FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 21, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – Highlighting the important roles family farmers and ranchers play in ensuring food security, National Farmers Union (NFU) joined the agriculture community today in celebrating National Ag Day. “Family farmers and ranchers play a critical role in providing food, fuel, feed and fiber … Read More
Access to Land: Clark Ranch Family & Succession Planning
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union Middle of Nowhere might be the best way to describe the location of Pat and Barb Clark’s ranch, which is located on native rangeland 40 miles southeast of Lemmon and 30 miles east of Meadow. Homesteaded in 1915 by his grandfather, Avery Clark, and great-uncle, Harry, the Clarks, … Read More
Access to Markets: Agritourism, Policy, & Rural Communities
By Kriss Marion, Owner and Operator of Circle M Market Farm In America, children are fond of computer games. When my children were young, they played games called Age of Empires and Rise of Nations for hours. These games, still popular today, are strategy-based storylines for which each scenario begins with collecting resources – sheep, coal, … Read More
President’s Budget Shuns Rural America with Deep Cuts to Agriculture, Programs Serving Rural America
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump issued his fiscal year 2018 federal budget blueprint today, calling for a drastic reduction in spending on agriculture and rural related agencies and programs. Lamenting further cuts being proposed for agriculture, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued … Read More
NFU’s Women’s Conference: Shaping the Future
By Meighen Lovelace, NFU Intern This year, National Farmers Union hosted its 5th annual Women’s Conference in San Diego, California. The conference, whose theme was “Shaping the Future,” hosted an impressive lineup of speakers and offered plenty of opportunities to network with agricultural leaders. The two day event was packed with information and inspiration from … Read More
Access to Markets: Agritourism
By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern Diversity may be the hottest buzz word for agriculture, both large and small. Relying on one product or commodity to support the entire farm can be a gamble, putting the operation at higher risk. As farmers, we need to expand our approach to diversifying farm revenue to access as many potential markets as possible. We have … Read More
NFU Lauds Bill to Add USDA to Foreign Investment Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today introduced a bill to add the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The … Read More
Access to Efficiency: Paper Pot Transplanting
By John Hendrickson, Stone Circle Farm and Small Farm Works Tools and equipment appropriate for small-scale, highly diversified vegetable farms have been a passion of mine for a long time. I discovered one of my favorite tools about 12 years ago while living in Japan. I was abroad with my wife, who was doing international … Read More
What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Dynamic Cropping Systems: Russ Zenner’s Story
By Laura Lengnick, founder of Cultivating Resilience, LLC This story is excerpted from Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate (New Society Publishers, 2015). Resilient Agriculture explores climate risk, resilience, and the future of food through the adaptation stories of 25 award-winning sustainable farmers and ranchers growing fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and livestock across America. … Read More
NFU Concludes 115th Anniversary Convention with Adoption of Policy, Special Orders of Business
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org SAN DIEGO – The National Farmers Union (NFU) 115th Anniversary Convention concluded today following the adoption of the organization’s policy book and special orders of business. Nearly 500 family farmers and ranchers convened in San Diego both to engage in thoughtful policy deliberations, as well as … Read More