By Nate Brownlee, Co-Owner and Operator of Nightfall Farm When you start a farm, there’s no definite starting point. Well before you ever have plants in the ground or animals to graze, you’re already deep into planning and dreaming. By the time we moved home from New England, we already knew (roughly) what we wanted … Read More
By Hannah Ruth Tabler, NFU Intern Soil amendments are a common way to improve the development of produce. While they may help your plants grow and reduce soil erosion, they can also present a safety risk. By assessing soil amendments and implementing a safety plan, growers can avoid contamination of their produce. The term “soil … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 22, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – The Trump administration today unveiled trade actions against China that will likely spur significant retaliatory measures aimed at U.S. agricultural products. The move is in response to a U.S. Trade Representative office investigation on China’s violations of intellectual property rights. National Farmers … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 21, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – Congressional appropriators revealed an omnibus appropriations bill today that includes significant and harmful modifications to an important tax break for farmers and agricultural cooperatives, known as Section 199A. The tax break was included in last year’s tax overhaul, the Tax Cuts and … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – As the national agriculture community joins together to celebrate National Agriculture Day, National Farmers Union (NFU) is recognizing family farmers and ranchers for the wide array of contributions they make to consumers’ everyday life. This year’s National Ag Day theme is “Food … Read More
By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Abnormal weather patterns have increasingly made livestock producers vulnerable to reduced outputs. Previously on the Climate Column, we’ve discussed tools developed by the U.S. Department Agriculture (USDA) that assist farmers with preparations for droughts and higher temperatures, but there are also programs that provide financial compensation and assistance for extreme … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – The STRESS Act, introduced by U.S. Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Tom O’Halleran (R-Ariz.), Rick Nolan (D-Minn.), David Young (R-Iowa), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), would provide vital assistance to family … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – Members of Congress are proposing to undo a newly instated tax break that is meant to level the playing field between agricultural cooperatives and corporations who received a dramatic tax break under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. National Farmers Union (NFU) … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today withdrew the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) final rule, a set of standards that organic producers would have had to meet to qualify for the voluntary organic label for livestock and poultry. USDA’s move … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy A 2013 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) bulletin notes that ongoing monitoring of climate data has led experts to anticipate “an increase in areas experiencing droughts and the occurrence of more intense precipitation events.” It’s self-evident to farmers and ranchers that greater incidence of these … Read More