By Mike Stranz, NFU government relations representative We’re all used to seeing labels on everyday products that tell us where that item was produced. It’s almost a reflex to look for that information. Given how basic that information seems to be, it is startling to realize that Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) wasn’t required on … Read More

By Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator It is the holiday season, and for many, that means giving gifts, spending time with family, and eating lots of food. Unfortunately, for 37 million hungry Americans, the holiday season means little more than just searching for the next meal. That is why NFU has partnered with Feeding America … Read More

By Maria Miller, NFU education director Here is the second in a series of recipes from the NFU Beginning Farmer Institute Class of 2011 using an ingredient they raise on the farm.  This comes to you fresh from the Erin Schneider farm in Wisconsin. Salsa Verde 1 1/2 cup tomatillo (slightly roasted) 1/2 cup onion … Read More

By Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator Last week NFU submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Labor regarding proposed revisions for the child labor regulations. While child safety is a top priority for NFU, we must be careful not to tighten regulations to the point that it discourages young workers from helping out on the … Read More

By Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator The agriculture appropriations bill signed by President Obama shortly before Thanksgiving contained a little-known provision that allowed funding to be used to inspect horse slaughterhouses. The inspections were defunded in 2006, meaning that horse meat could no longer legally be sold in the U.S. A June report by the … Read More

By Mike Stranz, NFU government relations representative It has been a rough two weeks for fairness and competition in livestock and poultry markets. Decision makers in the nation’s capitol have turned their backs to the voices of independent farmers and ranchers who have tried to make their voices heard in support of the Grain Inspection … Read More

By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative As the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction continues to debate ways to find $1.2 trillion in savings, we are hearing plenty of rhetoric from committee members and other elected officials about the “difficult choices” we need to make as a country about what our priorities for the … Read More

By Maria Miller, NFU education director Participants of NFU’s Beginning Farmer Institute recently toured America’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and inspected a number of Minnesota’s most innovative farms. Meeting for the second time in as many months, the BFI participants also learned more about farm ownership options and how to transition operations from one generation to … Read More

The face of America – and of American agriculture – is changing. The number of farms in the United States has grown 4 percent and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years, according to results of USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture.  The 2007 Census counted nearly 30 … Read More

By Jan Ahlen, NFU climate and energy coordinator The U.S biofuels industry is at a crossroads. On one hand, the industry is creating jobs in rural America, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cleaning up our air. On the other hand, the industry is under threat by misguided politicians and special interest groups. Now … Read More