Blog

 By Daniela Silva, government relations intern, National Farmers Union Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be accepting new applications starting December 1, 2015, through February 26, 2016, to participate in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Secretary Vilsack is specifically targeting the “800,000 additional acres of highly … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2015 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (June 1, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adhere to Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume targets as set forth in federal law and asked Congress to resist changing the popular fuel … Read More

 By Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union Before the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in 2008, commodity prices had been flat for decades, investment in rural America was negligible and the prospect of prosperity for many family farmers seemed like a dream that had been lost. The passage of the RFS was like a … Read More

 By Darin Von Ruden, president, Wisconsin Farmers Union Nobody seemed to care where their pet treats came from until dogs started dropping dead from eating tainted treats, mostly from China. Since 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 5,800 complaints from consumers about their pets getting sick and, sadly, over 1,000 … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today applauded the Senate Agriculture Committee leadership for its work on the swift reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). “On behalf of National Farmers Union’s 200,000 members, I applaud your work … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 21, 2015) Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org WASHINGTON (May 21, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) today announced its opposition to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last night – noting that the act cuts important funding for climate and renewable energy research – … Read More

By Tom Driscoll, government relations representative, National Farmers Union On Tuesday, May 19, the White House’s Pollinator Health Task Force released the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The strategy includes: calls for additional funds for pollinator health research, increased and improved pollinator habitat through conservation programs, enhanced management of … Read More

By Tom Driscoll, government relations representative, National Farmers Union The Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC), a federal advisory committee composed of diverse stakeholders and tasked with providing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) feedback on various pesticide regulatory, policy and program implementation issues, met in the D.C. metro area this week. EPA officials addressed the … Read More

By Barbara Patterson, government relations representative, National Farmers Union National Farmers Union (NFU) recognizes the increasing importance of organic family farming. While the organic market continues to grow, NFU will advocate ensuring accreditation and certification costs do not discriminate against small producers. One way to assist small organic producers to support their continued viability is … Read More

By Zack Clark, government relations representative, National Farmers Union It is a well-known fact that farming is a risky endeavor. General risk and uncertainty, be it weather or volatile price fluctuations, can wreak havoc on a farm’s financial wellbeing. A range of risk management tools aids producers in mitigating the impacts of uncontrollable events. One … Read More