By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union Before the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in 2008, commodity prices had been flat for decades, investment in rural America was negligible and the prospect of prosperity for many family farmers seemed like a dream that had been lost. The passage of the RFS was like a … Read More
Blog
Congress Needs to Leave COOL Alone
By Darin Von Ruden, president, Wisconsin Farmers Union Nobody seemed to care where their pet treats came from until dogs started dropping dead from eating tainted treats, mostly from China. Since 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 5,800 complaints from consumers about their pets getting sick and, sadly, over 1,000 … Read More
NFU Applauds Swift Senate Action on Grain Standards Reauthorization Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today applauded the Senate Agriculture Committee leadership for its work on the swift reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). “On behalf of National Farmers Union’s 200,000 members, I applaud your work … Read More
NFU Applauds Swift Senate Action on Grain Standards Reauthorization Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today applauded the Senate Agriculture Committee leadership for its work on the swift reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). “On behalf of National Farmers Union’s 200,000 members, I applaud your work … Read More
NFU Opposes House’s America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, Urges Senate to Reinstate Research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) today announced its opposition to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last night – noting that the act cuts important funding for climate and renewable energy research – … Read More
NFU Opposes House’s America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, Urges Senate to Reinstate Research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) today announced its opposition to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last night – noting that the act cuts important funding for climate and renewable energy research – … Read More
White House Issues Plan for Pollinators
By Tom Driscoll, government relations representative, National Farmers Union On Tuesday, May 19, the White House’s Pollinator Health Task Force released the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The strategy includes: calls for additional funds for pollinator health research, increased and improved pollinator habitat through conservation programs, enhanced management of … Read More
Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee Hears from EPA
By Tom Driscoll, government relations representative, National Farmers Union The Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC), a federal advisory committee composed of diverse stakeholders and tasked with providing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) feedback on various pesticide regulatory, policy and program implementation issues, met in the D.C. metro area this week. EPA officials addressed the … Read More
Funds Available to Offset Organic Certification Costs
By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union National Farmers Union (NFU) recognizes the increasing importance of organic family farming. While the organic market continues to grow, NFU will advocate ensuring accreditation and certification costs do not discriminate against small producers. One way to assist small organic producers to support their continued viability is … Read More
Congress Needs to Reauthorize the CFTC
By Zack Clark, government relations representative, National Farmers Union It is a well-known fact that farming is a risky endeavor. General risk and uncertainty, be it weather or volatile price fluctuations, can wreak havoc on a farm’s financial wellbeing. A range of risk management tools aids producers in mitigating the impacts of uncontrollable events. One … Read More
Congress Needs to Reauthorize the CFTC
By Zack Clark, government relations representative, National Farmers Union It is a well-known fact that farming is a risky endeavor. General risk and uncertainty, be it weather or volatile price fluctuations, can wreak havoc on a farm’s financial wellbeing. A range of risk management tools aids producers in mitigating the impacts of uncontrollable events. One … Read More
COOL: We Fought Hard for A Generation to Win This, And We’re Not Giving Up Now
By Kent Peppler, president, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Although Congress passed a law requiring that meats have their origins on their label in 2002, corporate interests in the U.S. and our chief trade competitors – Canada and Mexico – have tried every trick imaginable to block the country-of-origin-labeling law from staying on the books. Now, … Read More
Grants Available to Fund Rural Business Development
By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union The renewal of rural America through increased business and agriculture cooperative development remains at the forefront of Farmers Union’s mission. One program for these purposes is the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), something NFU has been an advocate for since the mid-1990s. NFU voiced its support for the program during the … Read More
Grants Available to Fund Rural Business Development
By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union The renewal of rural America through increased business and agriculture cooperative development remains at the forefront of Farmers Union’s mission. One program for these purposes is the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), something NFU has been an advocate for since the mid-1990s. NFU voiced its support for the program during the … Read More
Congress Should Keep its Hands Off of COOL Until WTO Process Is Over
By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union The decision by the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) is due sometime in mid to late May, and when that announcement happens, Congress needs to resist any attempts to change the popular labeling law until the WTO appeals process has been completely exhausted and a … Read More
NFU Action Alert: COOL on the House Floor
Next week is going to be a very tough week for popular labeling law Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL). NFU expects the bill to repeal major parts of the law to be on the House floor between Tuesday and Thursday! Please call your House member and ask them to speak against the COOL repeal bill when the … Read More
Congress Should Not Support TPA
John Hansen is president of the Nebraska Farmers Union and served as a U.S. Trade Representative trade adviser for three administrations for 14 years starting in 1994. TPA, also known as Fast Track Authority, provides the administration with trade-negotiating direction and authority while also forcing Congress to vote up or down on trade proposals without … Read More
Trade Promises Have Failed to Materialize
By Roger Noonan, president, New England Farmers Union Promises of expanded trade benefiting U.S. farmers and rural communities have been made during the debates for NAFTA, CAFTA, and the U.S.-Korean Free Trade Agreements and now the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). These benefits have failed to materialize. Instead, rural communities have been roiled by profound economic instability. … Read More
Finding Farming
By Chelsea Kruse, 2014/2015 Beginning Farmer Institute participant My name is Chelsea Kruse, I’m a member of New England Farmers Union and a student of the 2014 Beginning Farmers Institute. I grew up in a very rural and unknown corner of New Hampshire, but I have no beginning in agriculture, no familial ties into farming. My … Read More
NFU 2015 Policy
Click here for the PDF Policy of the National Farmers Union Enacted by delegates to the 113th anniversary convention Wichita, KS March 14-17, 2015 National Farmers Union Mission and Vision Statements Mission – To advocate for the economic and social well-being, and quality of life of family farmers, ranchers, fishermen and consumers and their communities … Read More
NFU 2015 Policy
Click here for the PDF Policy of the National Farmers Union Enacted by delegates to the 113th anniversary convention Wichita, KS March 14-17, 2015 National Farmers Union Mission and Vision Statements Mission – To advocate for the economic and social well-being, and quality of life of family farmers, ranchers, fishermen and consumers and their communities … Read More
Be Very Leery of the Big Trade Deals Being Peddled This Year
By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union The American public – rural and urban alike – need to be very leery of the rhetoric being used to sell upcoming trade deals and to insist that any agreement signed by this country has the primary goal of reducing the overall trade deficit. Trade is neither … Read More
2015 Special Orders of Business
Family Farming and COOL Family Farming and RFS Family Farming and Trade Policy Family Farming and Transparency in Livestock Markets Family Farming and Cotton in the 2014 Farm Bill Family Farming and Animal Disease Protection