The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is currently being implemented and will have a significant impact on many food producers and processors. On August 23, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a $1.5 million grant to the National Farmers Union (NFU) Foundation to deliver outreach and training on FSMA to underserved growers … Read More
Farming Practices
Getting Ready for FSMA
Brief Background on FSMA The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in January 2011. It authorizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take a preventive approach to ensuring a safe food supply. FSMA contains seven major rules dealing with all aspects of the food supply chain. Brief Background on the … Read More
Marking the Beginning of a New Era in Food Safety
Guest Blog Post By: Stephen Ostroff, M.D. The promises embodied in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) add up to this: The foods that we eat and serve our families must be as safe as we can make them. These promises mandate that food be produced, packed and transported with an awareness of potential … Read More
Farm Safety Education Should Reach Beyond the Farm Gate
Nearly 500 farm work-related deaths occur annually, according to a 2013 study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). As farmers and ranchers are more active on and around their operations this time of year, National Farmers Union (NFU) is raising awareness about farm safety issues and best practices through a series of 10 … Read More
Food Safety From Farm to Table
GUEST BLOG POST By Elanor Starmer IF you are a farmer interested in selling produce wholesale or direct to a retailer, restaurant or institution, you probably have food safety on the brain. A growing number of buyers require farms to demonstrate compliance with a food safety standard, often through an audit and certification program. That takes … Read More
Spirited Convention Includes Keynotes from Sec. Vilsack, Gen. Clark
Family farmers and ranchers are the best advocates for agriculture, and over the last four days, the National Farmers Union has provided more than 500 members and delegates of the 114th Anniversary Convention with the advocacy tools they need to be better informed about topics important to farm policy and the industry. “We came to … Read More
Farmer Input Will Improve CSP
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is designed to help farmers and ranchers maintain natural resources and adopt conservation practices on agricultural land. Participants earn performance-based payments for these practices, such as cover cropping, highly diversified crop rotations, and managed rotational grazing. Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), CSP also provides … Read More
U.S. Poultry Farmers’ Rights Are Under Siege
GUEST BLOG POST By Willie Nelson and Rep. Marcy Kaptur. This originally ran as an editorial in the Washington Post on July 7, 2015. As Americans, we cherish our rights to speak freely, to assemble peacefully and to address our government representatives without fear of retaliation. But for tens of thousands of America’s poultry farmers, … Read More
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
Farm Credit East Releases 2015 Outlook Report for Farmers
GUEST BLOG POST by Farm Credit East Farm Credit East, a farmer-owned cooperative, recently released its 2015 industry outlook report. This report examines challenges and opportunities for Northeast agriculture, as well as the impact of broader economic trends and conditions on our region’s farm businesses. “Farming, forestry and fishing businesses have rapidly become knowledge-based businesses,” … Read More