USDA’s 2501 program provides critical support for Black farmers in Georgia: farm bill negotiations threaten the program’s future
Before my great grandmother, Mrs. Maggie Johnson, made her transition when I was 5 years old, she told me I was the one who would take over our family’s 100-year old farm. Fifty years later, I am struggling to see that dream through. The leaders and farmers in the SAAFON network have become my […]
“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 […]
House farm bill makes key land access investments, but misses big opportunities
NYFC policy staff continues to dig into the House farm bill, H.R. 2. Read our previous posts on the overall analysis of the bill, as well as its potential impact for young farmers in the West.
Across the country, climbing land prices have made it increasingly difficult for farmers to afford land. The challenge of land access for young farmers is so widespread and acute, in fact, that NYFC has an entire team dedicated to it. The farm bill, reauthorized by Congress every five years, can help, or hinder, young farmers’ ability to access land.
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.
RELEASE: Young Farmers Gain Momentum with Introduction of Two Bipartisan Bills
National Young Farmers Coalition prepares farmers to win support in farm bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov 8, 2017 – As the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) gathers young farmer leaders from across the country for three days of advocacy and leadership training at its National Leadership Convergence, young farmers are celebrating the introduction of two bipartisan beginning farmer bills in the U.S. House of Representatives.
RELEASE: National Young Farmers Coalition to testify before new Colorado Young and Beginning Farmer Interim Study Committee
Will advocate for stronger state policies supporting young farmers, especially regarding land succession and farmland conservation
DURANGO, CO (August 7, 2017) – The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), the only national advocacy organization focused solely on the needs of young and beginning farmers and ranchers, which has four chapters in Colorado, will testify before the first-ever Colorado Young and Beginning Farmer Interim Study Committee on Thursday, August 10, 9 a.m., Room 357, State Capitol Building, 200 East Colfax Avenue, Denver.
RELEASE: National Young Farmers Coalition Executive Director Lindsey Lusher Shute presents testimony urging Congress to strengthen support for young farmers
Federal policy and USDA programs make a difference for young farmers, and must be built upon to overcome obstacles ahead for rural America and the U.S. food system
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 25, 2017) – In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, Lindsey Lusher Shute, the executive director and co-founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), called on Congress to continue to build momentum for the support of America’s young and beginning farmers.
RELEASE: New series of short films and blog posts profile young, innovative grain farmers
America’s increasing demand for organic and sustainably grown grains coincides with a shortage of young farmers
HUDSON, NY — The National Young Farmers Coalition and King Arthur Flour present a new blog and film series profiling three pioneering young grain farmers. While all farmers face challenges, the high start-up costs associated with grain farming can make it an especially difficult field to enter for new and young farmers. With a focus on small-scale and sustainable grain producers, the series chronicles the journey of three innovative farmers who are cutting their own paths in American agriculture.
RELEASE: NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION CONGRATULATES GOVERNOR SONNY PERDUE ON BEING NAMED SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
A shortage of young farmers is one of the most urgent challenges that must be addressed by the next secretary
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, January 18, President-elect Donald Trump announced his plans to nominate former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue to be the nation’s next agriculture secretary.
PRESS ADVISORY: National Day of Action to Save Local Farms will bring together farmers, consumers to change proposed FDA food safety rules that threaten farm viability
HUDSON, NY – On Sunday, October 20th farmers and consumers from across the country will take action to change the FDA’s draft food safety rules. Activists will gather at farms, schools and grange halls to educate each other on the impact of the proposed rules and write comments to the agency. Dozens of events are happening in 28 states between now and early November. The Day of Action is sponsored by the National Young Farmers Coalition and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.