How Cooperation Empowers The Agricultural Community with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
In this episode of the Direct Farm Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Harrison Topp and Susann Mikkelson from Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. Listen as we dive deep into the history of RMFU, discuss the benefits of co-ops, and how RMFU members were able to start selling direct to their customers.
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Intro
Allyssa Knutson: [00:00:00] Welcome to The Direct Farm Podcast. We've got a great conversation for you today with the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union or RMFU for short. I am delighted to welcome Harrison Topp Director of Membership, as well as Susann Mikkelson, Co-op Development Specialist and Membership Field Representative from New Mexico.
Welcome everyone.
Harrison. I'd love to start with you for our first question here. Tell us a little bit more about the history of RMFU the founder when it started, how it started.
Harrison Topp: [00:00:31] Sure. So I work for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union represents , about 20,000 , farm and ranch members in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. We as an organization, we were founding and founded in 1907. And we are a part, we are a division of another organization called the National Farmers Union and the National Farmers Union was founded in 1902 in Texas. And a lot of the idea in the early years was that farmers needed better access to resources like transportation and materials. And they could do that a lot better if they work cooperatively together. It was also really important for all these farmers in the rural communities to build their own resources, their own cooperative resources, and build a voice, political voice as well.
So National Farmers Union was built out of these cotton growers down in Texas that needed to find a way to get their there, to get priced at better prices with the railroads. And so they farmed started the national farmers union. They were able to to work together build cooperative cotton packing plants get it on the railroad railroad and get better prices.
And then that sort of spread across the country. And that's when we that's when it came to Colorado, when we , formed the Colorado farmers union. And then over the years , we grew to also include New Mexico and Wyoming. .
It's a really neat organization with a really rich history. We really operate on three basic pillars, education, cooperation, and legislation. We really feel that through those three pillars you know, people, farmers and ranchers and folks in rural communities , have all the tools they need , to better themselves, better their livelihoods and, have a voice in the, in broader society.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:02:05] I love that. And it's great to hear that over the years, that sounds like you guys have expanded and you've evolved. If you want to just touch a little bit more about how RMFU has evolved over the years and kind of starting from the background of your organization, to where you are today.
Harrison Topp: [00:02:20] Sure. There's a lot that has changed over the years. You know, I think one of the most, one of the things we've seen at Rocky is that we've shifted away from a lot of the brick and mortar businesses that we've had historically. So farmer's union for a long, long time across the country you know, owned and operated cooperative businesses and there are farmers union States that still do a lot of the Midwestern Farmers Union organizations do still operate brick and mortar businesses.
We've moved away from that. So as far as Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is concerned. We're primarily a we've got three branches with our, within our organization.
We've got a for-profit, which is an insurance agency. We've got a nonprofit with foundation, which is where our cooperative development center is housed as well as our education programs. So we do adult education. We do youth programming and cooperative leadership training. And then we have a 501(c)(5), which is actually a lobbying organization.
So a lot of the work we do anymore is around advocacy. So our interest is building a grassroots network that can be advocates for Ag on the ground, through local chapters. And then can also have a voice at the state houses. To represent family farmers and ranchers.
So it's really a dynamic organization. It's very different than I think most people normally think about nonprofits. I mean, again, we've got all these different pieces to it. Suzanne, do you have anything to add? You've been with the organization for a long time.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:03:43] Yes, thanks Harrison. You're dating me, but you're putting, making me sound old, yeah, I actually started working with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union the year before we celebrated our hundredth anniversary. And so I got to be part of the hundredth anniversary celebration and one of the really cool things about Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and its story, which is not a similar to the other state organizations and even the National Farmers Union.
But it really was very grassroots, very democratic in its beginnings in that it was a small group of farmers who were concerned about parity issues. As Harrison mentioned, that formed this sort of network among them in a little tiny town that really isn't even a town anymore between Colorado Springs and Woodland park, Colorado, and they began meeting , that was the birth of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union.
And so the reason I think that's important is because while we have, as Harrison said, adapted , and changed and transformed over time that grassroots nature is still very much a part of who we are at Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and I think that's maybe a little different than some other organizations and what they have become. We still very much value the voice of our individual members and their active engagement in the organization.
I would also just add that while the the 501(c)(5) is kind of our parent organization and sort of , it was our route.
The for-profit insurance company was developed and incorporated in response to member need. And it's what, 65 years old now I think something along those lines Harrison, and then the same with the foundation, the nonprofit, the charitable side of what we do was formed to meet a need of not only our members, but farmers and ranchers.
In general , in the region that we serve, which is a three-state region. So I think I think the, again, the importance of that is that Rocky mountain farmers union is responsive to its members. And you do have a, a voice as a member of farmer's union.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:05:56] Thank you, Suzanne and Harrison , for diving into the history of RMFU and also giving us an idea of how you started as an organization and how those humble beginnings and those grassroots are still interwoven and intertwined into where you are today and how you've evolved over the years.
At this time, I'd love Suzanne for you to touch on RMFU cooperative development center your mission with the organization, with that particular development center, as well as the origins and your vision for 2021 and beyond.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:06:27] Yeah. So thank you. So the, the collab development center formed about 22 years ago, 23, I I've lost track of the number of years, but we're approaching 25 years and really Farmer's Union at the national and Rocky Mountain regional level have always focused on cooperatives and as a cooperative, the cooperative business model, and it is a business model and cooperation.
As a means for answering and resolving issues and concerns of our producers. But at about the time that our co-op development center started, there was funding and there was an emphasis at the national level through USDA to support Education around and development of cooperatives.
And so there were about five co-op development centers around the country that formed at the same time , and were the sort of the initial recipients of this funding that was put out through the USDA, rural development department. That was how our center started our mission now is again, has adapted , as everything else has.
But our mission now is to build a more just, healthy, thriving, and inclusive economy through cooperative enterprises. And that's of course in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming it is very much linked to all of the work of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, but not specifically designated to serve our members.
So of course we want to serve our members, but, and of course we want to introduce people who are not members of, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union through the co-op development center. But there isn't any requirement that you be a member to be served by our co-op development center.
And so we have at any given time , probably between , 12 and 30 active, what we call "projects" and a project just means that they're considering , some form of cooperation whether it be forming a cooperative formally as an entity in their state or doing more informal cooperative approaches like through an MOU or other things.
And we do work with groups who haven't made the decision yet, whether or not to form a cooperative, but they're exploring that or they'd like to learn more about it. And then of course, a part of what we do is advocacy and education around what cooperatives are, how they work , and what their purpose is because there is not any longer, any formal education on this business model in our country.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:09:14] That's great Susann. To see that the cooperative development center is celebrating 20 years of bringing cooperative businesses from the planning stages to full operation. Great to see! As an advocate for family, farmers and ranchers, local communities and consumers in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
I understand you work specifically with farmers in New Mexico, Susann, tell us a little bit more about the members who serve in that particular state.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:09:42] Absolutely. I wish I could tell you about all of them because they're really awesome people. I work a lot with farmers and ranchers and it's not just agricultural producers , that we work with in the cooperative development center. So right now, for example, one of the really big topics in all three of our States and around the whole country really is meat processing and the meat value chains.
And the idea that our meat system, our national system for , as a consumer, for accessing meat is really changing. And that can be a real positive thing, both for the consumer and the producer and for everyone in between. And so we're really doing a lot of work around this issue in our state.
And in fact, I just finished a collaborative call with cooperative development centers from all around the country who are finding ways to collaborate and cooperate on these solutions. And so it is a big, it is a big issue around the region. But a couple of really interesting projects that we have had and have going in New Mexico are food systems sort of issues.
So, things like developing and helping grow farmers. We have in some communities, a shortage of farmers to actually produce food. And so we're doing beginning farmers programs and helping young and new farmers get up and running, creating cooperative networks, and food hubs and systems to provide the structure and the resources that are needed for that.
In some cases it's more around marketing and retail. In some cases it's more around , helping the producers and the processors find the resources they need, and working collaboratively can sometimes help leverage those resources. And then , some just a really sort of different and interesting one that is based on, agriculture production in livestock production in particular is a co-op that was actually formed in 1971 in Northern New Mexico.
And I was called in about a year and a half ago to help this co-op sort of revitalize itself. And I'm working literally with the sons and the grandsons. And a few granddaughters of the original founders of this co-op. And I have to tell you that, you know, these are livestock producers. That's what they do.
That's what they're, that's what the grandfathers and the fathers did. And anybody who thinks that there is not a great deal of intelligence among that population is sorely mistaken. I have found them to have the best, most organized records going on back to the early 1970s. Details and information that I know, I wouldn't be able to find in my own personal records if I were looking and, and just a really astute businessmen. And so I think, you know, I put them up as a poster child when I'm talking to groups of new business men and women who are looking to form a co-op as the way to do it. I mean, they really are a role model.
Another really interesting, unusual co-op that we've worked with in the four corners area has nothing to do with agriculture. It isn't a co-op of inventors and entrepreneurs who have created new concept and ideas and the need to move those forwards , into a product.
They're trying to help one another. I had no idea that if you create something new, if you're an inventor and you invent something, I had no idea the struggle it is to get that into the marketplace, without your idea being stolen or pilfered, or destroyed in some way , before you get a chance , to see it through.
And so this is a really fascinating co-op, that's meant to , expand hopefully around the state and even around the country and work with even economic development offices and others to help really see these small entrepreneurial ideas come to fruition and help them understand the path they need to take and help them find the resources they need to, to see their ideas through.
So, one example, one of the founders of this co-op , has developed a brick. Out of recycled cardboard and he's actually built a house. And is living in it . And so pretty fascinating, not something that I would ever would have thought of. So those are just kind of some of the ideas of, you know, it's not just about agriculture.
That tends to be where we focus, but it's not just that , rural grocery stores you know, all kinds of different things that you know, crafters or whatever. We work with everyone.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:14:29] Thank you Susann for that. Honestly, it is wonderful to see farms and ranchers who have their families involved. And to see that the multi-generational aspect of farming is still alive and well, and people are very passionate about what they do. And to know that the support is out there. If people are looking to join a co-op and the resources are available to them. Thank you so much for sharing more on that.
I expect that you will often talk to your members , what can you share about some of the most beneficial aspects of RMFU membership for farmers specifically? And that can be a question for either you Suzanne or Harrison as well.
Harrison Topp: [00:15:07] Uh, sure. So I think , there's a couple different answers to that. Definitely. For a lot of people, I think it's the network. It's the fact that they're connected to other farmers and ranchers in their community and across, you know, across the state and across the country. It's about learning from those folks.
It's about building a business relationships with those people. And then for some people, I think a lot of it is the advocacy. There's numerous members who can come up, who can cite how they had a pivotal change in their business, because we were able to address a piece of, uh, policy or rule making that was, that was challenging for them. During this pandemic, especially, you know, we were working with our members closely. If folks were having a hard time with PPP or with the EIDL or with the, CFAT payments, you know, we were there to listen and see if we could figure out and troubleshoot with them if there was something going wrong.
You know, I think that's a big benefit that people get is that advocacy piece. But, I can't underemphasize how important it is to have a strong network. I'm a first-generation farmer. We grow peaches and apples and other fruits here in, Western Colorado. And, you know, if it weren't for the relationships that I've made through farmer's union and , and other Ag groups I wouldn't be anywhere with this business, whether it's borrowing equipment, renting equipment, whether it's, filling in when we're low on product, whether it's , building cooperative relationships that help move product.
You know, every piece of it has come because I've invested in relationships and Farmers Union has been a big part of helping to , helping me to explore the broader Ag community and build relationships and find benefits where I never thought I would. So it's really, it's, that's a really essential part of, what we bring to our members and then, through programs like our fellows programs and the cooperative leadership programs,
I mean, we've got people that came in having never thought about what it meant. To take a leadership role in their community , and now they're running for county commission, or now they're running to be , on their REA board or on their water board. We're really about pushing people to participate as leaders in their communities and, give them the tools that would give them the some of the educational resources that they need to do that.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:17:04] Yeah, I think Harrison really hit on everything pretty well. I think the thing that's interesting as I get older, I maybe I get more introspective. A lot of times when I first became a, an employee with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, what I noticed was that when I talked to producers out in there, out in the community there was sort of a, an assumption that any organization like ours, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, or any of the other similar Ag organizations were politically based and politically focused. And certainly I think because advocacy is part of what we do, there can be some political bit to it. But, what I have always found in, Farmer's Union is that it's more about policy and policy issues than about politics. But I think even more so there is a sense of family, in our organization. We see less and less of this, just naturally occurring in the younger generations, including my generation, interestingly enough, that they're not as much joiners as our parents and our grandparents and our great grandparents were right. I mean, we don't become members of things as readily anymore.
And I think because we have so much access to one another through technology that our networking and things have changed. But there still is a sense of family. And so we still see intergenerational memberships, at Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. So the kids and the grandkids of those who were engaged before we still see some of that.
And then coming back or , still being a part of the organization. What it boils down to, whether it's someone who came in as like, both of us and I don't think either of us had family roots in farmer's union. , whether we come in that way or whether we've come in through, you know, sort of being indoctrinated, if you will through the, the generations , everybody still needs a sense of belonging and we still connect with people who. With whom we can relate, with who we have , some connection. And so whether that be issues like drought we're all facing in the Western United States. It really doesn't matter where you are on the political spectrum, where you are on any other, you know, in any other classification that's out there.
Everybody who's in agriculture cares about that issue. And so I think that's, what's so important about organizations like Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and in our organization in particular, because we do put so much emphasis on our grassroots and our membership is that we're bringing everyone together and finding where we can't unfortunately solve the drought issue.
We don't have the right connections with mother nature quite yet, although I'm pretty sure Harrison's working on that. But
Susann Mikkelson - RMFU: [00:19:55] the reality is, is there are things that we can do together that trying to do alone, it's next to impossible or it's way more of a struggle. And so that's really, the cooperative approach is doing together more efficiently and more effectively what we couldn't do on our own.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:20:13] But that's really what our organization is all about is being collectively,
Susann Mikkelson - RMFU: [00:20:18] leveraging each other's strengths and resources, and really having, More of an impact in our in our culture as well as our industry.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:20:28] Thank you, Suzanne and Harrison, for sharing more information about the benefits to RMFU membership. I love how you touched on family and education and how it's really a community and building those connections and having that support for farmers and ranchers is it's great to see.
At this time, Harrison, I'd love to continue the conversation on RMFU members. And looking back at 2020, I know it was a unique year for everybody. How did the pandemic affect your members business? Uh, can you share a success story possibly of maybe a farmer who pivoted their business during the last year as well?
Harrison Topp: [00:21:08] Sure. So I think the way that the pandemic affected our members was really variable , and really changed throughout the course of the pandemic as well. You know, one thing I'd like to say is that they're you know, grateful that in a lot of the stimulus that happened, farmers and ranchers were considered , and that there was strong resources put towards , ensuring the family farmers and ranchers were doing okay.
Because we've been in a difficult number of years in terms of farm incomes. So overall across the country, farm incomes have been dropping. And this was one of the first years that we actually saw blip up. A lot of that's because we were a part of some of these recovery programs. There was a lot of variation I think many people who are selling directly to consumers really saw a lot of business. And that was really exciting.
I hate to say that there was something great and exciting about the pandemic. But you know, there was , You know, I think a lot of people were wondering, Hey, was the CSA model kind of on the, decline or , you know, are farmer's markets kind of plateauing? And then we just saw this eruption of , of interest in food from local farms. And that was great for a lot of our members.
Actually , a little bit of a pivot story, we formed a cooperative farm stand with a couple of other producers in our area. And we set up a couple of times a week and one of the nearby mountain towns and when we were trying to decide how we were going to operate during the pandemic, we actually turned to Barn2Door.
And we worked with Barn2Door to build a online platform, to build an online shop , and worked with you guys throughout the season to move more produce. You know, and I heard from a lot of people that that internet connection , was really important. We had a number of our chapters that , launched campaigns to create whether it's an information clearing house or your sales platform , worked really hard to make those new outlets available.
So I think that that was a real silver lining for agriculture was people who had the ability to move product direct to consumers really saw a big jump in business. I think there are other people in the industry that did not do as well. Certainly a number of folks , ranchers, cow calf producers, you know, there was a lot of , a lot, a lot of uncertainty in the beef market. And we saw people , in some pretty significant hardship , you know, as well as on the commodity markets, but that said, because of the recovery efforts that that were directed towards all citizens, but I think in particular had took consideration for farmers and ranchers. The year ended up okay, for a lot of our members.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:23:32] Thank you Harrison for that and I think it's so important to know how consumers are online. They're looking to buy direct online. They're looking for convenient options and know that you're experiencing success by transitioning and making that commitment to selling direct to consumer is great to see.
So kind of going off of that point. I know, it's very important to establish a loyal customer base. What would you say are some of the . Most effective tactics for RMFU members transitioning their business online in 2021?
Harrison Topp: [00:24:08] That's a really interesting question , and I'm maybe gonna struggle a little bit to find a direct answer. I mean, there was a lot of variation that happened. I mean, I think a lot of people pivoted away from counting on in-person sales. So if folks, particularly folks that do direct markets, so if your business was , focused on farmer's markets, in some cases, if your business was focused on like restaurant wholesale, you know, people really pulled away from that and they went more towards the CSA or an online farmer's market style.
There's a great example in one of the farmer's markets in Colorado, that the farmer's markets itself built out a curbside program that ended up being wildly successful. and so to the point now where they're expanding, you know, growers that weren't able to get into that market because it's such a valuable market. Are now able to participate in that curbside business, which is great.
That was the big shift that we saw people doing as far as planning for 2021. I think we're all wondering, what's it going to be like, you know, I think one of the nice things is that we've built these new tools, you know, tools like Barn2Door, tools like these curbside programs that some of the farmer's markets have built.
We've built capacity in certain areas. Certainly we're working still on building more capacity and meat processing. But you know, In terms of how farmers are doing it, they've built themselves new tools and we've collectively built more resources that I think are going to be nothing but really positive for the future, you know, because hopefully we get some of that old business back in farmer's markets, restaurants, but now we have these new market channels that it took, frankly, it took something as extreme , as a national lockdown for us to build.
I mean, who'd have thought right? So, so it's, uh, it's going to be an interesting year, I think for producers. Here in the in the arid West , right now, I think we're looking forward to strong markets, hopefully in 2021. And just hoping that we've got the, uh, precipitation to keep our crops alive.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:26:09] I just want to say, I think a couple of things that , Harrison said, I think are so important, I think we need to give ourselves permission to see the positive in the pandemic, even though we certainly don't want to take away from what the struggles have been. And, But one of the things that's so impressive and fascinating to me about, uh, agricultural producers is their resiliency.
I mean, some of the things that we're experiencing as a whole population, a worldwide population , and having to adapt and change and constantly, and not knowing to happen next from one month to the next, this is farmers and ranchers lives, right? I mean, to some extent, this is not new for them.
Farmers and Ranchers have always had to adapt to whatever the weather brings, whatever the market prices are, and everything that happens, certainly in our country, but also in our world. , almost always impacts agriculture, right? There's always some impact.
At a much broader scale from an import export perspective , anytime there's some big change politically in our relationship with another country, there's some impact to agriculture, for us and for the producers and other countries. So I just think that, you know, what this has done , down to a very micro perspective is it really has helped us in this industry, reignite the emphasis on , for the consumer to understand where their food really does come from how they acquire their food and what goes into that production and then the whole value chain or the whole food chain of getting it to the consumer.
So I think that there's really a reawakening of the importance of from the consumer perspective of that and what we're seeing with , the beauty of technology, which sometimes drives us completely crazy is that we can react so much more quickly.
There really are a lot of opportunities. That doesn't take away though from the stress that farmers and ranchers continue to feel from all of those things that, that have been stressful for years, the changing climate, the changing landscape of our , water use and water supply and where the water is being directed. And the emphasis on that and all of these other issues that impact our producers. And again, probably if anything, make our relevance as an organization, even more important than ever before.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:28:42] I think those are great insights and best practices. For sure. Thank you, Harrison and Suzanne, for sharing as we quickly approach the spring months, what advice are you giving your members in terms of planning ahead? Given there are so many unknowns with respect to potential routes to market.
Harrison Topp: [00:28:58] You know, That's an interesting question and this isn't maybe exactly what you're looking for, but I think what I'm talking to my members about, or our members about is actually about taking care of themselves. Spring can be a stressful time. There's a lot going on. It's really busy. It's not any easier because we're in the middle of a pandemic. Many of our members are still limiting their contact with other people. They've been indoors or in, you know, in isolation for all winter, you know, just the way that it's impacting a lot of people.
If you mount that on top of the stress that comes with bringing a farm online in the spring, you know, I think a message I'm really bringing to people as like, let's find the ways that we can do communities. If we can get together safely, let's get together safely. If we can have community online, let's have community online.
But I am, I'm really hopeful that we'll be able to support one another through the spring. As far as tips that we're giving them to get to market. You know, I think the best thing that we're doing is we're trying to work together and share solutions. Far be it for me to claim that I have all the answers, but you know, the best thing we can do is talk about what worked and what didn't work last year, work together on bottlenecks that we know are out there like meat processing like in some cases, cold storage , and, share resources and, share our successes with one another so that hopefully we can go into 2021 more resilient more prepared for success.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:30:24] Harrison's emphasis on taking care on self care and the importance of, making sure that your, if you don't take care of yourself, then you're not going to be able to do what you do and to take care of others, which is what farmers and ranchers do ultimately. I would just add to what Harrison said that reaching out for resources. There are a lot of resources out there, um, Barn2Door, you know, other there's so many other networks our our departments of ag on creating all sorts of marketing opportunities and systems. There's just a lot of places you can go to get help with whatever your , wherever your area of production is. Reach out to the co-op development center, you know, and we can help you, and to Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and figure out what works for you. Figure out how we can help you.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:31:08] Yeah. Harrison and Suzanne. I think self care is so important and cannot be stressed enough, especially during this time. Thank you so much for touching on that piece. Before we sign off, is there one piece of advice that you would like to share with farmers as they look to build more certainty for their business in 2021?
Susann Mikkelson: [00:31:28] From the policy piece, all the way to the, you know, conservation or the particular soil health issues that you might address, it's all relative and your voice matters.
Harrison Topp: [00:31:40] Yeah, I think now is a time to be engaged. I think now is a time to be at the table for things. I think now we're going to be looking at a new farm bill here very soon. We've got a new administration. That's trying to roll out a lot of farm programs, a lot of programs, period, but things that are going to really impact us things around climate things around markets.
Now is the time to be engaged because, with your business, definitely with preparing for your business, certainly, but there's going to be a lot of decisions that are happening that are going to impact farmers and ranchers that we really need to be at the table for. Whatever that looks like, whether it means getting involved with the farmer organization like ours, whether it means getting involved in your community.
I think , let's reinforce how important it is to be engaged and let's reinforce how important it is, for you to have a voice at the table.
Allyssa Knutson: [00:32:27] I want to extend my thanks to Harrison and Suzanne and the entire membership at RMFU. At Barn2Door, we are delighted to serve farmers in all 50 States, including RMFU members in Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado. For more information on the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, you can visit: www.rmfu.org and to learn more about Barn2Door, including access to numerous free resources and best practices for your farm, you can go to our website at: www.Barn2Door.com/resources. Thank you for tuning in, and we will see you next week.
Susann Mikkelson: [00:33:05] Thanks, Alyssa. Thanks everyone.
Harrison Topp: [00:33:06] Bye guys.
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