FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Ruling in favor of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit today overturned part of a 2019 rule that permitted the year-round sale of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol. The decision comes as a blow to … Read More
Author: Hannah Packman
Blistering Temperatures Scorch Crops, Threaten Farmers and Workers
This week, the Northwestern U.S. has experienced some of its hottest temperatures ever, with some cities and towns surpassing previous record highs by double digits. The heat wave, which is unquestionably related to anthropomorphic climate change, is deeply concerning for a number of reasons. For one, heat can be extremely deadly, especially in regions that don’t experience it often … Read More
USDA’s Reassessment of “Product of USA” Label is Encouraging, Farmers Union Says
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – To complement the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) efforts to strengthen the enforcement of “Made in the USA” standard, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it would conduct a “top-to-bottom review” of the voluntary “Product of the USA” label. National Farmers … Read More
Biofuels Coalition Disappointed in Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Tenth Circuit’s RFS Refinery Exemption Ruling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2021 WASHINGTON – A coalition of renewable fuel and farm groups expressed “extreme disappointment” in today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning a 2020 appellate court ruling that struck down three improper small refinery exemptions granted by previous EPA administrators. However, because certain elements of the appellate court ruling were left unchallenged … Read More
Growing Climate Solutions Act Will Help Farmers Mitigate Climate Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today overwhelmingly passed the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which aims to help farmers and ranchers participate in carbon markets. To achieve that, the bipartisan legislation would establish a certification program for third-party technical service providers as well as create … Read More
Gullah Geechee Cooperative Builds with Food Safety Focus
By Billy Mitchell, NFU Food Safety Training Coordinator, & Tricia Wancko, NFU Food Safety Grant Coordinator A visit to the Gullah Farmers Cooperative processing, packing, and distribution facility on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, fills you with the same sense of promise as a freshly tilled field in spring—all the pieces are in place and … Read More
Farmers Union Opposes Longer Mail Delivery Times
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 22, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – A proposal to permanently slow down First-Class Mail delivery would be “catastrophic” for family farmers, National Farmers Union (NFU) indicated in comments submitted today to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Because rural areas often lack both services like banks, pharmacies, polling places, … Read More
Beekeepers Work to Protect Hives By Keeping Them Local
With honey bee populations declining at rapid rates, beekeepers, farmers and consumers alike are grasping for solutions that will tackle the big picture problems like climate change. Ang Roell, however, believes change starts on a much smaller scale – one the size of a thumbnail. Ang is the author of Radicalize the Hive and founder … Read More
NFU Recommends Steps to Strengthen Resilience in Food Supply Chain
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Over the last year and a half, the pandemic, natural disasters, and cybersecurity breaches have revealed deep weaknesses in our food and farm systems, according to National Farmers Union (NFU). In comments submitted today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the organization’s … Read More
Celebrate Juneteenth By Keeping Our Promises to Black Farmers
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Until recently, Juneteenth has been celebrated only in certain Black communities, with barbecues, parades, rodeos, and other festivities. A portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth,” the holiday marks the day that the final enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were freed following the Emancipation Proclamation – undoubtedly an event worth remembering. … Read More