A ‘Surf and Turf’ panel hosted by FERN highlighted the effects of climate change – particularly rising ocean temperatures – and the need for fishers in some regions to catch new species or get out of the business. Eaters should also practice flexibility.
Dairy Farmers Facing Crisis as Milk Consumption, Prices Decline
The number of farms with 30 to 200 cows declined by 30 percent from 2000 to 2006, but farms with a large number of cows have increased, now producing the bulk of the nation’s dairy production.
Government Shutdown Threatens Future of Rural America
The partial government shutdown, now in day 34, is compounding years of hardship from which rural communities may never recover.
Rural Farmer, Community Orgs Alarmed by D.C. Announcements
We would like the 2018 farm bill to reach and support everyone, but evidence so far suggests a callous and divisive intent.
Stop the Bayer+Monsanto Merger
There is a strong collaborative effort underway to stop the Bayer+Monsanto merger, but we need all hands on deck. There are three very important actions we are asking individuals and organizations to take to help stop the merger. Please scroll down for the details, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if you’d like to get more involved. Scroll to the bottom of this page for a list of talking points on the merger.
Over 200 Groups Urge Congress to Level the Playing Field for Farmers, Workers and Consumers
Today, a broad-based coalition of 210 farm, rural, worker and consumer advocacy organizations released principles for a fairer farm bill that would address the lack of competition in every link in the food chain. The groups point out that growing consolidation in the agribusiness, food processing and supermarket industries lowers prices for farmers and wages for farmworkers and other food chain workers, erodes rural economies, and raises prices while limiting choices for consumers. The letter calls on Congress to address the ongoing consolidation of these industries with policies that address unfair contracts for farmers, increase market transparency, reform USDA guaranteed loans and guarantee worker rights.
Let’s Make Parity Our National Policy
This speech by George Naylor was written as the keynote address to precede the panel, Farmers Leading the Food Movement, for the Food Tank Summit, Washington, D.C., April 21, 2016.
Op-ed by George Naylor – Agriculture or agribusiness? As Iowa goes…
With so much at stake, we should be very clear about our vision for agriculture. The agribusiness vision is not the only or best one, especially for family farmers.
My Imaginary CAFO
If you can’t lick ’em, join ’em, the old saying goes. So I’ve decided to stop fighting and just build a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) of my own. I’ve figured out the costs and … it’s as good as owning an NFL team, but without most of the head injuries… like the proverbial Cash Cow… only you don’t need a pasture! Here’s how you, too, can be a CAFO owner… in an easy 10 steps:
Supporting Dairy Farmers is Part of a Balanced Diet
Eat fat! That is the message delivered in new studies that suggest Americans have wrongfully avoided fat in their diets for decades. In an effort to deal with the growing epidemic of heart disease, scientists turned their focus to cutting fat from diets. Many of those studies failed to control for major heart disease contributors like smoking, stress, sedentary lifestyles, and obesity. Nonetheless, the war against fat had begun.
USFRA Promotes Agribusiness, Not Farmers
The USFRA was created in 2011 as a trade association uniting Big Ag corporations (such as Monsanto, Cargill and DuPont Pioneer) and marketing groups for commodities (including corn, soybeans, beef and pork). Take note: some of these groups are farmer-funded, but in reality, farmers have no choice but to fund them, and it is often at their own expense.
The Battle for the Capitol – Solidarity within the Food System
On April 28th, NFFC and Iowa CCI staff joined ROC United, National Domestic Workers Alliance, the National People’s Action, and the National Organization for Women to show Congress that we are fed up with them favoring corporations over people. The march timed to coincide with the National Restaurant Association’s annual lobby day. “The other NRA” has worked to block minimum minimum wage increases, paid sick day legislation, and kept the federal tipped minimum wage at $2.13 since 1991. The NRA also lobbied against sustainable farming practices, farm animal welfare rules, and efforts to label the nutritional quality of foods in restaurants.