By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director You’ve likely heard the buzz that Bill Gates, in addition to being one of the wealthiest men in the world, is now also the largest … Read More
Blog
Good Practices Bring Great Results for Small Farms
By Billy Mitchell, NFU FSMA Training Coordinator “Camaraderie with the whole team.” “Much more fun!” “Peace of mind.” For most farmers, those phrases may conjure up memories of early fall … Read More
What the American Rescue Plan Means for Food and Farmers
By Hannah Packman, National Farmers Union Communications Director Last week, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package. At the organization’s convention in early March, … Read More
Oklahoma Women’s Cooperative Gives Back
By Melody Aufill, AFR/OFU Member, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Ag in the Classroom Coordinator As I sat down to write this article, Oklahoma was in the middle of a massive weather … Read More
Meeting Urban Growers’ Unique Produce Safety Needs
By Billy Mitchell, NFU FSMA Training Coordinator One of the many lessons I’ve learned, or I should say re-learned, over the past year is how important titles can be. I’ve … Read More
Cold Temps, Hot Food Safety Projects
By Tricia Wancko, Food Safety Grant Coordinator Punxsutawney Phil has decreed six more weeks of what has shaped up to be a frigid winter, but there are plenty of food safety projects … Read More
FFA and Farmers Union Make for a Well-Rounded Agricultural Education
By Darrin Williamson, Region V FFA Officer and Chapter Vice President, Minnesota Farmers Union Youth Advisory Council Member Happy FFA Week, an annual celebration of FFA and the impact it … Read More
New FSMA Recordkeeping Requirements are Coming
By Aaron Shier, NFU Senior Government Relations Representative and Billy Mitchell, Food Safety Training Coordinator The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is opening their virtual doors to everyone, including the farming … Read More
OPINION: Don’t Stop at Big Tech—We Need to Bust Big Agriculture, Too
How Biden’s Executive Orders Will Affect Food and Agriculture
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Following his inauguration last Wednesday, President Joe Biden has wasted no time implementing his agenda. In the last week, he has issued more than … Read More
New Year, New Water Test
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Organize the tools. Clean the barn. Patch the pants. As farmers make their New Year’s resolutions, produce growers have an extra one … Read More
How the Justice for Black Farmers Act Levels the Playing Field
By Mackenzie Jeter, NFU Intern A hundred years ago, agriculture was a relatively diverse profession in the United States: a million Black farmers operated about 14 percent of the country’s … Read More
Using Old Methods to Teach New Food Safety Techniques
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator Built on Booker T. Washington’s practice of taking educational opportunities to rural areas, designed by George Washington Carver, and financed by Morris … Read More
New Tools Bring the Farm to Screens
By Melanie Arthur, NFU Intern Pre-pandemic, you needed a few essential things to host an on-farm tour or educational event. First, a place for people to park. Second, some hot coffee brewing. And, finally, a good story … Read More
Lakota Rancher Strengthens Community with Agriculture Education
By Jeanne Janson, NFU Journalism Intern The last 400 years of Native American history is marred with stories of land being stolen, children being forced into boarding schools and a … Read More
Urban Farm Education Continues to Grow
By Billy Mitchell, NFU FSMA Training Coordinator Over the years, the picture of a farmer and farm service provider working together has often looked the same – two people, sometimes … Read More
Recap of the First 100 Days: The FDA’s Blueprint for the New Era of Smarter Food Safety
By Tracy Heim, NFU Intern As fall transitions to winter, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing their New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint implementation. On October 26, … Read More
No Tricks, All Treats With Value-Added Products
By Billy Mitchell, FSMA Training Coordinator Like a moth to a glowing jack-o’-lantern, you may be drawn towards towering shelves of mass-produced candy this Halloween season and tricked into thinking … Read More
Facing the Constant Threat of Climate Change, Farmers Cope with Grief and Stress
By Jeanne Janson, NFU Journalism Intern From mid-August through the end of September, Megan Brown spent countless hours fireproofing the livestock enclosures at her family’s ranch in Northern California and … Read More
TUCCA Steers Food Safety Education in New Direction
By Melanie Arthur, NFU Intern “Parking lot, go ahead and blow your horns. Let everybody know that you are here!” food safety trainer and technical service provider Darrell McGuire shouted … Read More
The Indigenous Origins of Regenerative Agriculture
By Tracy Heim, NFU Intern On the second Monday of every October, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated across the United States to honor the original inhabitants of the Americas. On … Read More
Food Safety Spotlight: Kansas Farmers Union Connects with Urban Growers On-Farm and Online
By Charlie Michel, National Farmers Union Education and Outreach Coordinator When a statewide COVID-19 lockdown upended their food safety event planning, Mary Howell and Mercedes Taylor-Puckett of Kansas Farmers Union … Read More
A Year After Move, NIFA and ERS Still Woefully Understaffed
By Hannah Packman, National Farmers Union Communications Director A year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) abruptly relocated two of its major research agencies – the National Institute of Food and … Read More
Farm Preparedness Checklist for Covid-19
By Melanie Arthur, NFU Intern The Covid-19 pandemic has created new challenges for our food system, especially for those operating or working on farms or in food facilities. To simplify … Read More
One in Eight Meat Plant Workers Has Tested Positive for Covid-19
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Many years before the coronavirus pandemic, there were concerns that meat plant workers were at high risk of contracting contagious diseases – concerns that have only … Read More