The face of America – and of American agriculture – is changing. The number of farms in the United States has grown 4 percent and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years, according to results of USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture. The 2007 Census counted nearly 30 … Read More
Month: October 2011
American Ethanol: The Key to American Energy Security
By Jan Ahlen, NFU climate and energy coordinator The U.S biofuels industry is at a crossroads. On one hand, the industry is creating jobs in rural America, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cleaning up our air. On the other hand, the industry is under threat by misguided politicians and special interest groups. Now … Read More
National School Lunch Week Helps Promote Local Foods
By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative This past week, Oct. 10-14, we celebrated National School Lunch Week under the theme, “School Lunch — Let’s Grow Healthy.” For family farmers, there’s no greater illustration of this theme than recognition of the recent gains that have been made in getting food from local farms into schoolchildren’s … Read More
The Farmer, the Food and the Farm Bill
By Maria Miller, NFU director of education “I’m looking forward to this farm year ending,” a Farmers Union member from the Midwest wrote to me this week. “It’s my worst year ever in farming. Crop insurance should get me through to next spring, but let’s hope something changes or I’ll be history.” He went on … Read More
Congress Should Reject Pending Trade Agreements
By Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator Congress is set to vote this week on three pending free trade agreements (FTAs) with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. NFU has long opposed each of these agreements because they are very similar to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), both of which … Read More