More than 460 Farmers Union members gathered in Bellevue, Washington, for the 117^th anniversary convention, which ends today (March 5).

Topics discussed include the state of the farm economy, international trade disruptions, extreme consolidation in the agricultural sector, climate change and sustainability, and the success of the next generation of family farmers.

“This year’s policy deliberations will be especially important, as family farmers and ranchers face a difficult farm economy, an increasingly volatile climate, and extreme consolidation in agricultural marketplaces, among the normal unpredictability that they deal with on a day-to-day basis,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “The policies they adopt will carry significant weight in the nation’s capital, as they represent the collective will of America’s farm and ranch families.”

Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award

Joel Heitkamp, a North Dakota broadcaster known for his live, three-hour radio program, News and Views, received the 2019 Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award.

“Joel is a leading advocate for family farm and ranch agriculture in the Upper Midwest, and he is well deserving of this honor,” Johnson said. “Given his significant following in both rural and urban centers, his impact is significant. That’s why it carries so much weight that he provides farm families a voice in increasingly polarized political and social climates.”

The Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award is presented to reporters or news outlets that demonstrate exceptional reporting of agricultural issues. The award was named in honor of Milton D. Hakel, a well-respected Farmers Union communicator.

Joel Heitkamp

“Each year we celebrate the influencers in journalism who provide fair and consistent coverage of the issues facing our members,” said Johnson. “These communicators are awarded because of their commitment to objective and insightful media stories that promote positive public discourse.”

Meritorious Service Awards

NFU presented Gene Paul of Minnesota with the Meritorious Service Award to humanity and Paul Symens with the Meritorious Service Award to Farmers Union and to American agriculture.

“Both Gene and Paul spent their careers and lives bettering life for American farm and ranch families, and their communities,” Johnson said. “It is important to celebrate champions for family farmers and rural communities, and to honor these men in particular for their service. I am proud to recognize their contributions with our organization’s highest honor, the Meritorious Service Award.”

NFU President Roger Johnson, Gene Paul and Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish.

Paul has dedicated decades of his life advocating for rural communities. In his work with National Farmers Union and the National Farmers Organization, he has lent his expertise to countless rural issues, working tirelessly to increase market opportunities, campaign for fair farm prices, and build support for farm policy among advocacy groups.

Paul began his leadership in NFO in the early 1960s. He served on the organization’s National Board of Directors and its Board of Trustees, before completing a four-year term as NFO President from 1995-1999. He also played an active role in the development of the NFU-NFO joint marketing agreement to leverage NFO’s expertise in marketing commodities and NFU’s history of legislative influence. He is NFO National Legislative Coordinator.

Paul has owned and operated a second-generation diversified grain and livestock farm since 1959. He is also an ordained deacon of the Catholic Church.

Not only is Symens a Farmers Union member since 1962, but he has also held an impressive number of leadership positions within the organization. He has served on the South Dakota Farmers Union Board of Directors and as president of the Marshall County Farmers Union chapter. Additionally, he had a 36-year-long tenure on the Farmers Union Marketing and Processing Association Board of Directors.

Symens worked on behalf of South Dakota producers in the political arena as well. He spent 16 years in the South Dakota legislature as a state senator, where he passionately advocated for family farmers and ranchers. He continues this work as a Marshall County Commissioner. He operates his family’s operation in Britton, South Dakota, which includes crop ground, purebred Limousin cattle, and a feedlot.

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