NDFU kicks off Week of Action campaign

North Dakota Farmers Union today launched a Week of Action campaign urging Congress to take quick and decisive legislative action in passing a comprehensive farm bill that supports family farmers, ranchers and consumers.

"Family farmers are facing a perfect storm: volatile markets, rising input costs, shrinking federal support, mounting trade tensions, and no farm bill in sight," said NDFU President Mark Watne. "We need action."

Nearly 100 Farmers Union members from across the country have made the trek to Washington, D.C., to lobby members of Congress, while hundreds more are advocating directly from their farms and ranches through social media.

"Family farms are on edge, and the farm economy is faltering. Without the certainty of a strong, five-year farm bill, farmers are left exposed to mounting risks and instability," said National Farmers Union President Rob Larew. "This week, farmers and ranchers across the country are raising their voices to urge Congress to act - for farmers' sake. Their stories make clear what's at stake, not just for agriculture, but for the rural communities that depend on it."

Farmers Union members will urge Congress to pass a bipartisan farm bill that:

• Strengthens the farm safety net.
• Builds upon voluntary conservation programs.
• Restores balance and opportunity in the marketplace.
• Delivers fast and reliable risk management programs.
• Garners broad support from both farmers and consumers.

For more details on the Week of Action, visit nfu.org/forfarmerssake.