Access to Capital: Introduction

December 13, 2016Beginning Farmers No Comments

By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education The stability of the food supply in the United States depends upon farmers’ access to credit. Credit presents challenges to all farmers and ranchers because cash flows differently for farms than it does for many other types of businesses. But obstacles to credit can be especially … Read More

Government Shutdown Clock Resets, Clock Still Ticking for Family Agriculture, NFU Says

December 12, 2016Press Releases No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (December 12, 2016) – In response to the U.S. Senate’s vote to pass the $1.1 trillion stopgap spending package, sending the bill to the President’s desk to fund the government through April 28, 2017, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Filter Strips

December 12, 2016Climate Column No Comments

By Trixie Wessel, NFU Intern NFU’s Climate Column recently covered the practice of creating field borders. This week, we’re talking about a similar practice: filter strips. Filter strips, also known as buffer strips, are areas of vegetation planted between cropland and surface water to obstruct the passage of  sediment and pollutants into environmentally sensitive areas. Filter strips trap suspended solids … Read More

NFU Opens Registration for 115th Anniversary Convention

December 8, 2016Press Releases No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 8, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (December 8, 2016) – National Farmers Union announced that registration is open for its 115th Anniversary Convention. The conference, which gathers family farmers and ranchers from across the country, industry professionals and notable speakers, will be held March 5-8th, 2017 at the Catamaran … Read More

Access to Land: Succession Planning

December 8, 2016Beginning Farmers No Comments

For beginning producers who farm and ranch on intergenerational family operations, good succession planning is essential to securing access to land. By Brittany Ann Bula, Wisconsin Farmers Union, Beginning Farmer Institute 2016-2017 As a 4th generation farmer, and as my parents grow older, the touchy subject of secession farming is brought up more often than not. … Read More

More than 1,000 Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Attend NFU Online Conference

December 8, 2016Press Releases No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 8, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (December 8, 2016) – This week, National Farmers Union (NFU) brought together more than 1,000 beginning farmers and ranchers for the first online-only conference focused exclusively on education for the next generation of agriculture. From December 5-8, attendees virtually joined educational sessions focused … Read More

Access to Land: Introduction

December 8, 2016Beginning Farmers No Comments

By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education National Farmer Union’s historic concern and advocacy for the vitality of family farming and rural communities demands that every person involved with the organization works to ensure beginning producers can successfully engage in farming and support their families with sustainable businesses. NFU’s policy, established by the … Read More

NFU Applauds Inclusion of FSA Funding in Congressional Spending

December 7, 2016Press Releases No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (December 7, 2016) – As the 114th Congress works to pass a spending bill that would fund the government through April 2017, National Farmers Union (NFU) is pleased that the package considers the plight of the farm economy. The continuing resolution includes a … Read More

What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Field Borders

December 5, 2016Climate Column No Comments

By Trixie Wessel, NFU Intern In the past, the Climate Column has discussed practices such as strip-till, no-till, and cover crops to prevent erosion and improve soil health. Another important practice with similar benefits is the establishment of field borders, strips of vegetation at the perimeter of a field. Generally composed of stiff-stemmed upright grasses or … Read More