President’s Podium: Why White Papers?

The RMFU quarterly Board Meeting just wrapped up, with some exciting topics being discussed.  Most of the topics aren’t ready for announcement, but one that is close is White Papers. 

What are White Papers? 

 A White Paper is a report written on a specific topic or problem, with solutions and data to back up the writer’s position. As RMFU is a highly respected general farm organization, our Government Relations staff often read White Papers from other organizations when working on legislation and administrative rules.  

RMFU also gets requests to sign on to White Papers, something we do when our member adopted policy supports it. By signing on, we indicate that if proposals arise based on those positions, RMFU will be in support of the proposal.  

Why are we talking about White Papers?  

White Papers are a tool that RMFU is expanding its use of to help advance our member adopted policies. While we have signed on to White Papers in the past, Government Relations staff is actively researching and crafting the first original RMFU White Papers based on the 2026 Special Orders of Business (SOBs) adopted last November.  

What can you as an RMFU member look forward to as we implement this new tool?  

\We see it as a valuable opportunity to strengthen your voice in shaping policy at both the state and federal levels, one of the key reasons many of you are members. You’ll also get an exclusive sneak peek: as we finalize the approval process, we plan to host a Zoom call ahead of the public release so you can ask questions and learn more about the topics. 

As the topics come directly from our member adopted policy, this is another place that you as an individual member can influence what we support.  By becoming a delegate from your chapter, you can bring any policy to the 2026 Annual Convention in Greeley and advocate for it. If you make your case and gain the support of a majority of delegates then next year, your policy may be one we write a White Paper on next year!