MFU members elect state officers including Walter Schweitzer to serve as president at state convention

For Immediate Release

October 28, 2019

Contact: Lyndsay Bruno
406-452-6406; cell: 406-788-8777

GREAT FALLS – At the annual MFU State Convention in Great Falls members elected state officers including Walter Schweitzer to serve as President of the statewide grassroots organization. In addition officers were re-elected to represent the following districts: Jan Tusick, District 6; Ben Peterson, District 5 & 6 At-Large; Erik Somerfeld representing District 2; John Wendland as Door Keeper and Tom Clark as Conductor. The officers were sworn in at the convention’s closing banquet on Saturday.

Schweitzer begins his three-year term immediately and looks forward to building upon the great work of his predecessors while working on behalf of family farmers, ranchers and rural communities that are the backbone of this country. “I am humbled that my neighbors and fellow Montana Farmers Union members have entrusted me with this great opportunity and responsibility,” said Schweitzer. “I ran for this position because I have seen first-hand the negative impact the trade wars have had on folks in production agriculture all across our state.  I will ensure Montana Farmers Union fights for real trade deals that work for our members.”

MFU Officers elected at MFU State Convention. Rollie Schlepp, John Wendland, Tom Clark, Ben Peterson, Erick Somerfeld, Jan Tusick and Walter Schweitzer

Schweitzer grew up in a Montana Farmers Union family and purchased his own farm at the age of 18.  Schweitzer graduated from Montana State University in 1985 with a B.S. in Agronomy. Like many members, he learned the importance of market access and common sense trade deals through the 1980s agriculture crisis.  This crisis forced him to leave his farm in order to pay down the debt he had taken on before returning to Montana in 1990.  Schweitzer and his wife Cindy Palmer work the Judith Basin family farm he grew up on.

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