GUEST BLOG POST By Sanne Kure-Jensen Farming is hard work and many farmers seek help from volunteers, compensated volunteers (trade food and/or housing for labor) and paid employees. Farmers want their workers to be happy and productive. Rachel Armstrong led an informative webinar on the legal considerations around unpaid and compensated volunteers. “Ag. law is … Read More
Educational Opportunities
New Dairy Training Program Brings in Beginning Farmers
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
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
Educational Opportunities Abound at Farmers Union
Do you or does someone you know plan to study agriculture this fall? Would a scholarship help? New England Farmers Union Education Foundation is offering its first $500 scholarship to a student who will study any agriculture-related field at an accredited college or university. Returning and nontraditional students are eligible. Applicants must be a member … Read More
Franklin Community Co-op Meeting Unites Members, Suppliers
The annual meeting of the Franklin Community Co-op, the parent of western Massachusetts food co-ops Green Field’s Market and McCusker’s Market, was a chance for co-op members to learn more about the workings of their co-op, and to meet some of the folks who supply its food. That’s where farms and New England Farmers Union … Read More
Young Co-operators Gather in Twin Cities
More than 150 attendees from 25 states and Puerto Rico, including three members of New England Farmers Union, participated in the 2015 National Farmers Union (NFU) College Conference on Co-operatives in Minneapolis, MN, earlier this month. The participants learned how co-operative businesses are adapting to changing environments and heard from co-operative experts from across the … Read More
Farmers Union Scholarship Looks to Agriculture’s Future
The education foundation of the New England Farmers Union is offering a $500 scholarship to a student who will study agriculture at a 2-year or 4-year accredited institution. The scholarship enables Farmers Union to develop the next generation of farmer leaders who will succeed in agriculture and advocate for family farmers. “As part of our … Read More
Women Farmers Gather, New England Represents
Chelsea Kruse, a beginning dairy farmer and active New England Farmers Union member, recently traveled to Clearwater, FL, for National Farmers Union’s Women’s Conference. The event, held Jan. 17-21, drew 50 women farmers from across the nation, and imparted curriculum on business, leadership development activities, and networking opportunities. Kruse reflected on what she learned about … Read More
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