By Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-1) As USDA has widely reported and producers are all too aware, commodity prices have been significantly declining recently. Nationally, net farm income has dropped 56 percent in the last three years. While not all agricultural products have experienced such a dramatic drop in price, there are other factors that are creating financial … Read More
Balanced Trade is Best for Family Farmers and Ranchers, NFU Testimony States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (June 14, 2016) – The nearly 200,000 family farmer and rancher-led National Farmers Union (NFU) continued to advocate for fair and balanced trade in official testimony submitted for the record to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. Today, the subcommittee held … Read More
NFU Urges Military Biofuels Exemption to Be Removed from Defense Spending Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (June 14, 2016) – Repeated attempts to undermine the national security benefits of advanced biofuels through previous defense spending bills have been unsuccessful. As House lawmakers meet today to debate the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2017, National Farmers Union (NFU) … Read More
The National Organic Program: Protecting the Integrity of Organic Agriculture
By Miles V. McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, National Organic Program The National Organic Program (NOP), a regulatory program housed in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), oversees organic farmers and businesses to make sure that organic food is produced with organic methods. In April, AMS released data showing the organic industry is now made up of … Read More
NFU Thanks USDA for Cotton Ginning Cost-Share Solutions for Producers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 6, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (June 6, 2016) – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) would provide an estimated $300 million in cost-share assistance payments to cotton producers. In response to the new Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program, … Read More
Understanding the Challenges of a Slumping Farm Economy and its Impact on Connecticut
By Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) Agriculture in the Northeast contributes $103 billion to local economies and supports roughly 480,000 jobs across the region. But like the rest of the farm economy, producers in Connecticut have been negatively impacted by slumping commodity prices and weak demand for their products. Nationally, net farm income has dropped 56 … Read More
NFU Recognizes Family Farms in Celebration of National Dairy Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 2, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (June 2, 2016) – For more than 75 years, milk and dairy products have been promoted every June in celebration of National Dairy Month. As consumers indulge in their favorite dairy products this month, National Farmers Union (NFU) is taking a step back … Read More
NFU Farm Safety Videos Aim to Reduce Farm Accidents Through Education, Awareness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2016 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (June 1, 2016) – As farmers busily work on the farm this time of year, National Farmers Union (NFU) hopes to raise awareness about farm safety issues and best practices through a series of 10 educational videos. The videos, available at www.NFU.org/farmsafety, educate … Read More
Farm Safety Education Should Reach Beyond the Farm Gate
By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union Nearly 500 farm work-related deaths occur annually, according to a 2013 study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). As farmers and ranchers are more active on and around their operations this time of year, National Farmers Union (NFU) is raising awareness about farm safety issues and … Read More
AAI, FWW and NFU Urge the U.S. Department of Justice to Challenge the Dow-DuPont Merger
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 31, 2016 Contact: American Antitrust Institute: Sarah Frey, 410-897-7028, sfrey@antitrustinstitute.org Food & Water Watch: Kate Fried, 202-683-4905, kfried@fwwatch.org National Farmers Union: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106, ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 31, 2016) – In a letter sent today to the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Renata Hesse, the American Antitrust Institute (AAI), Food & Water Watch (FWW) … Read More