FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– After yet another year of depressed commodity prices, uncertainty in export and biofuels markets, rapid consolidation in the food and agriculture sectors, and extreme and unseasonal weather events, nearly 400 of National Farmers Union’s (NFU) family farmer and rancher members traveled to Washington, … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 9, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– In a pair of unanimously approved resolutions, the National Farmers Union (NFU) Board of Directors called on the administration and Congress to address mounting financial difficulties that have been exacerbated by recent policy decisions. Specifically, they urged the resolution of ongoing trade disputes, the enforcement … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 30, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– On behalf of its nearly 200,000 family farmer and rancher members, National Farmers Union (NFU) today submitted public comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), urging the agency to adjust their proposed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) volume obligations for 2020. Though the … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 23, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– In retaliation against the United States’ most recent escalation in an ongoing trade war, China today announced that it will increase tariffs on $75 billion worth of American goods, including a number of agricultural products. Starting on September 1, the country plans raise … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 19, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– Building on over a century of agricultural education, National Farmers Union (NFU) today announced its ninth Beginning Farmer Institute (BFI) cohort. Thirteen beginning farmers and ranchers from across the United States will take part in the education program, which promotes the success of … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump directly authorized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) issuance of 31 small refinery exemptions (SREs) last Friday, per a Reuters report. The action will eliminate demand for biofuels by an estimated 1.43 billion gallons, bringing the total losses due to … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 12, 2019 WASHINGTON –In a joint petition filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals, a broad alliance of ethanol, agriculture, and clean fuel organizations requested judicial review of a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rulemaking that would limit ethanol blending and restrict the use of blender pumps. The Urban Air … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 9, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– According to a recent Reuters report,  the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved 31 of its 38 pending small refinery exemptions (SREs) for 2018. Recipients of the exemptions are not required to comply with renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 2, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– The U.S. Senate yesterday passed the Family Farmer Relief Act of 2019, a bill that will expand family farmers’ access to relief under Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy rules by increasing the debt limit from $4.2 million to $10 million. The bill, which was … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 hpackman@nfudc.org YPSILANTI– Following the release of its disappointing 2020 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today hosted a public hearing to gather feedback from farmers and other stakeholders on the proposed rule. The proposal would maintain … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– With little relief in sight for persistently low commodity prices, U.S. family farmers and ranchers are facing a bleak economic future. But a bipartisan bill introduced today by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) would help restore prosperity to rural America … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– Two months after announcing its intentions to provide a new package to assist family farmers and ranchers coping with trade damages, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released finalized details about the timing and calculation of direct payments to producers through the … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 23, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – Today’s farmers have to do more than just grow food; running a successful operation requires a broad range of skills, including marketing, business management, mechanical repair, and agronomy. To more effectively meet the growing needs of family farmers and ranchers, National Farmers … Read More

New data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration shows that rural communities have the highest death rates nationwide from opioid prescriptions, more than three times the national average. A previously unreleased database from DEA tracking prescription painkillers showed that the highest per-capita opioid death rates from 2006 to 2012 were in rural communities in West Virginia, … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 18, 2019 Contact: Jenny Hopkinson, 202.554.1600jhopkinson@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) relocation of two major research agencies is “misguided” and “detrimental to family farmers and ranchers and rural communities,” according to the nation’s oldest general farm organization. National Farmers Union (NFU), whose 200,000 members support increased funding for public agricultural … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 9, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600hpackman@nfudc.org BAILEY, Colo.– Farmers Union youth members from across the country convened last month for the 83rd annual National Farmers Union (NFU) All-States Leadership Camp. Hosted each June, the event encourages young adults to explore their leadership potential, discuss current events and important issues, learn more about … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 8, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– As Congressional leadership and the Trump administration work towards a compromise on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the country’s oldest general farm organization is urging additional improvements to the deal that could help to reduce health care costs and protect rural jobs before it is sent … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 5, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released its proposed renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the year 2020. The proposal would set required biofuel use at 20.04 billion gallons next year, a marginal increase over this year’s 19.92 billion gallons. … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 20, 2019 WASHINGTON – Today, 35 farm and food organizations called on elected officials and candidates running for office to address the disproportionate market power held by the giant agribusinesses that dominate livestock and poultry markets. The list of priorities for creating fair and competitive markets for family farmers is endorsed by groups … Read More