Gaps Remain in Support for Urban Farms

February 17, 2016Blog

By Dana Rushovich, production manager, Boone Street Farm When I first started working at Boone Street Farm over two and a half years ago, I was looking for a way to connect with my local community around food. I had just returned from my first full time farming experience in North Carolina and knew that … Read More

Are We Prepared for Foot and Mouth Disease?

February 11, 2016Blog

By Katie Fisher, government relations intern, National Farmers Union The Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing this morning about foot and mouth disease. National Farmers Union members place a tremendous amount of emphasis on maintaining domestic animal health. NFU even adopted a special order of business on animal disease protection at its … Read More

Food Incentive Programs take the Frontline on the Fight Against Hunger

February 9, 2016Blog

By Katie Fisher, government relations intern, National Farmers Union Last week was a busy week for the House Committee on Agriculture as they had two subcommittee meetings in two days. Wednesday morning, the Subcommittee on Nutrition, led by Chairwoman Jackie Walorski, met to discuss food incentive programs and how they can be improved. Five panelists … Read More

Direct Marketing is Invaluable for Consumer Education on Agriculture

February 3, 2016Blog

By Katie Fisher, government relations intern, National Farmers Union Yesterday, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research held a hearing examining the opportunities and challenges in direct marketing. It provided first-hand accounts from farmers and ranchers involved in direct marketing ventures, such as local farmers markets, direct to restaurant or grocery store sales, value … Read More

Understanding AMS’ Withdrawal of Two Voluntary Marketing Claim Standards

January 15, 2016Blog

NFU Note: USDA AMS withdrew their grass-fed standard earlier this week and there were a lot of questions from NFU members. NFU reached out directly to the source to find out more about how this impacts producers. FSIS has committed to ensuring that all grass-fed claims remain truthful. Read more from AMS Deputy Administrator Craig Morris in … Read More

Women Are Vital to the Continued Success of American Agriculture

January 6, 2016Blog

By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union There are many promising trends in agriculture, but certainly the growing number of women who are using their talents to help strengthen the viability of the family farm is one that stands out above many others. As America’s role in supplying food, feed, fuel and fiber to both … Read More

The End of COOL

December 28, 2015Blog

By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union Dating back to 1984, National Farmers Union (NFU) policy has supported country of origin labeling (COOL). Our producers have always known that they raise the best beef and pork in the world, and they believe consumers should be able to know where the meat at the grocery store … Read More

Farmers and Ranchers Have Been Dealing with Climate Change for Decades

December 1, 2015Blog

By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union The Earth’s climate is changing – temperatures are rising, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and precipitation patterns are shifting dramatically. While some in Washington like to spend their time debating the notion of climate change, there is little debate about the subject in rural America. And … Read More