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
Beginning Farmers
Access to Efficiency: Conserving Water Q&A With Blake Osborn
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
Access to Efficiency: Climate Change & Water
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
Access to Efficiency: Climate Change & Water
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
Access to Land: Conservation Reserve Program Transition Incentives Program
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
Access to Markets: The Schaefers Farm Family & the Farm Economy
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
Access to Markets: The Schaefers Farm Family & the Farm Economy
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
Access to Efficiency: Water Rights Q&A With Harrison Topp
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
Access to Efficiency: Water Rights Q&A With Harrison Topp
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
Access to Efficiency: Water & Prior Appropriation
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
Access to Efficiency: Water & Prior Appropriation
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
Access to Markets: Pricing
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
Access to Markets: The Greenway Farm Family & Farm Advocacy
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
Access to Markets: The Greenway Farm Family & Farm Advocacy
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
Access to Markets: Value Added Producer Grants
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
Access to Efficiency: Rural Development
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
Access to Efficiency: The Vedvei Farm Family & Cattle Breeding
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
Access to Efficiency: The Vedvei Farm Family & Cattle Breeding
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
Access to Markets: Black Rabbit Farm, Media, and Marketing
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
Access to Markets: Why Media Matters in Agriculture
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
Access to Efficiency: The Painter Ranch Family & Rotational Grazing
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
Access to Efficiency: The Painter Ranch Family & Rotational Grazing
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
Access to Efficiency: The Affordable Care Act
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
Access to Efficiency: Health Care
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
Access to Efficiency: The Symens Farm Family & Conservation Practices
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