Congress Needs to Leave COOL Alone

May 22, 2015Blog

 By Darin Von Ruden, president, Wisconsin Farmers Union Nobody seemed to care where their pet treats came from until dogs started dropping dead from eating tainted treats, mostly from China. Since 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 5,800 complaints from consumers about their pets getting sick and, sadly, over 1,000 … Read More

NFU Applauds Swift Senate Action on Grain Standards Reauthorization Act

May 21, 2015Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today applauded the Senate Agriculture Committee leadership for its work on the swift reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). “On behalf of National Farmers Union’s 200,000 members, I applaud your work … Read More

NFU Opposes House’s America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, Urges Senate to Reinstate Research

May 21, 2015Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) today announced its opposition to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last night – noting that the act cuts important funding for climate and renewable energy research – … Read More

White House Issues Plan for Pollinators

May 20, 2015Blog

By Tom Driscoll, government relations representative, National Farmers Union On Tuesday, May 19, the White House’s Pollinator Health Task Force released the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The strategy includes: calls for additional funds for pollinator health research, increased and improved pollinator habitat through conservation programs, enhanced management of … Read More

Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee Hears from EPA

May 15, 2015Blog

By Tom Driscoll, government relations representative, National Farmers Union The Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC), a federal advisory committee composed of diverse stakeholders and tasked with providing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) feedback on various pesticide regulatory, policy and program implementation issues, met in the D.C. metro area this week. EPA officials addressed the … Read More

Funds Available to Offset Organic Certification Costs

May 14, 2015Blog

By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union National Farmers Union (NFU) recognizes the increasing importance of organic family farming. While the organic market continues to grow, NFU will advocate ensuring accreditation and certification costs do not discriminate against small producers. One way to assist small organic producers to support their continued viability is … Read More

Congress Needs to Reauthorize the CFTC

May 14, 2015Blog

By Zack Clark, government relations representative, National Farmers Union It is a well-known fact that farming is a risky endeavor. General risk and uncertainty, be it weather or volatile price fluctuations, can wreak havoc on a farm’s financial wellbeing. A range of risk management tools aids producers in mitigating the impacts of uncontrollable events. One … Read More

Farmers Union Goes to School

May 13, 2015Beginning Farmers, Educational Opportunities, farm-to-school, GMO

Recently, New England Farmers Union attended two events at western Massachusetts high schools to talk to students about specific policy issues they can get involved in, such as GMO labeling, and to let future graduates know what kinds of careers are available in agriculture. The events presented an opportunity for Farmers Union representatives to spread the … Read More

COOL: We Fought Hard for A Generation to Win This, And We’re Not Giving Up Now

May 11, 2015Blog

 By Kent Peppler, president, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Although Congress passed a law requiring that meats have their origins on their label in 2002, corporate interests in the U.S. and our chief trade competitors – Canada and Mexico  – have tried every trick imaginable to block the country-of-origin-labeling law from staying on the books. Now, … Read More

Grants Available to Fund Rural Business Development

May 8, 2015Blog

By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union The renewal of rural America through increased business and agriculture cooperative development remains at the forefront of Farmers Union’s mission. One program for these purposes is the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), something NFU has been an advocate for since the mid-1990s. NFU voiced its support for the program during the … Read More