By Chris Holman, Co-Owner/Operator of Nami Moon Farms As beginning producers, what sorts of obstacles do we create in order to keep doing what we’re doing? There were plenty of them, but today let’s talk about one that will kill you and your farm faster than almost any other—price. When we started out at Nami … Read More
By Tom Giessel, NFU Historian Owen Franklin Dornblazer was the 11th person to join The Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America in 1902. He lived to the age of 94 and was active in organizational and membership work until the final few months of his life. At age 85, addressing the 1926 NFU convention, … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator Climate science, a multidisciplinary field that addresses the causes and effects of climate change, predicts future trends, and establishes mitigation and adaptation practices, is increasingly vital as extreme temperatures and erratic weather become more common. We all benefit from climate change research, but it is particularly critical for family … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union A $200 scholarship from the Davison County Pork Producers in 1984 launched Brad Greenway on an agricultural advocacy journey which has put him in front of thousands of consumers coast-to-coast and around the world to share his story. “That scholarship got me involved,” explains the third-generation pork producer. Brad’s engagement … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union A $200 scholarship from the Davison County Pork Producers in 1984 launched Brad Greenway on an agricultural advocacy journey which has put him in front of thousands of consumers coast-to-coast and around the world to share his story. “That scholarship got me involved,” explains the third-generation pork producer. Brad’s engagement … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Representative When my mother was growing up on her family’s farm near Bergen, North Dakota, they produced most of the food they ate. Their eggs, butter, milk, cream, fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, and chicken were all raised and processed on the farm. The good Germans that they are, my … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 23, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump issued a detailed fiscal year 2018 federal budget proposal today, recommending drastic cuts to agricultural and rural related agencies and programs. The proposal would cut Farm Bill programs by nearly $230 billion and slash the U.S. Department of … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 23, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump issued a detailed fiscal year 2018 federal budget proposal today, recommending drastic cuts to agricultural and rural related agencies and programs. The proposal would cut Farm Bill programs by nearly $230 billion and slash the U.S. Department of … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy One of the principles driving National Farmers Union is our dedication to the communities in which food producers live and work. The preamble to our policy states, “The goal of NFU is to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers, … Read More
By Rori Cowan, Senior Program Associate at the American Carbon Registry Agricultural carbon offsets have been a hot topic in both the environmental and agricultural worlds in the last decade in the fight to mitigate climate change. While there have been substantial hurdles to implementation, such as prohibitive monitoring requirements, there have also been significant … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union “It was nerve-racking to watch, but seeing that smile was priceless,” says Corrie, as she reminisces about watching her daughter show for the first time. A third-generation 4-H alumnus, Corrie says it’s exciting to see her daughter continue the family legacy of 4-H involvement and showing registered Charolais … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union “It was nerve-racking to watch, but seeing that smile was priceless,” says Corrie, as she reminisces about watching her daughter show for the first time. A third-generation 4-H alumnus, Corrie says it’s exciting to see her daughter continue the family legacy of 4-H involvement and showing registered Charolais … Read More
By Natalie McGill and Stewart Lundy, Owners & Operators of Perennial Roots Farm Farmers tend to be rugged individualists. They might be a little rough around the edges, but that tough skin is just part of how they are able to do the hard work of farming. The constant ups and downs in farming require real … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Initiating an official renegotiation process of past, failed trade deals, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today formally notified Congress of the Trump Administration’s intentions to reopen the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The renegotiation provides the administration with a unique opportunity … Read More
By Tommy Enright, Wisconsin Farmers Union Communications Associate My spouse, Sam, and I started Black Rabbit Farm in 2013 with very little farming experience. We had just moved back to our home state of Wisconsin after living in Seattle, and we were excited to start this new chapter in our lives. As soon as we … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Initiating an official renegotiation process of past, failed trade deals, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today formally notified Congress of the Trump Administration’s intentions to reopen the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The renegotiation provides the administration with a unique opportunity … Read More
By Skylar Schneider, NFU Executive Assistant Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on rural communities and agriculture, during which U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue provided an update on the state of the farm economy. In written testimony, he addressed the fact that, after a 50 percent decrease over the past four years, net farm … Read More
By Skylar Schneider, NFU Executive Assistant Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on rural communities and agriculture, during which U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue provided an update on the state of the farm economy. In written testimony, he addressed the fact that, after a 50 percent decrease over the past four years, net farm … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The national farm economy is deteriorating, forcing many family farmers and ranchers to make tough financial decisions that will impact their families, communities, and the entire country. In order to provide farmers with the resources and support needed to endure these tough … Read More
By Tommy Enright, Wisconsin Farmers Union Communications Associate Some farms garner a great deal of media attention while similar farms fly below the radar. Why is this? To be sure, there are farmers doing enough awesome things in their communities that people take notice. But more likely, they are good at marketing themselves. In my experience, … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The national farm economy is deteriorating, forcing many family farmers and ranchers to make tough financial decisions that will impact their families, communities, and the entire country. In order to provide farmers with the resources and support needed to endure these tough … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Highlighting the important work carried out by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, National Farmers Union (NFU) and a diverse coalition of rural organizations are calling on Congress to prevent any attempt to eliminate the Rural Development Mission Area (RD) and … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Highlighting the important work carried out by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, National Farmers Union (NFU) and a diverse coalition of rural organizations are calling on Congress to prevent any attempt to eliminate the Rural Development Mission Area (RD) and … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Last week, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) published a study, “Rotating Crops, Turning Profits: How Diversified Farming Systems Can Help Farmers While Protecting Soil and Preventing Pollution.” It focuses on the environmental benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased soil organic matter, of … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union Running cattle on Harding County grasslands has been a part of the Painter family legacy since 1895, when Lewis Levi Painter rode the open range as a horse wrangler for the CY Cattle Company of Texas. “He ran a few cows with the main herd and squatted on … Read More