By Kiana Brockel, NFU Intern, & Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Regular Climate Column readers know that there are many actions farmers can take to mitigate the effects of climate change. There is no one-size-fits-all solution however – the appropriate approach depends on location and its climate, topography, crops grown, and … Read More
By Billy Mitchell, FSMA Training Coordinator Billy Mitchell is the FSMA Training Coordinator for National Farmers Union and one of the newest members of the Local Food Safety Collaborative team. As Training Coordinator, Mitchell travels across the country helping farmers and processors learn about FSMA and what they can do to increase food safety on … Read More
By Ashley Wegmueller of Bo & Olly’s Produce This week we continue with our Soil Sisters stories, so gather around the virtual farmstead kitchen table for a conversation with Ashley Wegmueller of Bo & Olly’s Produce. Ashley raises diversified vegetables while also helping her husband on their 4th-generation family dairy farm. Together, they are in … Read More
By Jake Stukenberg, NFU Intern Cooperatives can come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it is a local grocery store stocked with all local products made from area producers or a large company like CHS, Inc. that provides many services nationwide, a cooperative caters to a specific need and improves access to goods or services … Read More
By April Prusia, Co-Owner/Operator of Dorothy’s Range Soil Sisters is a network of more than 150 Wisconsin women farmers who offer each other support, collaboration, and community. One of those women is April Prusia, who runs Dorothy’s Range, offering heritage pork, feeders and breeding stock as well as a farm experience with overnight rentals. The … Read More
By Jake Stukenberg, NFU Intern The most definitive aspect of the cooperative business model is that the members or producers own the business. This allows producers to drive their cooperative into the direction that benefits the producers, not private interests of outside stakeholders. With this power of directive comes the greater responsibility to stay active, … Read More
By April Prusia, Co-Owner/Operator of Dorothy’s Range Soil Sisters is a network of more than 150 Wisconsin women farmers who offer each other support, collaboration, and community. One of those women is April Prusia, who runs Dorothy’s Range, offering heritage pork, feeders and breeding stock as well as a farm experience with overnight rentals. The … Read More
By Chelsea Matzen, FSMA Project Director On July 12, 2018, the FDA announced that it is expanding the State Produce Implementation Cooperative Agreement Program for the upcoming fiscal year, bringing the total number of states receiving funding to 46, plus one territory. Added states and territory include: American Samoa, Hawaii, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Also known … Read More
By Kiana Brockel, NFU Intern Climate Column readers know there are many things farmers can do to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers farmers technical and financial support to help interested farmers mitigate climate change and become more climate resilient. … Read More
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2018 edition of Organic Broadcaster. By Bailey Webster If you’re a veggie farmer, you know it’s coming. Whether you’re the proactive type or the bury-your-head-in-the-sand type, the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule is likely to affect you in the near future. The good news … Read More