V O L U M E 3 0
MARCH 2021
M O N TA N A
GRASS ROOTS
F E E D I N G T H E F U T U R E T H R O U G H F A R M E R S U N I O N E D U C AT I O N A P U B L I C AT I O N B Y M O N TA N A F A R M E R S U N I O N
MEMBER profile STACIE CORNELL
•
Member Sarah Rachor says it’s a struggle to get equipment fixed in a timely manner whish is very problematic during harvest when time is of the essence.
Judiciary Committee. To say the least the HB 390 hearing was disorganized and one-sided. MFU was told that HB 390 would be heard second. B Y LY N D S AY B R U N O MFU had proponents online at 7 am E D I TO R ready to testify. After three hours of This session MFU supported testimony on two bills just before two bills on Right to Repair. noon the chair announced that HB 390 The House version, HB 390, would be heard after 3 pm. During was heard in the House the break Chairman Barry Usher was heard telling one of the committee members that right to repair was the NONPROFIT ORG “stupidest thing”. MFU was told by US POSTAGE the chair just before the afternoon PAID hearing that it would be allowed only LIVINGSTON, MT 10 minutes for proponents. During PERMIT NO. 93 Q & A chairman Usher asked one question, refused to let others ask questions and closed the hearing.
MFU FIGHTS FOR THE FARMER’S RIGHT TO REPAIR
B Y LY N D S AY B R U N O E D I TO R
Stacie Cornell is this month’s member profile. Stacie is a student at MSU Northern majoring in Agriculture Operations Technology with a minor in Ag Mechanics. She says her longterm goal is to take over the family ranch near Havre. Stacie’s parents Don and Connie raise Angus cattle and Rambouillet sheep. Her sister Cattie lives in Havre with her family and helps the family during the branding and shearing season. Stacy said four years ago the family decided to go into organic farming because of the The senate version of Right to Repair, prices and the simple and natural SB 273, passed out of the Business technique of producing organic and Labor Committee with a 10 to spring wheat. 1 vote. Although Chairman Steve Fitzpatrick voted against the bill, In school Stacie said she MFU appreciates the senator giving particularly enjoys her Ag Tech SB 273 a fair hearing. Chairman Management and Tractors Fitzpatrick deserves credit for his Class. Stacie became a member decorum. of Montana Farmers Union in C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4
2019 after attending the Young Producer Conference in Havre.
“I love coming to Montana Farmer’s Union conferences and watching the webinars and town halls that interest me, said Stacy. “I like Farmers Union because of the people, they are so kind and welcoming, everything they do is very educational, and they support agriculture issues that I care about.” Q. How has the Ag industry changed since you were a kid? The ag industry has changed a lot since I was a kid. I know in 2012, GMO food and plants became a big deal at the time because more people where conscious about the food they ate. In 2014 the first robotic cabless tractor was rolled out I was in complete awe seeing that at fourteen years old, and how much tractors have changed compared to our tractors on the ranch. C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 7