By Jeanne Janson, NFU Intern To understand how to build thriving rural communities, all we need to do is consider the ground beneath our feet. Healthy soil is complex mixture of organic and inorganic elements: clay and sand, worms and fungi, plant matter, and minerals. This hodgepodge forms the foundation that sustains all life on … Read More
By Dr. Deb O’Dell Scientific research helps make the case that farmers should be paid to apply no-till and cover crop practices to mitigate the effects of and adapt to climate change. Through the work that is being done at the University of Tennessee and elsewhere, scientists have found that cover crops are one of … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director For many Black Americans, Juneteenth is a day of celebration. Observed on June 19th, the holiday commemorates the day that the last slaves were freed in the United States in 1865 – two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln ordered their independence with the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the … Read More
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
By Jeanne Janson, NFU Intern America’s infrastructure has a climate change problem. The Edenville Dam in central Michigan collapsed in May after heavy rain—nearly five inches in 48 hours—falling on already saturated land pushed the Tittabawasse River to record heights. The torrent poured into the surrounding area, destroying roads, homes, businesses, dams and farmland in … Read More
By Jenny Hopkinson, NFU Senior Government Relations Representative The Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis is seeking input on how the federal government can best assist and support farmers, ranchers, and rural communities as they respond to and mitigate the effects of climate change. The committee is asking for details on changes needed … Read More
By Jeanne Janson, NFU Intern National Farmers Union (NFU) represents a diverse group of 200,000 family farmers and ranchers and food advocates, united by the belief that strong farm families and rural communities are vital to the health, security and economic well-being of our nation. In our Member Spotlight series, we will be sharing stories … Read More
By Jeanne Janson, NFU Intern National Farmers Union (NFU) represents a diverse group of 200,000 family farmers and ranchers and food advocates, united by the belief that strong farm families and rural communities are vital to the health, security and economic well-being of our nation. In our Member Spotlight series, we will be sharing stories … Read More
The Resource Stewardship Evaluation Tool (RSET) is a free program offered through National Farmers Union (NFU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 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 … Read More
The Resource Stewardship Evaluation Tool (RSET) is a free program offered through National Farmers Union (NFU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 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 … Read More
Editor’s note: This is the first in what will be an ongoing series that highlights the work farmers and ranchers are doing to adapt their land and operations to the effects of climate change. For more information on climate change and agriculture, check out NFU’s new climate website here. April was unseasonably cold in Central … Read More
By Rob Larew, NFU President Today, National Farmers Union is unveiling to our members a new climate change resource center as part of our effort to support sound federal policy and the efforts of U.S. family farmers and ranchers in responding to the effects of global warming. Through this new website, we hope to share … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Under ordinary circumstances, National Agriculture Day is an opportunity to celebrate the family farmers and ranchers who feed, fuel, and clothe our country. But these are no ordinary circumstances: a global pandemic has upended modern life as we know it. To slow its spread, millions of Americans are staying … Read More
To our Farmers Union family: This is a strange and difficult time. We are all concerned about what the coronavirus pandemic means for our health, our livelihoods, our food system, and our communities, both in the short and long term. There is still a great deal of uncertainty, but National Farmers Union’s staff is, as … Read More
With the need for a decision only days away, the coalition that successfully won a unanimous court decision against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continued its call for the agency to not appeal the decision by launching a new social media campaign aimed at encouraging policymakers and the EPA to do the right thing. Click … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director As Black History Month comes to a close, National Farmers Union (NFU) is celebrating its own piece of black history: its first predominantly African American chapter. It’s no secret that American agriculture – and, by extension, general farm organizations like NFU – is disproportionately white. According to the most … Read More
By Charlie Michel, NFU Intern China appears to be moving ahead with implementing some of the commitments it made as part of the so-called “phase one” trade deal with the Trump Administration in mid-January. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative announced on Feb. 25 that China has lifted some restrictions on the … Read More
By Rebecca J. H. White, Produce Manager, Hanover Co-Op Food Store For the first time this September, I found myself pursuing real organizational change in Washington. Knocking on the doors of my Senators and Representatives during National Farmers Union’s Fall Legislative Fly-In, I felt the intoxicating buzz of conversations centered on things that I care about, that affect … Read More
By Alexis Dunnum, NFU Executive Assistant While some Americans may not be familiar with cooperatives, for rural Americans, cooperatives are integral to the economic and social viability of their communities. For decades, co-ops have provided family farmers and rural communities with everything from crop seed to broadband service. As a member of thirteen different cooperatives, … Read More
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Representative and Josie Krogh, NFU Intern This blog is cross-posted on the National Farm to School website. October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate connections happening all over the country between schools, food, and local farmers, ranchers, and fishers! Over the past decade, the … Read More
By Kourtney Bitz I am a high school senior from Napoleon, a small town in North Dakota. Since I was just five years old, when I attended my first Farmers Union day class, North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) has made an immense impact on my life. That experience was extremely frightening for me; even though … Read More
By John R. Hansen, PhD, Founding Editor of Americans Backing a Competitive Dollar (ABCD) Editor’s note: National Farmers Union recently endorsed the Competitive Dollar for Jobs and Prosperity Act (CDJPA), a bill that would work to realign the value of the dollar and make U.S. agricultural exports more competitive abroad. In this Q&A, John Hansens explains the mechanism … Read More
By Allison Kaika, NFU Intern Fresh produce lining the street, neighbors mingling, the smell of baked goods wafting in the breeze. This is a scene many of us have come to know and love: a weekend morning at your local farmers market. In addition to the aesthetic appeal and community atmosphere, farmers markets stimulate the … Read More
By Anne McGarvey, NFU Intern The way consumers think about food is changing across the country, and food companies are racing to keep up. But what does this mean for family farmers? Americans are paying more attention not only to how their dietary choices affect their health and wellness, but also how they impact the … Read More
By Emily Pliscott, NFU Intern During the month of June, National Dairy Month, we celebrated the hardworking family farmers that produce dairy products across the country. With the ongoing crisis of oversupply and depressed prices, it is even more essential that we support farmers today as they continue to provide nutritious food for their communities. … Read More