By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Communities across America depend on farmers and ranchers for a variety of provisions, and those producers’ livelihoods rely on being able to supply them. As uncontrollable environmental setbacks continue to occur with greater severity and frequency, farmers and ranchers should consider taking precautions to protect their operations from drastic losses. … Read More
By Hannah Ruth Tabler, NFU Intern For beginning farmers, getting a foothold in the agriculture industry can be difficult. One of the foremost challenges facing beginning farmers today is a lack of access to appropriate markets. Many farmers, young and old, have turned to the cooperative business model to increase their profit and reap the … Read More
By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern The nursery tree and greenhouse industry is rapidly growing and contributing to the agricultural economy. However, climate change does not discriminate – irregular and extreme weather events interfere with anticipated growing seasons and production yields for essentially all agricultural sectors. When such events occur, farmers and ranchers largely rely on government-run … Read More
By Nate Brownlee, Co-Owner and Operator of Nightfall Farm When you start a farm, there’s no definite starting point. Well before you ever have plants in the ground or animals to graze, you’re already deep into planning and dreaming. By the time we moved home from New England, we already knew (roughly) what we wanted … Read More
By Hannah Ruth Tabler, NFU Intern Soil amendments are a common way to improve the development of produce. While they may help your plants grow and reduce soil erosion, they can also present a safety risk. By assessing soil amendments and implementing a safety plan, growers can avoid contamination of their produce. The term “soil … Read More
By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern Abnormal weather patterns have increasingly made livestock producers vulnerable to reduced outputs. Previously on the Climate Column, we’ve discussed tools developed by the U.S. Department Agriculture (USDA) that assist farmers with preparations for droughts and higher temperatures, but there are also programs that provide financial compensation and assistance for extreme … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy A 2013 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) bulletin notes that ongoing monitoring of climate data has led experts to anticipate “an increase in areas experiencing droughts and the occurrence of more intense precipitation events.” It’s self-evident to farmers and ranchers that greater incidence of these … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 5, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 ajerome@nfudc.org KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The strength, diversity and success of modern family farm agriculture is the result of hardworking men and women across the industry, and three individuals have gone above and beyond to ensure that success and the well-being of family farmers, ranchers and … Read More
By Hannah Ruth Tabler, NFU Intern Animals are an essential part of many farms; however, gone unchecked they can potentially be a route for produce contamination. The FDA’s new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has a number of rules, but the Produce Safety Rule directly discusses animals on-farm. It sets forth guidelines for growers … Read More
By Anne Hazlett, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, USDA No one comes together during a crisis like the American farmer. From economic downturns to natural disasters, farmers and ranchers have faced them all and come out standing tall. We need that spirit of cooperation and perseverance now to face the deadly crisis of … Read More