Young Farmers Fellowships Train Water Leaders in the West
My name is Megan Davey and I am the Water Fellowship Coordinator with the National Young Farmers Coalition (Young Farmers). Young Farmers believes that farmers are leaders and change-makers. Through programs like the land fellowship, our newly launched Power in Land, Agriculture, Climate and Equity (PLACE) Fellowship, the California fellowship, and our water fellowships, we […]
“Water is Scarce, Water is Rare”
“If we don’t start doing things differently, there won’t be agriculture to pass down.” Climate change is a hot-button political issue, but in the Western U.S., no one can deny that the drought and above average temperatures are real. Mike Nolan, a young farmer in Mancos, Colorado, gives an insider perspective on farming in extreme […]
Victory in Colorado! Bipartisan Apprenticeship Bill Becomes Law
Over the last year, NYFC chapters and members across Colorado testified, authored op-eds, met legislators in Denver, and brought legislators out to the farm to talk about the importance of supporting beginning farmer education through apprenticeships. SB18-042, a bipartisan effort to create an Agricultural Workforce Development Program is the result of their efforts.
Today, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper traveled to Durango, CO to sign SB18-042 into law.
With West in Drought, House Farm Bill Cuts Conservation, Funds Land Access
Wedged in between White House scandals and Beychella, the House Agriculture Committee released their draft of the 2018 Farm Bill.
As NYFC outlined in our initial analysis of the bill, there is some good news for young farmers. Programs that support the next generation, like the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), are reauthorized, and funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), a critical tool for protecting farmland for future generations, is restored to $500 million.
News from the West
The end of summer brought both bounty and hardship to Western farmers and ranchers. From hurricanes to fire, flood to drought, many have struggled with serious impacts to both their operations and their communities. But as farmers do, you are rebuilding, pitching in, and standing together. Times like these remind us how important it is […]
Join us: Water Bootcamp in Albuquerque September 18
Join NYFC and local partners in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 18 from 1 – 4:30 p.m. to learn about agricultural water usage in the Middle Rio Grande. The workshop will include an overview of the history and cultural context of irrigation in New Mexico, a presentation from the Middle Rio Grande Conservation District on the ins […]
From droughts to contamination, our water supply is precarious
By Casey Holland | Where does our water come from? Too few of us in the United States ask this question as we turn on our faucets and partake in a seemingly limitless supply of clean drinking water.
Meet Casey: "I’ve finally found the farm I hope to spend the rest of my life on"
By Casey Holland | After I grew up and went to college, I rapidly realized the importance of agriculture as a means to directly address some of the most pernicious challenges facing my community.
Meet Nery: "I never thought I was going to be a farmer"
By Nery Martínez | Just because you’ve never worked with a shovel doesn’t mean you can’t become a farmer.
Meet Tyler: "We want to spend our lives devoted to a piece of land"
By Tyler Hoyt | We had been dreaming about owning a farm. We wanted long-term returns on our investments into the land, and ownership was the only way to partially guarantee this far-sighted approach.