Identifying Conservation Opportunities: Resource Stewardship Evaluation Tool with Will Cannon

June 9, 2020Climate Column

The Resource Stewardship Evaluation Tool (RSET) is a free program offered through National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It is available to help Iowa farmers, ranchers and land owners improve their working lands conservation efforts, and consequently improve topsoil and nutrient retention, as well as safeguard Iowa’s waterways. Will Cannon … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Noble Research Institute’s Environmental Services Markets Plan 

December 19, 2018Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy While farmers have profound respect for the land and natural resources, the farm economy does not always adequately align profitability and stewardship. However, we are growing in our understanding of farmers’ ability to help address climate change and other environmental challenges through production and conservation practices. Noble Research Institute (NRI) is currently working to advance ecosystem service markets (ESM) specifically … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Transportation and Climate Initiative

December 18, 2018Blog, Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy The Georgetown Climate Center, as the facilitator of the Transportation and Climate Initiative on behalf of participating state agencies, has secured a formal commitment among the District of Columbia and nine states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions in their … Read More

What Do Farmers Need To Know About Climate Change? National Climate Assessment

November 29, 2018Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Last week, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released the Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States (NCA4) detailing the existing and incoming impacts of climate change. Chapter 10 of the report, titled Agriculture and Rural Communities, covers the … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in Missouri

September 19, 2018Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Regular readers of NFU’s Climate Column know there are many ways farmers can mitigate the negative effects of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers farmers technical and financial support to help interested farmers mitigate climate change and … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in Missouri

September 19, 2018Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Regular readers of NFU’s Climate Column know there are many ways farmers can mitigate the negative effects of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers farmers technical and financial support to help interested farmers mitigate climate change and … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in Florida

August 20, 2018Climate Column

By Kiana Brockel, NFU Intern Regular readers of NFU’s Climate Column know there are many ways farmers can mitigate the negative effects of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers farmers technical and financial support to help interested farmers mitigate climate change and become more climate resilient. In … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in Colorado

August 13, 2018Climate Column

By Kiana Brockel, NFU Intern, & Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Regular readers of NFU’s Climate Column know there are many ways farmers can mitigate the negative effects of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers farmers technical and financial support to … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in Arkansas

August 7, 2018Climate Column

By Kiana Brockel, NFU Intern, & Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Regular Climate Column readers know that there are many actions farmers can take to mitigate the effects of climate change. There is no one-size-fits-all solution however – the appropriate approach depends on location and its climate, topography, crops grown, and … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in South Dakota

July 24, 2018Climate Column

By Kiana Brockel, NFU Intern Climate Column readers know there are many things farmers can do to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers farmers technical and financial support to help interested farmers mitigate climate change and become more climate resilient. … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in Arizona 

July 16, 2018Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Climate Column readers know that there are many things farmers can do to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), housed within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), offers farmers technical and financial support to abate climate change and become more climate … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Markets for Climate-Smart Ag Products in Alaska

July 9, 2018Blog, Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Climate Column readers know there are many things farmers can do to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers farmers technical and financial support to help interested farmers abate climate change and … Read More

What Do Farmers Need To Know About Climate Change? AgBiz Logic

June 18, 2018Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy, and Jake Stukenberg, NFU Intern Here on the Climate Column, we have discussed the impacts climate change will have on your farm as well as management decisions you can make to cope with these changes. Longtime Climate Leaders know that there are many climate impacts … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Conserve With Us

June 11, 2018Climate Column

By Alexis Dunnum, NFU Executive Assistant Land management practices have the capacity to either mitigate climate change or to exacerbate its negative impacts. As landowners, farmers have the opportunity to participate in conservation efforts and directly protect the land, water, and wildlife. However, owning and managing property is not the only way to ensure lands … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Weed Control and Herbicides

May 21, 2018Climate Column

By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Previously on the Climate Column, we have discussed how troublesome weeds can be for agricultural operations, particularly as the climate continues to change. Although tillage can be an effective method of weed control, there are substantial drawbacks that may dissuade some farmers from implementation. One possible alternative to tillage is … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Weed Control & Tillage

May 14, 2018Climate Column

By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Climate change been the cause, both directly and indirectly, of various challenges for agricultural producers. This list includes extreme droughts and floods, irregular growing seasons, animal and crop disease transmission, and pest migration. Another seemingly perpetual issue exacerbated by climate change is weed growth. Weeds are invasive plant species genetically … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Weed Control & Tillage

May 14, 2018Climate Column

By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Climate change been the cause, both directly and indirectly, of various challenges for agricultural producers. This list includes extreme droughts and floods, irregular growing seasons, animal and crop disease transmission, and pest migration. Another seemingly perpetual issue exacerbated by climate change is weed growth. Weeds are invasive plant species genetically … Read More

Why Do Farmers Care About Climate Change? Colony Collapse Disorder

April 30, 2018Climate Column

By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Bees contribute to the economy and health of the environment. In addition to their notoriety for honey production, bees also provide the versatile substance known as beeswax, and they are imperative to 30 percent of the world’s crop production, pollinating many fruit, vegetable, and flower species, as well as 90 percent … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Prescribed Burns

April 23, 2018Climate Column

By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Fire is often thought of as a destructive and uncontrollable natural disturbance, causing catastrophic damage to agricultural operations of all types. But did you know that fire can actually be used as a tool to protect and increase productivity on your land? Prescribed burning is an advanced land management technique … Read More

What Do Farmers Need To Know About Climate Change? House Farm Bill Proposal

April 16, 2018Climate Column

By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy On the Climate Column, we have highlighted a number of climate-smart production and conservation practices for which farmers may receive technical and financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Congress authorizes NRCS to disperse this assistance to farmers through the … Read More