Proponent of Family Agriculture and Farmers Union Policy

By Kent Peppler

Greetings to my fellow Farmers Union members. My name is Kent Peppler and I am very proud to be the new president of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. I am a fourth generation farmer from Mead, Colorado. Our farm currently consists of corn, wheat, alfalfa hay, and sunflowers. In addition, my family in has raised sugar beets, barley and fed cattle, sheep, and hogs for three generations.

My family became a member of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union when retiring RMFU President John Stencel “recruited” me to be a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Colorado State Farm Service Agency State Committee after I had finished my term as the Colorado Young Farmers Educational Association state president. We have been hooked on Farmers Union ever since.

I have served on four federal committees, including the USDA Agriculture Trade Advisory Committee, as well as several committees at Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. My children have participated in the scholarship programs and the youth camps.

I have been married to Colleen (Guy from Akron) Peppler for 22 years. She is currently an assistant principal at Longmont High School. This summer Colleen hosted a “Friends of Farmers Union” luncheon at our home. Our daughter,

Ashley, is 18 years old and a freshman at American University in Washington D.C. She is majoring in international studies and aspires to become a trade lawyer, using her agricultural background. She also is running cross-country and track for the American University Eagles.

Tyson, our son is 11 years old and is in the fifth grade at Mead Elementary. He enjoys being outdoors with animals and participating in a variety of sports. He loves attending the RMFU summer youth camp in Bailey every year.

Now that you have learned about me, let us talk about the greatest farm organization in the world. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is diverse, creative, knowledgeable, and has a better success rate of grassroots farm policy than any other agricultural organization.

RMFU had a very exciting 100th anniversary convention. I would like to thank the staff, the delegates, and the members for a great convention. The number of high profile people that attended the convention to honor John Stencel for his great career in agriculture was unbelievable! John served as a great example for the leaders of tomorrow. John, grease up your fly rod, check the oil in your car, and do not look back. You made us all proud!

The hundred-year celebration made the convention historic. I wonder what the first members of Farmers Union in our states would think of their organization today.

The election had all of us on the edge of our seats. A highly qualified group of candidates added constant electricity to the air. What an exciting way to end the year; I cannot wait for the coming years!

I am confident that in the future, we at Rocky Mountain Farmers Union will have the opportunity to make positive changes, not just in rural America, but in the entire United States.

I ran for president because I can feel the optimism within our organization that great thing are about to happen in rural America, and I wanted to be a part of it.

Family farm agriculture is the lifeblood of this country. We not only feed the country, but we are the moral and ethic fiber that made the United States the greatest country in the world.

So bring your family, get involved and help the RMFU cause. Get involved in your county organization, participate in state activities, such as drive-ins to your state capitals, have your kids sign up for camp, and begin now to plan to attend the 2007 RMFU Convention, which will culminate our 100th anniversary celebration!

We are going to work hard for family farms, and at the end of the day, we will have made a stronger Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and most importantly, we will have made a stronger rural America.