Understanding the Challenges of a Slumping Farm Economy and its Impact on Connecticut

June 6, 2016Agriculture Research, Census of Agriculture, Dairy, Farm Economics

Guest Blog Post: By Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) Agriculture in the Northeast contributes $103 billion to local economies and supports roughly 480,000 jobs across the region. But like the rest of the farm economy, producers in Connecticut have been negatively impacted by slumping commodity prices and weak demand for their products. Nationally, net farm income … Read More

New England Fly-In Group’s Got Dairy Covered

September 21, 2015Dairy, Farmer Leaders, Fly-In, Grass Roots Policy, National Farmers Union, Organic Producers, Women Producers

Five New England Farmers Union members attended the 2015 National Farmers Union Legislative Fly-In last week, and three of the attendees are dairy farmers. Mary Castonguay milks Ayrshires in Maine; Allie Bates works on her family’s dairy farm and makes goat cheese, also in Maine. Both Castonguay and Bates are members of the Organic Valley … Read More

Congratulations to Farmers Union Scholarship Winner Ellie Pendleton

July 22, 2015Beginning Farmers, Dairy, Educational Opportunities, Farmer Leaders, Farmer Profile, NEFU Members, Women Producers

New England Farmers Union Education Foundation is proud to announce its inaugural scholarship winner for 2015, Ellie Pendleton of Rockport, Maine. Ellie, a New England Farmers Union member, will be a sophomore at the University of Maine, and is pursuing a double major in animal science and education. As a freshman, she worked on the … Read More

New Dairy Training Program Brings in Beginning Farmers

April 28, 2015Agriculture Research, Beginning Farmers, Dairy, Educational Opportunities, Farming Practices, Organic Producers

Conventional dairy is in decline and the average age of dairy farmers in Maine is approaching 60. Too few young people are entering organic dairy. Meanwhile, the demand for organic milk is increasing at a dramatic rate, creating a nationwide shortage of organic milk. To address these challenges, Wolfe’s Neck Farm, an educational nonprofit farm … Read More

Dairy Farmer Chelsea Kruse on Finding Farming

April 27, 2015Beginning Farmers, Dairy, Educational Opportunities, Farmer Leaders, Farmer Profile, National Farmers Union, NEFU Members, Women Producers

Chelsea Kruse delivered this talk at the National Farmers Union convention in Wichita, Kansas, in March. My name is Chelsea Kruse, I’m a member of New England Farmers Union and a student of the 2014 Beginning Farmers Institute. I grew up in a very rural and unknown corner of New Hampshire, but I have no … Read More