By Maria Miller, NFU education director Participants of NFU’s Beginning Farmer Institute recently toured America’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and inspected a number of Minnesota’s most innovative farms. Meeting for the second time in as many months, the BFI participants also learned more about farm ownership options and how to transition operations from one generation to … Read More
Blog
Greater Private Sector Diversity Sought on USDA’s Agricultural Trade Advisory Committees
The face of America – and of American agriculture – is changing. The number of farms in the United States has grown 4 percent and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years, according to results of USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture. The 2007 Census counted nearly 30 … Read More
Greater Private Sector Diversity Sought on USDA’s Agricultural Trade Advisory Committees
The face of America – and of American agriculture – is changing. The number of farms in the United States has grown 4 percent and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years, according to results of USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture. The 2007 Census counted nearly 30 … Read More
American Ethanol: The Key to American Energy Security
By Jan Ahlen, NFU climate and energy coordinator The U.S biofuels industry is at a crossroads. On one hand, the industry is creating jobs in rural America, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cleaning up our air. On the other hand, the industry is under threat by misguided politicians and special interest groups. Now … Read More
American Ethanol: The Key to American Energy Security
By Jan Ahlen, NFU climate and energy coordinator The U.S biofuels industry is at a crossroads. On one hand, the industry is creating jobs in rural America, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cleaning up our air. On the other hand, the industry is under threat by misguided politicians and special interest groups. Now … Read More
National School Lunch Week Helps Promote Local Foods
By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative This past week, Oct. 10-14, we celebrated National School Lunch Week under the theme, “School Lunch — Let’s Grow Healthy.” For family farmers, there’s no greater illustration of this theme than recognition of the recent gains that have been made in getting food from local farms into schoolchildren’s … Read More
National School Lunch Week Helps Promote Local Foods
By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative This past week, Oct. 10-14, we celebrated National School Lunch Week under the theme, “School Lunch — Let’s Grow Healthy.” For family farmers, there’s no greater illustration of this theme than recognition of the recent gains that have been made in getting food from local farms into schoolchildren’s … Read More
The Farmer, the Food and the Farm Bill
By Maria Miller, NFU director of education “I’m looking forward to this farm year ending,” a Farmers Union member from the Midwest wrote to me this week. “It’s my worst year ever in farming. Crop insurance should get me through to next spring, but let’s hope something changes or I’ll be history.” He went on … Read More
The Farmer, the Food and the Farm Bill
By Maria Miller, NFU director of education “I’m looking forward to this farm year ending,” a Farmers Union member from the Midwest wrote to me this week. “It’s my worst year ever in farming. Crop insurance should get me through to next spring, but let’s hope something changes or I’ll be history.” He went on … Read More
Congress Should Reject Pending Trade Agreements
By Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator Congress is set to vote this week on three pending free trade agreements (FTAs) with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. NFU has long opposed each of these agreements because they are very similar to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), both of which … Read More
Congress Should Reject Pending Trade Agreements
By Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator Congress is set to vote this week on three pending free trade agreements (FTAs) with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. NFU has long opposed each of these agreements because they are very similar to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), both of which … Read More
Create Jobs in Rural America – Finish and Enforce a Strong GIPSA Rule
By Mike Stranz, NFU government relations representative During his speech to a joint session of Congress on September 8th to unveil the Jobs Bill, President Obama stated the concern of many Americans: “The question is whether in the face of an on-going national crisis, we can stop the circus and actually do something to save … Read More
Don’t Blame Farmers for High Grocery Prices
By Roger Johnson, NFU President For too long, many have argued that utilizing ethanol means choosing between food and fuel for Americans. This is a false choice. We have more than enough corn to properly feed America and still fuel it. The rising grocery prices we have seen recently are not due to increased demand … Read More
Don’t Blame Farmers for High Grocery Prices
By Roger Johnson, NFU President For too long, many have argued that utilizing ethanol means choosing between food and fuel for Americans. This is a false choice. We have more than enough corn to properly feed America and still fuel it. The rising grocery prices we have seen recently are not due to increased demand … Read More
Study Finds Rural Health Care Lags Behind Urban Health Care
by Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator Nearly one in four rural Americans rate the health care in their communities either fair or poor, according to a poll commissioned by United Health Care. That is twice the rate that urban residents rate the health care in their communities in either of those categories. This poll corroborates … Read More
Study Finds Rural Health Care Lags Behind Urban Health Care
by Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator Nearly one in four rural Americans rate the health care in their communities either fair or poor, according to a poll commissioned by United Health Care. That is twice the rate that urban residents rate the health care in their communities in either of those categories. This poll corroborates … Read More
Renewables and Rural Energy Opportunities Study Tour Continues
By Jan Ahlen, NFU Climate and Energy Coordinator ÖkoFen Pellet Heating in Austria and Krinner “The Ground Screws” in Germany. These are the names of two companies that have profited from the opportunities of German and Austrian renewable energy laws. ÖkoFen manufactures pellet boilers and 80 percent of their revenue comes from exports. Krinner manufactures … Read More
Renewables and Rural Energy Opportunities Study Tour Continues
By Jan Ahlen, NFU Climate and Energy Coordinator ÖkoFen Pellet Heating in Austria and Krinner “The Ground Screws” in Germany. These are the names of two companies that have profited from the opportunities of German and Austrian renewable energy laws. ÖkoFen manufactures pellet boilers and 80 percent of their revenue comes from exports. Krinner manufactures … Read More
NFU Intern Reflects on Her Summer in Washington, D.C.
By Amy Czerniak, NFU Intern As my summer as a National Farmers Union (NFU) intern draws to a close, I am struck by how quickly the past few months have flown by and at the amount I have learned in such a short period of time. When I journeyed to Washington, D.C., at the beginning … Read More
NFU Intern Reflects on Her Summer in Washington, D.C.
By Amy Czerniak, NFU Intern As my summer as a National Farmers Union (NFU) intern draws to a close, I am struck by how quickly the past few months have flown by and at the amount I have learned in such a short period of time. When I journeyed to Washington, D.C., at the beginning … Read More
NFU Travels on Renewables and Rural Energy Opportunities Study Tour
By Jan Ahlen, NFU Climate and Energy Coordinator Editor’s note: NFU Climate and Energy Coordinator Jan Ahlen and a group of leaders from across the United States are in Europe from Aug. 21 to Aug. 27 to participate in the Renewables and Rural Energy Opportunities Study Tour organized by Ecologic Institute and the Atlantic Council … Read More
NFU Travels on Renewables and Rural Energy Opportunities Study Tour
By Jan Ahlen, NFU Climate and Energy Coordinator Editor’s note: NFU Climate and Energy Coordinator Jan Ahlen and a group of leaders from across the United States are in Europe from Aug. 21 to Aug. 27 to participate in the Renewables and Rural Energy Opportunities Study Tour organized by Ecologic Institute and the Atlantic Council … Read More
NFU Celebrates 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives
By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU Government Relations Representative NFU is proud to join the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. Senate and countless other agricultural, consumer, business and social justice organizations worldwide in celebrating 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The NFU board of directors recently adopted a Co-op resolution recognizing this special event. … Read More
NFU Celebrates 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives
By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU Government Relations Representative NFU is proud to join the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. Senate and countless other agricultural, consumer, business and social justice organizations worldwide in celebrating 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The NFU board of directors recently adopted a Co-op resolution recognizing this special event. … Read More
NFU Celebrates National Farmers Market Week
By Tony Jarboe, NFU Communications Coordinator U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has declared this week, Aug. 7-13, to be National Farmers Market Week. In his proclamation, Secretary Vilsack said that “thousands of farmers markets across the country offer consumers affordable, convenient, and the healthful products sold directly to consumers in their freshest possible state.” … Read More