NFU News - National Farmers Union

NFU to EPA: Stand With Farmers and Consumers on RFS; Law Creates American Jobs, Bolsters Rural Communities, Strengthens Energy Independence and Protects the Environment

August 31, 2017Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – For the past decade, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been a boon to American-grown renewable energy development, thereby expanding markets for family farmers, creating jobs in rural communities, shoring up American energy independence, and cleaning up the environment. So when the … Read More

From the Field: Farmers Are the Original Conservationists

August 30, 2017From the Field

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Farmers are the original conservationists, and no one knows the soil that sustains us better than the farmers who work it. Family farmers have a strong partner in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in supporting and coordinating efforts to protect our environment and shared … Read More

Access to Capital: FSA Microloans

August 29, 2017Beginning Farmers

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), as a lender of first opportunity, has expanded its support of beginning farmers and farmers participating in emerging markets by offering microloans. These loans were first introduced in 2013 and were specifically authorized in the 2014 … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Cover Crops and Crop Insurance

August 28, 2017Climate Column

By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Representative Previous Climate Column posts have discussed how cover crops help farmers and ranchers adapt to and mitigate climate change. Planting cover crops can improve soil health and water quality, optimize water use, increase productivity, decrease input costs, and reduce carbon emissions. As cover crops grow in popularity, it’s crucial to … Read More

Farmers Union to Power the Transition to a Homegrown, Renewable Energy Future for the U.S.

August 23, 2017Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 23, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The transition to a homegrown, renewable energy future for America is underway. Biofuels, higher blends of ethanol in gasoline, and advanced, bio-based technologies are reaping tremendous benefits for our environment and providing much-needed economic stability to America’s farming and rural communities. The … Read More

Farmers Union to Power the Transition to a Homegrown, Renewable Energy Future for the U.S.

August 23, 2017Press Releases

Access to Efficiency: Resource Stewardship Evaluation

August 22, 2017Beginning Farmers

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy National Farmers Union’s other weekly blog, the Climate Column, has highlighted the value of conservation planning, which assists with the selection and implementation of practices that address specific conservation concerns, such as pest management, biodiversity, or soil health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Principles for Environmental Markets

August 21, 2017Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Producers face many severe challenges stemming from climate change. A 2013 report published by the U.S Department of Agriculture, Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation, estimates that “under climate change, losses to corn production in the United States from precipitation … Read More

Access to Markets: FSMA Exclusions

August 18, 2017Beginning Farmers

By Barbara Patterson, NFU Director of Government Relations, and Roger Noonan, New England Farmers Union President A few weeks ago, we shared the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Needs Assessment Survey here on the Beginning Farmer Forum (BFF). This week, BFF will cover another FSMA-related topic: what is excluded or exempt from the Produce Safety … Read More

NFU Urges Smooth, Transparent Transition to a Fair Trade Framework

August 16, 2017Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Trade representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico will meet here today to begin an official renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The renegotiation provides the Trump Administration with an opportunity to fulfill one of the president’s top campaign … Read More

NFU Urges Smooth, Transparent Transition to a Fair Trade Framework

August 16, 2017Press Releases

Access to Capital: FSA Loan Servicing

August 16, 2017Beginning Farmers

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy In Fiscal Year 2016, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) issued 29,602 direct loans to farmers and ranchers totaling $2.39 billion. Of those, almost 17,800 were allocated to beginning producers. The proportion of loans to beginning producers is high because in many cases, FSA is the … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Managing Pest Pressures

August 14, 2017Climate Column

By Adam Pauley, NFU Intern For the past several weeks on the Climate Column, we’ve noted that climate change is contributing to rising pest pressures. Frost-sensitive pests are living longer, and rising temperatures are opening new areas to infestation. Farmers are responding to this growing problem by adjusting their pest management strategies. However, some common ways … Read More

USDA Must Continue to Proactively Address Climate Change

August 10, 2017Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 10, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As family farmers and ranchers navigate warmer temperatures and increased weather variability as a result of climate change, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will play a vital role in helping producers adapt to and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate volatility. … Read More

USDA Must Continue to Proactively Address Climate Change

August 10, 2017Press Releases

Access to Capital: FSA Loans

August 8, 2017Beginning Farmers

By Steven Emmen, NFU Intern As noted in prior Beginning Farmer Forum posts, beginning farmers often times have smaller operations, which means less land and capital. Consequently, they may require hefty loans to get their operations off the ground, but acquiring that amount of money is challenging since they also have shorter production histories and … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

August 7, 2017Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Climate change presents an enormous threat to farming and food security. A 2015 assessment report conducted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program noted that some models project the number of people at risk of undernourishment could grow by as many as 175 million by … Read More

Organic Family Farmers Deserve Strong Standards and Enforcement

August 3, 2017Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The American family farmers and ranchers who grow and raise organic foods and goods for our nation adhere to strict standards – set by the National Organic Program under guidance of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) – that protect the integrity … Read More

Organic Family Farmers Deserve Strong Standards and Enforcement

August 3, 2017Press Releases

Access To Markets: Food Safety Education

August 2, 2017Beginning Farmers

By Barbara Patterson, NFU Director of Government Relations Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2010. It will require many producers to comply with new regulations if they grow food for human or animal consumption. The regulations are intended to protect consumers from food-borne illness. Many producers who will be regulated by FSMA … Read More

Access to Efficiency: Small Business Innovation Research Program

August 1, 2017Beginning Farmers

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) found that the percentage of U.S. farms operated by women farmers almost tripled over the past three decades, from five percent in 1978 up to fourteen percent in 2007. This is encouraging news, given the impending transition … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Integrated Pest Management

July 31, 2017Climate Column

By Adam Pauley, NFU Intern Here on the Climate Column, we’ve been talking about how milder winters due to climate change are contributing to greater pest pressures. Farmers are turning new agricultural methods to mitigate pests without exacerbating other environmental concerns. We’ve discussed a few methods already, including intercropping and crop rotation. Another option is integrated … Read More

NFU Relieved by Senate Health Care Vote, Hopeful for Bipartisan Reform

July 28, 2017Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 28, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate voted down a “skinny repeal” of parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) last night, avoiding the passage of a bill that would have risked access to health care for 16 million people and marketplace stability. In response to … Read More

NFU Relieved by Senate Health Care Vote, Hopeful for Bipartisan Reform

July 28, 2017Press Releases

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Intercropping & Pest Management

July 26, 2017Climate Column

By Adam Pauley, NFU Intern Last week on the Climate Column, we noted that milder winters caused by climate change are lengthening the lives of frost-sensitive pests, increasing pest pressure on farms. Farmers are implementing new practices to compete with more aggressive pests, but many of the common means of doing so can exacerbate other … Read More

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