The Sugar Program: Common-Sense Farm Policy

June 20, 2012Blog

By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative Today the Senate plans to finish up its work on the 2012 Farm Bill, including a vote on an amendment offered by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and cosponsored by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to eliminate the sugar program. This amendment would be disastrous for … Read More

Senate Debates Farm Bill Amendments

June 19, 2012Blog

By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative The Senate has begun its work on amendments to the 2012 Farm Bill (also known as S. 3240, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012), and NFU has been working hard to make sure that important amendments supporting family farmers and ranchers receive top priority. This … Read More

Nothing Generic About Farming

June 6, 2012Blog

By Chandler Goule, NFU vice president of government relations The average consumer, whether it is in the grocery store or at the pharmacy counter, is often confronted with the decision of whether to pay full price for a branded or patented widget or pay less for a generic, yet equally good, product. As Americans face … Read More

CTIC Tour Highlights Opportunities for Agriculture in Mississippi Watershed

June 5, 2012Blog

By Jeremy Peters, NFU director of climate and energy The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and Delta Farmers Advocating Resource Management (Delta F.A.R.M.) held the annual Conservation in Action Tour May 30-31, in the Mississippi Delta region of northwest Mississippi. NFU sponsored the tour and NFU Climate and Energy Director Jeremy Peters participated in the … Read More

Happy Hemp History Week

June 4, 2012Blog

Submitted By Mike Stranz, NFU government relations representative June 4-10, 2012 is Hemp History Week. Now in its third year, Hemp History Week is the largest national grassroots marketing and public education effort torenew strong support for hemp farming in the U.S. and raise awareness about the benefits of hemp products. Hemp is an untapped opportunity … Read More

USDA Announces New Microloan Program

June 1, 2012Blog

By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a proposed rule for a new microloan program within the existing Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) operating loan program. FSA proposes to offer annual or term microloans of up to $35,000 that feature a streamlined application process and less stringent requirements … Read More

USDA: 150 Years of Progress and Innovation

May 15, 2012Blog

By Roger Johnson, National Farmers Union president This week marks a milestone in the history of our country and a legacy of President Abraham Lincoln. While he is known for many accomplishments, a little-known fact is that he established the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 150 years ago. On May 15, 1862, Lincoln signed into … Read More

New NFU Curriculum Emphasizes Cooperatives

May 4, 2012Blog

By Tony Jarboe, NFU communications coordinator NFU has released a new curriculum that highlights 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The curriculum is available here. It provides six separate lessons for college and adult students and introduce how cooperation works to help individuals work together to accomplish goals they could not achieve on their … Read More

25x'25 Gets a Seat at the Table with President Obama

May 1, 2012Blog

By Michael Bowman, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union member Last Thursday, the White House hosted a “Champions of Change” event, inviting 12 from more than 500 program alumni to meet with President Obama and share the stories of their work. I was honored to be one of those chosen to attend and was part of a … Read More

Recap: Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Markup

April 26, 2012Blog

By Brittany Jablonsky, NFU government relations representative Today the Senate Committee on Agriculture marked up its draft of the 2012 Farm Bill (entitled the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012) and passed the final version out of committee on a bipartisan 16-5 vote. The manager’s amendment offered today incorporated a number of changes … Read More