FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 29, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In light of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ongoing misappropriation of small refinery exemptions (SREs), the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change within the Committee on Energy and Commerce today hosted a hearing on how those exemptions … Read More
By Alexis Dunnum, NFU Executive Assistant While some Americans may not be familiar with cooperatives, for rural Americans, cooperatives are integral to the economic and social viability of their communities. For decades, co-ops have provided family farmers and rural communities with everything from crop seed to broadband service. As a member of thirteen different cooperatives, … Read More
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Representative and Josie Krogh, NFU Intern This blog is cross-posted on the National Farm to School website. October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate connections happening all over the country between schools, food, and local farmers, ranchers, and fishers! Over the past decade, the … Read More
By Kourtney Bitz I am a high school senior from Napoleon, a small town in North Dakota. Since I was just five years old, when I attended my first Farmers Union day class, North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) has made an immense impact on my life. That experience was extremely frightening for me; even though … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2019 WASHINGTON – A coalition of renewable fuel and agricultural trade organizations filed a petition Tuesday afternoon with the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, challenging the process by which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exempted certain unknown small refineries from their respective Renewable Fuel Standard obligations … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 22, 2019 Contact: Ja-Rei Wang, Union of Concerned Scientists [email protected] WASHINGTON —At a hearing last week, USDA REE Deputy Under Secretary Scott Hutchins repeatedly deflected questions about the consequences of the relocation of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food & Agriculture. A staggering 75 percent of staff have … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 21, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Although local food producers are broadly committed to food safety on their operations, there are still some barriers to implementing food safety best practices, according to a Needs Assessment Report released today by National Farmers Union Foundation’s Local Food Safety Collaborative (LFSC) … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 15, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – A week and a half after announcing its intentions to offset a portion of the 4 billion gallons of demand for biofuels eliminated due to the ongoing misappropriation of small refinery exemptions (SREs), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 11, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump today announced the United States had reached a deal with China to put the brakes on a trade dispute between the two countries. The United States will delay additional tariffs on Chinese imports and, in exchange, China has agreed … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 4, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – After several months of negotiations and much fanfare, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a broad plan to offset a portion of the 4 billion gallons of demand for biofuels eliminated due to the … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 23, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In conjunction with its Fall Legislative Fly-In earlier this month, National Farmers Union (NFU) hosted its first Raising Voices event for young agricultural leaders. Thirty-three FFA and Professional Agricultural Student (PAS) members hailing from 14 states traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 23, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – A proposed rule to change the eligibility guidelines for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would erode food security in the United States, according to the Alliance to End Hunger. If the rule is implemented, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 11, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON– National Farmers Union (NFU) proudly recognized 26 outstanding U.S. Senators and Representatives who have demonstrated leadership and support at the federal policymaking level for family farmers, ranchers and their rural communities. The Golden Triangle Award, the family farm organization’s highest legislative honor, was … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 10, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON–National Farmers Union’s (NFU) ninth Beginning Farmer Institute (BFI) cohort in Washington, D.C., this week for the first of three learning sessions that will take place during the next year. Twelve beginning farmers and ranchers from a wide variety of demographic, geographic, and agricultural … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] 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, [email protected]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 [email protected] 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
By John R. Hansen, PhD, Founding Editor of Americans Backing a Competitive Dollar (ABCD) Editor’s note: National Farmers Union recently endorsed the Competitive Dollar for Jobs and Prosperity Act (CDJPA), a bill that would work to realign the value of the dollar and make U.S. agricultural exports more competitive abroad. In this Q&A, John Hansens explains the mechanism … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 23, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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
By Allison Kaika, NFU Intern Fresh produce lining the street, neighbors mingling, the smell of baked goods wafting in the breeze. This is a scene many of us have come to know and love: a weekend morning at your local farmers market. In addition to the aesthetic appeal and community atmosphere, farmers markets stimulate the … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 2, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] 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