By Allison Kaika, NFU Intern June is National Dairy Month, making it a good time to highlight the important role family dairies play in the global food system, while also reflecting on the economic difficulties that America’s dairy farmers are currently facing. The American dairy farm is a cornerstone in United States’ agriculture. Over the years, … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator On the 49th annual celebration of Earth Day, National Farmers Union (NFU) is highlighting the existential threat that climate change poses to American agriculture as well as the critical role of farmers and ranchers in mitigation and adaptation efforts. “Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing family farmers, … Read More
Family farm agriculture has for centuries been the lifeblood of America’s food system, and its continued success is essential in order for our country to have vibrant rural communities and pristine shared natural resources. As the country celebrates National Ag Day today, National Farmers Union (NFU) joined the food and agriculture community by highlighting the … Read More
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Representative Part of what makes National Farmers Union (NFU) a successful and credible political organization is its grassroots structure. NFU’s policy-setting procedure is completely driven by the organization’s ~200,000 farmer and rancher members, and the results directly guide our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. The policy process begins each … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Director of Government Relations No topic overshadowed the 2018 Farm Bill process more than the state of the farm economy. After a nearly 50 percent drop in net farm income, the majority of farms in the country are operating on negative margins. This financial stress left National Farmers Union’s (NFU) members … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Director Environmental sustainability is critical for the future of family farming and ranching and for the health of our rural communities. As concerns over water quality, soil health and the wide-ranging effects of climate-change mount, incentives-based conservation programs are more important now than ever. The 2018 Farm Bill maintains … Read More
By Aaron Shier, NFU Government Relations Representative Though traditional commodity markets remain a large source of revenue, the market for locally or regionally produced food, value-added products, and organic agriculture are becoming increasingly important for farmers. Why are diverse market opportunities so important? Local and regional marketplaces, with their shorter supply chains, can help farmers … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy While farmers have profound respect for the land and natural resources, the farm economy does not always adequately align profitability and stewardship. However, we are growing in our understanding of farmers’ ability to help address climate change and other environmental challenges through production and conservation practices. Noble Research Institute (NRI) is currently working to advance ecosystem service markets (ESM) specifically … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Last week, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released the Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States (NCA4) detailing the existing and incoming impacts of climate change. Chapter 10 of the report, titled Agriculture and Rural Communities, covers the … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Representative Those of us who work with farmers on a daily basis know that mental and behavioral health is a major concern in farming communities. Over the past couple years, as family farmers’ and ranchers’ typical stresses have been compounded by the state of the farm economy, the issue … Read More