New England Farmers Union’s sixth annual convention, Gearing Up for Success, drew roughly 60 members of the farming community when it met on Nov. 6-8 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH. Attendees heard from national, regional, state, and local agricultural leaders on subjects such as federal agricultural policy, food safety, local and regional … Read More
Blog
NFU Salutes Our Nation’s Farmer Veterans
By Zack Clark, government relations representative, National Farmers Union As we honor our country’s military veterans today, we should also reflect on the contributions they have made, or could make, to feeding our nation through agriculture. Today, of the 21.6 million veterans alive, more than six million live in rural America, with a significant portion … Read More
Bringing the Brew to Burns
By Tom Bryant, Director of Membership, National Farmers Union Sitting nearly equidistant between the rugged slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the west and the stark beauty of the high desert to the east, the town of Burns has long served as a welcome respite for weary travelers crossing the state of Oregon. Rick Roy and … Read More
Organic Agriculture Without the Soil?
By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union For years, producers fought for a federal standard for organic to preserve integrity in the label. As a part of the Organic Food Production Act, Congress created the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to assist in the development of standards for substances to be used in … Read More
Investing in the Future Generation of Agriculture
When it comes to being a beginning farmer, producing food in your first season is only half the battle. Beginning farmers face many challenges such as creating business plans, taking out loans, marketing their products, choosing the right insurance and finding the right resources to access all of this information. The newest USDA New Farmers … Read More
Thanksgiving is a Good Time to Salute America’s Family Farmers and Ranchers for Their Role in Addressing Global Hunger
By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union In just a few weeks our nation will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. While we enjoy the delicious food, we need to remember to thank family farmers and ranchers for the bounty they provide and support policies that will help them to continue to increase their productivity. Certainly, the … Read More
Farm to Lunch Tray: Getting Local Foods into Schools and Students out on the Farm
By Janna Raudenbush, Public Affairs Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture Four years ago, vegetable farmer Chuck McCool of Rover, Arkansas read an article in his local newspaper about a nearby school that had received a local grant to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their meal programs. Over the next few … Read More
Water Pollution Concerns Surround CAFOs
By Sara Kangas, government relations intern, National Farmers Union Over the past seventy years, intensive livestock operations like animal feeding operations (AFOs) have caused a shift in the culture of American farming. Influenced by scientific and technological advancements and increased efficiency practices, AFOs can now produce larger animals in a faster time span than ever before. … Read More
Losing Control: Local Communities Are Standing up for Local Control
By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union Local control is eroding across the country and examples abound: in 2014, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin announced her state would block any city from increasing the minimum wage on the local level; Texas made local fracking bans illegal; and the Supreme Court of Ohio struck down … Read More
Food Waste Reduction Goals Good for Farmers
By Tom Driscoll, government relations representative, National Farmers Union Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first food waste reduction goal for the U.S., calling for a 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2030. Food waste is an important issue for family farmers, and National … Read More