FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 22, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – A proposal to permanently slow down First-Class Mail delivery would be “catastrophic” for family farmers, National Farmers Union (NFU) indicated in comments submitted today to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Because rural areas often lack both services like banks, pharmacies, polling places, … Read More
By Jeanne Janson, NFU Journalism Fellow With honey bee populations declining at rapid rates, beekeepers, farmers and consumers alike are grasping for solutions that will tackle the big picture problems like climate change. Ang Roell, however, believes change starts on a much smaller scale – one the size of a thumbnail. Ang is the author of … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Over the last year and a half, the pandemic, natural disasters, and cybersecurity breaches have revealed deep weaknesses in our food and farm systems, according to National Farmers Union (NFU). In comments submitted today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the organization’s … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Until recently, Juneteenth has been celebrated only in certain Black communities, with barbecues, parades, rodeos, and other festivities. A portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth,” the holiday marks the day that the final enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were freed following the Emancipation Proclamation – undoubtedly an event worth remembering. … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 15, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In its latest move to facilitate pandemic recovery, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced additional aid for agricultural producers and businesses, including timber harvesters, biofuels producers, dairy farmers and processors, and livestock farmers and contract poultry growers. The initiative also includes … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Following multiple allegations and indictments of price fixing and other anticompetitive practices in the livestock sector, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today indicated its intention to propose a series of rules that would offer family famers and contract poultry growers greater agency … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – To support the next generation of agricultural professionals, National Farmers Union Foundation (NFUF) today announced the 2021 recipients of its annual scholarship awards. Every year, the organization presents several scholarships to students in any area of study attending a two- or four-year accredited college, … Read More
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator, & Tricia Wancko, NFU Food Safety Grant Coordinator “I’m really passionate about helping to make the local food movement in Alabama successful, and I feel like that is only going to happen if we are extremely creative and cooperative,” explained Farm Food Collaborative Co-Manager Carey Martin-Lane at … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In a letter sent to Senate leadership, the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) urged immediate legislative action to reform the American farm labor system. The coalition, which represents nearly 300 agricultural groups, described the shortage of legal, qualified workers as one of farmers’ “greatest challenges,” … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As part of its ongoing efforts to address food insecurity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will invest $1 billion in the nutrition safety net. Those funds will be split among several initiatives, including $500 million for The Emergency Food … Read More
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Bags of asparagus. Hot pepper jams. Turkey tail mushrooms. Over the past year and half, consumers recommitted to sourcing locally and discovered diverse and delicious food close to home. They also turned to virtual options to learn how to cook, preserve, and source those local ingredients. Farmers … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Thanks in large part to the introduction of machinery like tractors and combines, farms today are far more efficient and productive than they were a handful of generations ago. Though these time- and labor-saving technologies can run tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, farmers often aren’t able … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) recently joined with five other organizations that represent cattle producers to agree to work jointly on issues in the cattle marketplace. On Monday, May 10, 2021, member leaders of American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In a voice vote, the U.S. Senate last night confirmed Dr. Jewel Bronaugh to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, making her the first Black woman to hold the position. Dr. Bronaugh brings upwards of two decades worth of experience in food … Read More
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Farm to school programs continue to grow in popularity, with some schools taking part in hyper-local sourcing by using school gardens and farms to provide students with opportunities for taste testing and hands-on learning. Teachers tending these school plots may ask themselves, “how do we grow the best tasting produce while following food safety practices to keep our kids safe?” Thankfully, teachers are well-primed to … Read More
By Connor Hultman, previous Noble Ruler of Alpha Gamma Rho chapter at Iowa State University In the Fall of 2020, the men of Alpha Gamma Rho at Iowa State University set out to raise as much money as they could for the agriculturalists of the United States that make the world go around. After a … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The Biden administration today released a report providing more details on how it plans to meet its earlier goal to conserve at least 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030. Entitled “America the Beautiful,” the 22-page document outlines principles that … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As climate change poses an increasingly serious threat to farmers’ livelihoods and global food security, a group of National Farmers Union (NFU) members will be discussing meaningful legislative solutions with their elected representatives. “Farmers are no stranger to big challenges, but climate change is … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 3, 2021 WASHINGTON – The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), now more than 70 members strong, has worked over the past three months to develop specific recommendations for how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should approach a potential carbon bank. FACA began sharing those recommendations with USDA and Congress today. … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 29, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Agriculture is uniquely positioned to mitigate climate change – but farmers need the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) support to fully realize that potential, according to National Farmers Union (NFU). In comments submitted today, the family farm organization outlined ways UDSA could better … Read More
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA), a collaboration between Cornell University, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is probably best known for developing the PSA Grower Training Course that growers and educators use around the country. Perhaps less well known, … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – During his first joint address to Congress, President Joe Biden tonight highlighted the progress the United States has made on pandemic recovery and laid out his strategy to create additional jobs and lift more families out of poverty. The linchpin of that strategy is … Read More
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator On a recent episode of the Tilth Alliance Farm Walks Podcast, Ryan Lichttenegger of Steel Wheel Farm in Fall City, Washington, and Andy Chamberlin, Agricultural Engineering Technician at the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, dove into some of the ins and outs of DIY hygienic design. Lichttenegger recently … Read More
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Over the past year, Mary Mcgraw and Blain Becktold provided outreach and education with the Michigan Farmers Union as part the Local Food Safety Collaborative, a cooperative agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We asked them to take a break to reflect back on this … Read More