Beginning Farmers

By James Tillman, Acting Associate Chief for Conservation, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Are you interested in protecting the soil, water, plants, and air and achieving economic sustainability on your newly acquired farm, ranch, or forest? Would you like to increase your marketing and income potential while focusing on increasing wildlife habitat on some of … 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 Farmers and ranchers who are feeding a growing population often think about more. The more crops planted and the more they yield, the more mouths are fed, right? However, when speaking in terms of efficiency, whether it’s inputs, land, or water, farmers and ranchers need to think about less. In … Read More

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Administered by the Farm Service Agency, (FSA) the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) awards producers rental payments for taking environmentally sensitive land out of production. Contracts last between 10-15 years, at which point, a producer can either re-enroll or put the land back into production. In some … Read More

By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union When Cheryl and Fred Schaefers tied the knot 40 years ago, the two shared a strong passion for farming. And, along with crops and livestock, the couple wanted to raise a large family. “We originally wanted 12 kids. Fred is the youngest of 9 and I am the … Read More

By Steven Emmen, NFU Intern Earlier this week, we briefly discussed what the prior appropriation system is and its unique characteristics. To give beginning farmers a better idea of the practical application of prior appropriation, we reached out to a farmer on the western slope of Colorado. Harrison Topp manages a peach farm and is currently … Read More

By Steven Emmen, NFU Intern It would be very difficult to be a successful farmer without adequate access to water. Depending on the topography of the region and the basin that a farmer is diverting from, they will face vastly different issues when acquiring water. When managing water resources there are two things to always remember: the … 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 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

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 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 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

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

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

By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern Healthcare coverage is a lingering concern for most beginning farmers. Farm work is by no means safe work. Physical demands, heavy machinery, sharp tools, and other unexpected dangers are inevitable risks on operations of all sizes. Those without health care coverage are nagged by the thought of how much a mistake could cost, both … Read More

By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator Access to affordable and effective health care is a fundamental concern for many Americans. However, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities face several unique obstacles to acquiring and paying for coverage. Rural communities experience higher rates of poverty, unemployment, chronic and mental health issues, and risky behaviors than their urban … Read More

By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union The Symens family raises crops, purebred Limousin cattle and a feedlot near Amherst, South Dakota. “It’s a garden spot … if we get rain,” says Paul Symens, 72, when describing the land his grandpa, Harm Symens, purchased in 1910. For more than a century, the Symens family has cared … Read More

By Erin Cuseo, Owner & Operator of Erin’s Acres Farm As a first generation vegetable farmer in Colorado, one of the main challenges I face is accessing land. With increasingly high prices and a lack of available agricultural land, finding a long-term solution may take a farmer like myself many years. Not every property will suit … Read More

By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern For a beginning farmer, who may not have the means to purchase their own land, leasing is often the most viable route to starting an operation. Typically, a lease doesn’t require a hefty downpayment or burdensome loan, and the financial risk is shared between the landowner and the tenant. However, farm … Read More

By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union As its mother protectively stands guard, her newborn calf, supported precariously by its wobbly legs, looks curiously at its surroundings and then begins nursing. For four generations, this heart-warming scene has signaled spring on the Wonnenberg Ranch near Dallas, Texas. And even though it’s been a part of … Read More

By Stephanie Syson, Lead Grower & Owner of Biodynamic Botanicals The United States is a large consumer of medicinal herbs, mainly in the form of value-added products such as dietary supplements, teas, personal care products, cosmetics, and other nutraceuticals. However, many of the herbs used to make these products are imported from foreign markets. In … Read More

By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern Although you might not know it, cooperatives are woven throughout every industry in the United States, including housing, banking, agriculture, food retail, and healthcare, providing people with basic goods and services through collectively owned and democratically organized businesses and organizations. Opportunities for cooperatives exist when a group of people or organizations share a … Read More

By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union Thumbing through a recent Wienk Charolais sale catalogue, Arnold Wienk, 78, recalls what it was like in the early years. “When I first sold bulls, the only number we gave buyers was the birthdate.” The glossy flyer is filled with photos of breeding stock and several columns of … Read More