing food, fuel, and other basic needs for society. I’m excited to bring a Nebraska and Midwest perspective to the table of one of the most well respected and influential organizations in the country.”
In addition to the appointment of McHargue to the AFBF Board, delegates to the AFBF Convention also adopted a handful of policy positions recommended by Nebraska farmers and ranchers during the Nebraska Farm Bureau annual meeting last December.
“The strength of our organization is in our grassroots policy process ensuring that members direct our policy positions. We’re pleased that many of the policies recommended by Nebraska farmers and ranchers will now become policy of the American Farm Bureau,” said McHargue.
Nebraska proposals related to reform in cattle markets were among those adopted by AFBF delegates, including specific policy to expand cash sales to increase price transparency. Other Nebraska policies adopted included support for very small, small, and medium sized meat processing facilities to expand marketing opportunities for Nebraska livestock producers. AFBF delegates also adopted Nebraska initiated proposals to provide USDA more tools to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act.
Other policies adopted by delegates to the Convention included measures to increase oversight of regulatory structures for crop protection products to prevent situations like those occurring this past summer when legal action sought to take dicamba products away from producers during the prime application window. Delegates also supported policy to allow self-employed individuals to participate in group health insurance policies to help lower health insurance costs, while also reaffirming support for expanding markets for agricultural products by supporting trade agreements between the United States and the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Nebraska Farm Bureau state board members serving as delegates to the AFBF Virtual Convention included Mark McHargue of Central City (NEFB President), Sherry Vinton of Whitman (NEFB 1st Vice President), Hilary Maricle of Albion (Ag Promotion, At-Large), Lance Atwater of Ayr (Youth-At Large), David Grimes of Minden (South Central Region), and Dustin Ladenburger of Stratton (Southwest Region).
The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 58,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit www.nefb.org.
