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
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
Congress Should Keep its Hands Off of COOL Until WTO Process Is Over
By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union The decision by the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) is due sometime in mid to late May, and when that announcement happens, Congress needs to resist any attempts to change the popular labeling law until the WTO appeals process has been completely exhausted and a … Read More
NFU Encourages Support for Reauthorization of Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting; Offers Suggestions for More Accurate, Usable Data
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 6, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 6, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today encouraged Congress to reauthorize the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act — an important tool in combatting problems caused by high concentration and vertical integration in livestock markets — and offered suggestions … Read More
NFU Action Alert: COOL on the House Floor
Next week is going to be a very tough week for popular labeling law Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL). NFU expects the bill to repeal major parts of the law to be on the House floor between Tuesday and Thursday! Please call your House member and ask them to speak against the COOL repeal bill when the … Read More
NFU Supports Clean Reauthorization of Grain Standards Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 5, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 5, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson this week urged the Senate to pass a clean reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act, calling the current system “the world’s gold standard.” “Today’s framework, overseen by the Federal Grain Inspection … Read More
Agri-Pulse Guest Column: It’s Not Just Consumers in the U.S. Who Demand To Know Where Their Food Comes From
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 1, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 1, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson argues that regardless of the upcoming announcement from the World Trade Organization (WTO) on America’s popular labeling law – Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) – Congress needs to let the WTO process run its … Read More
Congress Should Not Support TPA
John Hansen is president of the Nebraska Farmers Union and served as a U.S. Trade Representative trade adviser for three administrations for 14 years starting in 1994. TPA, also known as Fast Track Authority, provides the administration with trade-negotiating direction and authority while also forcing Congress to vote up or down on trade proposals without … Read More
Trade Promises Have Failed to Materialize
By Roger Noonan, president, New England Farmers Union Promises of expanded trade benefiting U.S. farmers and rural communities have been made during the debates for NAFTA, CAFTA, and the U.S.-Korean Free Trade Agreements and now the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). These benefits have failed to materialize. Instead, rural communities have been roiled by profound economic instability. … Read More
Finding Farming
By Chelsea Kruse, 2014/2015 Beginning Farmer Institute participant 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 beginning in agriculture, no familial ties into farming. My … Read More