Opportunities to Participate

It’s hard to believe that, although we are only in July the first planning meeting for the 2026 Annual Convention just took place. The keystone event of the year, Convention requires a lot of work and planning on the part of our staff and this year there are many opportunities for you to be involved!

First and foremost, we are about to begin our grassroots process of policy adoption. We are still looking for people interested in serving on the Policy Committee, which will meet August 1 at the RMFU office If you are in districts III, IV, or V and are interested in serving, please reach out to myself or Tyler. We also have an exciting opportunity for a youth member to serve on the policy committee. If you are between the ages of 16 – 22 and are interested in learning more about RMU’s policy adoption process and taking part in it, please fill out this form and we will reach out! Our annual policy adoption is a cornerstone of the work we do, and it is completely dependent upon the guidance and involvement of our members – you!

Just as we do every Convention, we will also be voting on members of the Board of Directors. This year, election will cover the role of Vice President, and Districts V and VI in Colorado. If you would like to see the area these districts cover, you can find more information at this link. If you are interested in running the deadline to submit your intent to run is September 1, less than two months away.

Our bylaws are going to be a big topic at Convention this year.  We held a webinar to discuss our bylaws, what they are, the purpose they serve, and incoming proposals for changes that we are aware of. We also created a working group who will collect and refine additional member input. If you would like to get up to speed on what’s happening with the bylaws, you can watch the webinar here. The amendment process for our bylaws requires submission of proposals 60 days prior to Convention, which is September 21 for the 2026 Convention.

Unrelated to convention but another important event is the annual NFU Fly In. This is one of our most impactful events at the federal level and attending it is a benefit of being a member of RMFU. We will hear briefings from a variety of government agencies and then take our policy to the Hill and advocate for farmers and ranchers directly with our region’s legislators. This year, Fly In will likely happen right in the middle of Farm Bill discussions. This is a chance for you as producers and those most affected to tell our legislators that status quo is not good enough, we need better. If you are interested in making our voices heard and making a difference, I encourage you to reach out and let us know you are interested. You can do that here.

The list of things to get done on the farm and ranch is always longer than the days allow, so I know how hard it can be to look ahead and make the commitment to attend events and make your voice heard, but RMFU is the strongest way to amplify your voice. We work hard to carry out our mission and vision and your engagement is what allows that.  Help us make our family farmers, ranchers, and communities thrive by committing time to do what you can, whether that is filling out a survey, traveling to Washington DC, attending the convention in Greeley or sharing with your friends and neighbors what we do.

We look forward to seeing you at these – and all – events!