By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education For farmers, rain is generally a good thing. Crops don’t grow without water, and other NFU Climate Column posts discuss the problems farmers do and will encounter getting enough rain and water as climate change progresses. But farmers also know that too much rain all at … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator Although farmers and ranchers with all levels of experience rely on farm bill programs for technical and financial assistance, they are of particular importance to beginning farmers. Beginning farmers, by definition, do not have access to many of the same resources more established producers do. Most obviously, newcomers do … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy NFU’s Climate Column has covered a number of farming practices, including conservation tillage and rotational grazing, that can help farmers increase profits by saving money on inputs, energy, and labor. Beginning farmers can receive assistance to implement such practices, as well as incentive payments for the environmental benefits … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy, & Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator It’s the second day of Climate Week NYC, an event dedicated to keeping climate action at the top of the global agenda, making the discussion of agriculture and sustainability particularly apropos. Farmers and ranchers maintain vast potential to mitigate … Read More
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
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy In NFU’s Climate Column, we’ve discussed a number of practices, including cover crops and no-till, that can build soil fertility with fewer inputs, thus saving producers money. Conservation planning with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can be an important first step … Read More
Spring 2024 Farmers Union members from across the country will be in Washington, DC this Spring to make their legislative priorities heard. Family farmers, ranchers, and our communities not only need a farm bill now, but they also need the right farm bill now. Since 2017, approximately 150,000 farms have gone out of business. We … Read More
National Farmers Union recognizes that farming is a stressful line of work, and far too often, our communities don’t have adequate resources to meet the mental health needs for farm families. Working with a variety of organizations, NFU is proud to have a variety of resources available to our members and their families to help … Read More
September 11-14, 2022
September 20-23, 2021 Farmers Union members from across the country will gather online for the 2021 Fall Legislative Virtual Fly-In! Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from U.S. Department of Agriculture officials about current events, opportunities, and other initiatives the department is undertaking on behalf of farmers. We expect to meet with officials from … Read More
By Hannah Packman, National Farmers Union Communications Director A year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) abruptly relocated two of its major research agencies – the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Economic Research Service) – from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City. The move forced dozens of experienced employees to quit, taking their expertise … Read More
Over the past several years, family farmers and ranchers have endured low crop prices, global trade wars, and bad weather – and this year hasn’t brought the long-overdue relief many had hoped for. Instead, a global pandemic has compounded the difficulties that farmers and rural communities were already grappling with: extreme concentration in food production … Read More
Policy of the National Farmers Union Click here for the PDF version 2024 Special Orders of Business
U.S. family farmers and ranchers must be at the table with lawmakers as they look to enact policies that seek to address climate change. Agriculture has a key role to play in helping the United States adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Land management practices can both capture carbon and help the … Read More
By Anne McGarvey, NFU Intern The way consumers think about food is changing across the country, and food companies are racing to keep up. But what does this mean for family farmers? Americans are paying more attention not only to how their dietary choices affect their health and wellness, but also how they impact the … Read More
2021 Women’s Conference Speakers Corrina Gould (Lisjan Ohlone), Sogorea Te’ Land Trust Linda Emanuel, AgriSafe Network R.N. and Ag Produce Carolyn Jones, Mississippi Minority Farmers Association (MMFA) Hannah Breckbill, Co-farmer, Humble Hands Harvest Josefina Lara Chavez, MPA, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) Farm to Market Specialist Kate MacLean, Co-Owner, Longest Acres Ranch Dr. Antomia … Read More
September 11-13, 2023 Farmers Union members from across the country will gather in Washington, DC for the 2023 Fall Legislative Fly-In! Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from U.S. Department of Agriculture officials about current events, opportunities, and other initiatives the department is undertaking on behalf of farmers. We expect to meet with officials … Read More
Fact Sheets
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy As we’ve discussed here on the Beginning Farmer Forum, access to markets is among the greatest challenges for new producers. Oftentimes, beginning farmers face fewer obstacles in emerging markets than in well-established ones. For example, beginning farmers may be able to grow products appropriate for local and … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy As we’ve discussed here on the Beginning Farmer Forum, access to markets is among the greatest challenges for new producers. Oftentimes, beginning farmers face fewer obstacles in emerging markets than in well-established ones. For example, beginning farmers may be able to grow products appropriate for local and … Read More
JOIN NFU on Sunday, October 15th as we celebrate the 10th annual International Day of Rural Women. This year’s theme is “Challenges and opportunities in climate-resilient agriculture for gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.” According to the United Nations, women make up 43% of the agricultural workforce worldwide, however they face … Read More
By Steven Emmen, NFU Intern Blake Osborn is a water resources specialist at Colorado State University (CSU) Extension in Pueblo, CO. On Tuesday, June 20, we had the opportunity to discuss how beginning farmers can conserve water. Q: For a beginning farmer, what are the first steps to ensure you are conserving water? A: In … Read More
By Steven Emmen, NFU Intern Blake Osborn is a water resources specialist at Colorado State University (CSU) Extension in Pueblo, CO. On Tuesday, June 20, we had the opportunity to discuss how beginning farmers can conserve water. Q: For a beginning farmer, what are the first steps to ensure you are conserving water? A: In … Read More
By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern Pricing has been one of the most difficult ideas in farming for me to wrap my head around. Estimating cost of production can be difficult in a small but highly diversified operation. Most farmers don’t keep track of how many hours were spent weeding and managing rows of carrots versus rows … Read More
By Harper Kaufman, Co-Owner and Operator of Two Roots Farm Christian and I fell in love with farming not too long after we fell in love with each other. Before graduating from the University of Montana, we had our first farming experience at PEAS Farm, the university farm near campus. While there, we began to grasp the … Read More