January President’s Podium: The Months Ahead

December is always a blur of a month with a lot of things going on; the schedule was very busy. Between wrapping up and debriefing after convention, end-of-year deadlines, and the holidays, I can’t say there is a lot to discuss in this column. That doesn’t mean there is nothing happening, just that the updates are coming.

With Tyler taking the reins as the new RMFU CEO, you can look forward to new ideas percolating throughout RMFU, the RMFU Foundation, and FUSA. The first of these ideas to be implemented is discussed elsewhere in this newsletter, with the announcement of openings in the membership department in three community areas, helping to further build on the increase in active membership we have seen in recent years.

As we move into 2026, the team at RMFU is well-staffed and ready to make a difference for our members. Legislatively, our state sessions begin in Colorado next week and in New Mexico and Wyoming in a few weeks. As always, our government relations staff will advocate for our member-adopted policies to strengthen our members’ voices and work to make improvements while pushing back against bad legislation.

There is a lot of work to be done at the Federal level with the 2018 Food and Farm Bill again expiring in late 2026, continued low commodity prices, and rising input and living expenses. This year, you will see a change in how RMFU advocates for its members and our communities, as we pivot from primarily reacting to opportunities to creating discussion and opportunities. With the adoption of the “Food and Farm Policy for the Future of Family Agriculture” special order of business, we have  major topics to discuss and big ideas to advocate for. The economic challenges in agriculture are not the result of 2025, but are the result of decades of food and farm policy.  That needs to change, and RMFU will be the voice of that change.

As FUSA COO Kyle Bradley discussed in Cheyenne, FUSA continues to be a very strong organization. The insurance industry has faced challenges over the past five years. I believe we have the best agents and staff, and that any of our members who are not utilizing their local agents are missing out on one of the benefits that we provide! Please reach out to your local agent and benefit from their expertise, and support our organization at the same time.

At the 2024 Annual Convention in Colorado Springs, we announced that RMFU, along with other state Farmers Union organizations and NFU, had partnered with Open Prairie to create Farmers Capital Fund. In the very near future, you will see this partnership make a difference, so keep an eye out for that news.

Not very much for details, but as you can see there is a lot in motion. Look for further announcements and details in the near future!