By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy A growing interest in local and regional food offers lucrative opportunities for beginning farmers, and growing farm products for these markets often require a less significant investment in land and equipment than other production methods would. However, direct-to-consumer sales do require that farmers spend a … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of Conservation Policy and NFU Foundation The Climate Column has covered practices that allow farmers to reduce emissions and sink carbon into their soil, like no-till, as well as methods that help farmers secure the food system by adapting to the changing climate, like intercropping. As the harmful consequences of climate change increase, … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 19, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As embattled farm, biofuel, and rural communities and economies look to the Trump Administration to maintain promises to support American biofuel production, National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling on the administration to increase Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume obligations when they finalize … Read More
For Immediate Release October 18, 2017 Contact: [email protected] WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Farmers Union (NFU) and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union sent a joint letter to the Senate today describing how North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations could more broadly benefit American family farmers and meatpacking workers. In the letter, UFCW … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 17, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON –The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it would be terminating the Farmer Fair Practices Rule on Competitive Injury, a rule that would have provided the most basic of protections to American family farmers and ranchers as they endure increasingly concentrated markets … Read More
NeFU Completes Transfer of Big Red Worms Business to Cook Grow Sew LINCOLN (October 13, 2017) – Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) president John Hansen announced the completion of the financial and management transfer of Big Red Worms, a wholly owned project of Nebraska Farmers Union Enterprises, LLC to Cook Grow Sew, LLC. The official … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy The market for local and regional food is an important one for beginning producers. A January 2015 report to Congress issued by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) notes that “producer participation in local food systems is growing, and the value of local food sales…appears to be … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Here on the Climate Column, we have discussed the climate benefits that can be achieved through extending crop rotations. A longer rather than shorter rotation can mitigate erosion if the rotation reduces or eliminates time that soil lays bare; assist with pathogen, pest and weed … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 5, 2017 CONTACT National Farmers Union: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106, [email protected] U.S. Cattlemen’s Association: Lia Biondo, 202-870-1552, [email protected] The agriculture and conservation communities spent recent years working together on management plans that successfully prevented a non-listing of the Greater Sage Grouse, while providing grazing management flexibility for livestock producers and land managers. … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 5, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As American family farmers struggle amidst a global glut of grain supplies and a severely depressed U.S. farm economy, the Trump Administration has a significant opportunity to provide meaningful relief that benefits not only farmers, but also rural communities, consumers and the … Read More