FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 15, 2017 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – Perpetuating the disturbing consolidation trend in the agriculture sector, the U.S. Department of Justice today approved the $142 billion merger of Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. The deal will create the largest agriculture biotechnology and seed firm in the United States. … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2017 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 hpackman@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – Amidst the sharpest decline in the farm economy in well over a decade, National Farmers Union and a coalition of 21 prominent farm groups are urging Congress to provide a strong safety net for family farmers and ranchers. In a letter to … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Administered by the Farm Service Agency, (FSA) the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) awards producers rental payments for taking environmentally sensitive land out of production. Contracts last between 10-15 years, at which point, a producer can either re-enroll or put the land back into production. In some … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 12, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – Recent efforts by the Trump Administration to weaken and eliminate important rural development work done within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are not sitting well with family farmers, ranchers, and rural residents. National Farmers Union (NFU) today joined a coalition of … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 12, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – As the Trump Administration navigates a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the administration to establish a new, fair trade framework for international trade deals that benefits family farmers, ranchers, and rural residents. … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy The Climate Column has covered a number of grazing practices that encourage soil health, such as prescribed grazing and rotational grazing. These practices store atmospheric carbon in the soil while protecting forage from the increasingly volatile precipitation patterns driven by climate change, allowing producers to both mitigate … Read More
June 9, 2017 By Skylar Schneider, Executive Assistant Contact: Chelsea Matzen, 202-554-1600 cmatzen@nfudc.org This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it will be extending the compliance dates for agricultural water requirements established by the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) produce safety rule (PSR). This extension does not include sprouts, however. The agricultural … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON – In an effort to improve the consistency and integrity of organic livestock practices and labeling, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to finalize a set of regulations on organic livestock and poultry practices that are currently … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union When Cheryl and Fred Schaefers tied the knot 40 years ago, the two shared a strong passion for farming. And, along with crops and livestock, the couple wanted to raise a large family. “We originally wanted 12 kids. Fred is the youngest of 9 and I am the … Read More
By Steven Emmen, NFU Intern Earlier this week, we briefly discussed what the prior appropriation system is and its unique characteristics. To give beginning farmers a better idea of the practical application of prior appropriation, we reached out to a farmer on the western slope of Colorado. Harrison Topp manages a peach farm and is currently … Read More