By Melissa Miller, NFU Director of Education As National Farmers Union’s education director, I am lucky enough to travel the country to visit with dozens of women in agriculture every year. From Virginia to Oklahoma, Oregon to Wisconsin, these women never cease to amaze me with their innovative ideas and consistent hard work. I see women … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union Communication can be a challenge when five brothers farm together. Sure, weekly meetings help, but the key to ensuring nothing falls through the cracks on the Sumption family farm has been the daily meal they share together, explains Taylor, 40. “When you get a lot of things going on … Read More
By Ariana Taylor-Stanley, Owner and Operator of Here We Are Farm Though my husband, Adrian, grew up on a little farm, he has since become a computer scientist and, if not for my agricultural inclinations, would probably live in a sparse, walkable studio apartment in some metropolis. Conversely, I grew up in a downtown duplex and … Read More
By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern Many clothing retailers don’t own their storefront, and bakeries often don’t own their kitchens. So why would farmers need to own their farmland? In any business, cash is king. Owning a large commercial asset, like farmland, ties up capital that could otherwise be used to grow a nascent business. In some cases, … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union Looking for a career path off the farm, Doug Sombke headed to college in 1978. However, only a few weeks into his freshman year, he was ready to pack up and head back to his family’s Conde farm. “Sitting in class I began to think of how many … Read More
By Cathleen Anthony, Greater Rifle Improvement Team Assistant at AmeriCorps VISTA My winter diet cycles through a couple of staples: rice, pasta, canned beans, cereal, and potatoes. These are not my favorite foods. I eat them because they’re cheap, can be found in bulk, and stave off the feeling of hunger. When you’re on Supplemental Nutrition … Read More
By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern The United States farm bill, as one would expect, addresses agricultural issues such as trade, conservation, and crop insurance. Some would be surprised, however, to learn that food stamps and nutrition programs are also included in the bill. In fact, the 2014 Farm Bill allocated $756 billion in spending over 10 years … Read More
By Lura Roti, South Dakota Farmers Union Traditionally, Lakotas don’t have a background in farming or ranching, but they do have a strong heritage of cowboying and rodeo, explains Elsie Meeks. Meeks, 62, ranches on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation with her husband, Jim, 71. “The Lakotas were a horse nation. Horses were essential to … Read More
Are you a fruit or vegetable producer? LiveWell Colorado and UpRoot are conducting a survey on gleaning, and they need your help. Gleaning is the act of gathering leftover produce after a harvest. “Leftover” produce includes seconds, imperfects, or produce that will not be sold or distributed for any reason – in other words, produce that … Read More
By Jimmy Dula, NFU Intern For the past several months, we have been talking about how you, as a farmer, can access markets through technology, value-added goods, institutions, and more. Today, we’re going to flip the tables and talk about how markets can access you. Farmers feed people, a fact at the core of who we are … Read More