U.S. Withdrawal from Paris Accord Shirks Science, Neglects Devastating Impacts to Food System, Family Farms, and Future Generations

June 1, 2017Press Releases No Comments
U.S. Withdrawal from Paris Accord Shirks Science, Neglects Devastating Impacts to Food System, Family Farms, and Future Generations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced today that the U.S. will withdraw from the historic Paris Agreement, an accord among 192 nations to combat the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. Echoing concerns raised in a recent letter to President Trump, National Farmers Union … Read More

Q&A With an Urban Grower on Food Safety

June 1, 2017News
Q&A With an Urban Grower on Food Safety

June 1, 2017 By London Muegge, Education Intern Contact: Chelsea Matzen, 202-554-1600 [email protected] The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law on January 4, 2011 by President Obama, and is the largest reform to our country’s food safety laws since 1938. Its purpose is to ensure our food supply is safe by putting … Read More

Stand Up for Family Farmers – Pass the Farmer Fair Practices Rules

June 1, 2017Blog No Comments
Stand Up for Family Farmers – Pass the Farmer Fair Practices Rules

By Skylar Schneider, NFU Executive Assistant Nearly 100 years ago, Congress passed the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, which was written to both address abuses by major livestock and poultry meatpackers as well as ensure effective competition within the market. The act prohibits unfair practices and undue preferences, and aims to shield producers from anti-competitive … Read More

Access to Markets: The Perils of Price

May 31, 2017Blog No Comments
Access to Markets: The Perils of Price

By Chris Holman, Co-Owner/Operator of Nami Moon Farms As beginning producers, what sorts of obstacles do we create in order to keep doing what we’re doing? There were plenty of them, but today let’s talk about one that will kill you and your farm faster than almost any other—price. When we started out at Nami … Read More

Farmers Union: Agitate, Organize, Educate, and Cooperate

May 31, 2017Blog No Comments
Farmers Union: Agitate, Organize, Educate, and Cooperate

By Tom Giessel, NFU Historian Owen Franklin Dornblazer was the 11th person to join The Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America in 1902. He lived to the age of 94 and was active in organizational and membership work until the final few months of his life. At age 85, addressing the 1926 NFU convention, … Read More

Costco Refuses to Discuss Poultry Contracts

May 31, 2017Press Releases No Comments

Costco Refuses to Discuss Poultry Contracts   LINCOLN, NE.  As a result of Costco’s Wholesale Corporation CEO W. Craig Jelinek failure to accept or respond to an invitation from the Organization for Competitive Markets and Nebraska Farmers Union to sit down and discuss concerns with poultry contract provisions offered to area farmers, OCM and NeFU … Read More

What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Federal Support for Climate Research

May 30, 2017Climate Column No Comments
What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change? Federal Support for Climate Research

By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator Climate science, a multidisciplinary field that addresses the causes and effects of climate change, predicts future trends, and establishes mitigation and adaptation practices, is increasingly vital as extreme temperatures and erratic weather become more common. We all benefit from climate change research, but it is particularly critical for family … Read More

Access to Markets: The Greenway Farm Family & Farm Advocacy

May 26, 2017Beginning Farmers No Comments
Access to Markets: The Greenway Farm Family & Farm Advocacy

By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union A $200 scholarship from the Davison County Pork Producers in 1984 launched Brad Greenway on an agricultural advocacy journey which has put him in front of thousands of consumers coast-to-coast and around the world to share his story. “That scholarship got me involved,” explains the third-generation pork producer. Brad’s engagement … Read More

Access to Markets: The Greenway Farm Family & Farm Advocacy

May 26, 2017Beginning Farmers No Comments
Access to Markets: The Greenway Farm Family & Farm Advocacy

By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union A $200 scholarship from the Davison County Pork Producers in 1984 launched Brad Greenway on an agricultural advocacy journey which has put him in front of thousands of consumers coast-to-coast and around the world to share his story. “That scholarship got me involved,” explains the third-generation pork producer. Brad’s engagement … Read More

Access to Markets: Value Added Producer Grants

May 25, 2017Beginning Farmers No Comments
Access to Markets: Value Added Producer Grants

By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Representative When my mother was growing up on her family’s farm near Bergen, North Dakota, they produced most of the food they ate. Their eggs, butter, milk, cream, fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, and chicken were all raised and processed on the farm. The good Germans that they are, my … Read More