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
By Bobbi Wilson, Government Relations Associate for Wisconsin Farmers Union Dairy Together is a grassroots movement to rebuild a fair, stable, and predictable dairy economy for family farmers and rural communities. This movement emerged in response to the current dairy crisis—we are now in the fifth straight year of low prices, and for many farmers, … Read More
By Allison Kaika, NFU Intern June is National Dairy Month, making it a good time to highlight the important role family dairies play in the global food system, while also reflecting on the economic difficulties that America’s dairy farmers are currently facing. The dairy farm is a cornerstone of American agriculture. Over the years, dairies have … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator On the 49th annual celebration of Earth Day, National Farmers Union (NFU) is highlighting the existential threat that climate change poses to American agriculture as well as the critical role of farmers and ranchers in mitigation and adaptation efforts. “Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing family farmers, … Read More
Family farm agriculture has for centuries been the lifeblood of America’s food system, and its continued success is essential in order for our country to have vibrant rural communities and pristine shared natural resources. As the country celebrates National Ag Day today, National Farmers Union (NFU) joined the food and agriculture community by highlighting the … Read More
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Representative Part of what makes National Farmers Union (NFU) a successful and credible political organization is its grassroots structure. NFU’s policy-setting procedure is completely driven by the organization’s ~200,000 farmer and rancher members, and the results directly guide our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. The policy process begins each … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Director of Government Relations No topic overshadowed the 2018 Farm Bill process more than the state of the farm economy. After a nearly 50 percent drop in net farm income, the majority of farms in the country are operating on negative margins. This financial stress left National Farmers Union’s (NFU) members … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Director Environmental sustainability is critical for the future of family farming and ranching and for the health of our rural communities. As concerns over water quality, soil health and the wide-ranging effects of climate-change mount, incentives-based conservation programs are more important now than ever. The 2018 Farm Bill maintains … Read More
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Representative Though traditional commodity markets remain a large source of revenue, the market for locally or regionally produced food, value-added products, and organic agriculture are becoming increasingly important for farmers. Why are diverse market opportunities so important? Local and regional marketplaces, with their shorter supply chains, can help farmers … Read More
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Representative Though traditional commodity markets remain a large source of revenue, the market for locally or regionally produced food, value-added products, and organic agriculture are becoming increasingly important for farmers. Why are diverse market opportunities so important? Local and regional marketplaces, with their shorter supply chains, can help farmers … Read More
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