Minnesota Farmers Union President returns from meeting at the Vatican

Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) President, Doug Peterson, announced his retirement last month from MFU, but took on the role one final time as an advocate for American family farmers in a meeting with the Pope and Vatican staff to discuss the importance of farming in the World.

During the meeting which was held in Rome at the Vatican, Pope Francis endorsed and blessed the efforts of Minnesota Farmers Union and Catholic Rural Life to support family farmers in the United States and worldwide. Pope Francis spoke of dignity and value of farmers. He also spoke of the need to move farmers and rural people from the margins of society and economy to the main stream. 

“I was blessed to have been able to present to Pope Francis the document on behalf of Farmers Union and ask for his blessings on the work that we do,” stated Peterson, “I was honored to have been able to gift him a chalice of simple design after we spoke. I left the meeting with Pope Francis with the strong feelings that this work between friends of all faiths and societies will continue and I am truly honored to have been a part of it during my lifetime.”

The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader is a project that the organizers of the Faith Food & Environment project have worked on for the past three years. They have worked together with farmers, theologians, sustainable agriculture advocates and agribusiness leaders to develop this reflective project. The objectives of this project are:

1. To affirm the noble and dignified vocation of farming and of the work of men and women involved in both agricultural production and getting food to our tables

2. To retrieve the spirit of vocation, that farming is not just an occupation, but an invitation from the Creator to a holy relationship: a calling "to till and to keep" the earth

3. To inspire future generations of men and women to see how their faith informs both their work in agriculture and stewardship of God's creation.