April 17, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As the food and agriculture industries experience significant disruptions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released initial details for a $19 billion emergency aid package to support farmers and ranchers and bolster food security. The … Read More
April 7, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Following the recent passage of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to “swiftly and efficiently implement assistance and distribute resources” to family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. In … Read More
April 2, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Today, 76 leading farm, conservation and wildlife groups delivered a letter to Congress requesting full funding for conservation programs and technical assistance in fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations. In the letter, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), National Farmers … Read More
March 31, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In the final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today relaxed fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2021-2026 passenger vehicles. When the rule was initially proposed over a year ago, National Farmers … Read More
March 25, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – To alleviate the current and potential economic fallout from the global COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. lawmakers are poised to pass a response, relief, and stimulus package with a nearly $2 trillion price tag. The bill, which is the most expensive in the country’s … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Ethanol and farm groups today welcomed the Trump administration’s decision not to seek a re-hearing of a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that struck down certain small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard. On … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Under ordinary circumstances, National Agriculture Day is an opportunity to celebrate the family farmers and ranchers who feed, fuel, and clothe our country. But these are no ordinary circumstances: a global pandemic has upended modern life as we know it. To slow its spread, millions of Americans are staying … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 19, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As rural communities brace for the arrival of the novel coronavirus, a coalition of organization representing rural communities is urging the administration to ensure that the rural health care system has adequate resources and support to respond to this crisis. In a … Read More
To our Farmers Union family: This is a strange and difficult time. We are all concerned about what the coronavirus pandemic means for our health, our livelihoods, our food system, and our communities, both in the short and long term. There is still a great deal of uncertainty, but National Farmers Union’s staff is, as … Read More
With the need for a decision only days away, the coalition that successfully won a unanimous court decision against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continued its call for the agency to not appeal the decision by launching a new social media campaign aimed at encouraging policymakers and the EPA to do the right thing. Click … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – A rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would undermine the intent of the Packers and Stockyards Act, according to comments submitted today by National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew. Established in 1921, the Packers and Stockyards Act exists … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] SAVANNAH – As part of the organization’s broader initiative to address a growing farm stress crisis, National Farmers Union (NFU) last week hosted a two-day, in-person session to train community mental health advocates across the country. More than 30 Farmers Union members from 19 … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON – On March 9, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit approved requests by the U.S. Department of Justice, HollyFrontier, and CVR Energy for an extension of the deadline to file motions asking for a rehearing en banc of Renewable Fuels Association et al. v. EPA, in which the Court … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 3, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] SAVANNAH – The National Farmers Union (NFU) 118th Anniversary Convention concluded today following the adoption of the organization’s policy book and special orders of business. More than 500 family farmers and ranchers convened in Savannah, Georgia, to set policy positions and priorities that support … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] SAVANNAH – Delegates to the National Farmers Union (NFU) 118th Anniversary Convention today elected Rob Larew to succeed Roger Johnson as the organization’s president. Patty Edelburg, a Wisconsin dairy farmer, was reelected to serve a second term as vice president. Larew and Edelburg’s two-year terms begin … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] SAVANNAH – For her work investigating the effects of consolidation and monopolization in the food and agriculture sectors, National Farmers Union (NFU) today awarded Leah Douglas with its 2020 Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award. Douglas, who is currently an associate editor and staff writer … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] SAVANNAH – Family farm agriculture endures as the backbone of a safe and secure national food system because of the tireless advocacy and hard work of men and women across the industry. National Farmers Union (NFU) today presented its highest honor, the Meritorious Service … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] SAVANNAH – National Farmers Union (NFU) officially convened its 118th Anniversary Convention this afternoon in Savannah, Georgia, to celebrate American farm families and to set the organization’s policy positions and priorities for the coming year. More than 500 Farmers Union members from across the … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director As Black History Month comes to a close, National Farmers Union (NFU) is celebrating its own piece of black history: its first predominantly African American chapter. It’s no secret that American agriculture – and, by extension, general farm organizations like NFU – is disproportionately white. According to the most … Read More
By Charlie Michel, NFU Intern China appears to be moving ahead with implementing some of the commitments it made as part of the so-called “phase one” trade deal with the Trump Administration in mid-January. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative announced on Feb. 25 that China has lifted some restrictions on the … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Amidst reports that recent trade deals may have a more gradual and modest impact on agricultural exports than initially thought, President Donald Trump today tweeted that “aid will be provided by the federal government” if necessary. Though National Farmers Union (NFU) appreciates … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 20, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Responding to mounting environmental challenges confronting American food production and security, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a new, department-wide innovation initiative “to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands.” In broad … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 19, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON –National Farmers Union (NFU) hosted 75 students in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last weekend for its annual College Conference on Cooperatives (CCOC). The three-day conference provides an interactive learning experience for American agriculture’s next generation on the importance, structure, and operations of various types of … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 18, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues 2018 Farm Bill implementation with the release of its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Interim Rule, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the agency to strengthen the conservation program to better support farmers … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 10, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump today released his proposed spending for fiscal year 2021. The $4.8 trillion budget would cut both mandatory and discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal agencies while boosting spending on infrastructure and defense initiatives. … Read More