News Update
July 2, 2014
Aging Farm Population Opens Door
For Beginning Farmers
In celebration of the United Nations’ 2014 International Year of Family Farming, this month National Farmers Union (NFU) is highlighting opportunities for interested individuals to get into farming. According to the U.S. Census the average age of a farmer in the United States is 57. This is up from 54 in 1997. The percentage of farmers older than 65 has increased by about 10% since 1969.
“With an aging farm workforce, there is a real need for new, beginning and transitioning farmers and ranchers to enter the agriculture sector,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “At the same time, as soldiers return home from tours abroad, they are looking for new employment opportunities. Farming is an excellent way for these men and women to transition back into the workforce.”
“NFU supports programs for beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as veterans, in order to ensure the future of our industry,” said Johnson.
NFU’s Beginning Farmers Institute (BFI) develops and encourages agricultural leaders from all backgrounds. Leadership training and farm management skills are taught to promising individuals eager to enter or expand their agricultural knowledge. According to the Farmer Veteran Coalition, as of 2009 there were 21.9 million veterans in the United States, including 1.5 million female veterans.
To support our efforts, we encourage everyone to get involved and join their local Farmers Union. Information can be found at www.nfu.org/membership.
United States and Korea Streamline Organic Trade
Organic processed products certified in the United States or Korea can now be labeled as organic in either country. This will allow American organic farmers, processors and businesses greater access to Korea’s growing market for organic products. The arrangement between the two nations took effect on July 1, 2014.
“Korea is a growing, lucrative market for U.S. organic products, and this arrangement increases demand for American organic products,” said Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture. “This is another chapter in the success story of organic agriculture, which provides more economic opportunities for American producers, more choices for consumers and more jobs in rural communities across the country.”
“America’s organic farmers and businesses have a reason to celebrate,” said Ambassador Michael Froman, U.S. Trade Representative. “We are committed to unlocking new opportunities for Americans, and through this work we are delivering for the communities that depend on agricultural products. This deal serves as another foundation for future organic trade arrangements between the United States and other partners.”
Without this equivalency arrangement in place, organic farmers and businesses wanting to sell organic processed products in either country would have to obtain separate certifications to meet each country’s organic standards. This typically has meant two sets of fees, inspections, paperwork and delays for U.S. farmers and businesses trying to export. Similar to previous U.S. equivalency arrangements with Canada, the European Union and Japan, this arrangement with Korea eliminates significant barriers, especially for small and medium-sized organic businesses. This is Korea’s first organic equivalency arrangement with any trading partner and serves as an example of how closely the United States is working with Korea to address emerging issues and strengthen the trade relationship.
The arrangement covers organic condiments, cereal, baby food, frozen meals, milk and other processed products. According to U.S. industry estimates, exports of organic processed products from the United States are valued at approximately $35 million annually.
The United States and Korea are committed to ensuring that all traded organic processed products meet the terms of the arrangement, retaining their organic integrity from farm to market. Korea’s National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service and the National Organic Program, part of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) — which oversee organic products in their respective countries — will both take on key oversight roles.
The United States and Korea will continue to have regular discussions and will review each other’s programs periodically to ensure that the terms of the arrangement are being met.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Drought Preparation, Rainfall Monitoring will be the Topic of July 3 Webinar
Drought is always a possibility on Texas rangelands. Fortunately, we don’t have to be victims, said Tim Steffens, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service range specialist in Canyon and West Texas A&M University assistant professor.
Preparing for Drought: How to Monitor Rainfall and Stay Out of Trouble will be the topic of a July 3 webinar featuring Steffens.
“Knowing something about rainfall patterns and when major periods of grass growth are likely provides information to facilitate timely adjustments in grazing strategy in response to drought,” he said. “This webinar will highlight triggers to help you make informed drought-management decisions.”
Steffen’s webinar is part of the Texas Range Webinar Series conducted monthly by the AgriLife Extension’s ecosystem science and management unit. Each webinar is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m., said Pete Flores, webinar coordinator in Corpus Christi.
Flores said the program has switched webinar software, so those planning to participate should go to http://bit.ly/LIzkB1 to configure their computer prior to the webinar.
This webinar and others in the series can be accessed at http://naturalresourcewebinars.tamu.edu.
For more information on the webinars, contact Flores at Pete.Flores@ag.tamu.edu.
NFU Holds 78th All-States Leadership Camp for Rural Youth
Young adults from across the country are returning home from Bailey, Colo., where they participated in NFU’s All-States Leadership Camp.
“Our grassroots heritage includes an educational program for young leaders that is more than 75 years old,” said Johnson. “The participants at All-States have gone on to be leaders in agriculture, cooperatives and rural communities.”
Farmers Union campers come together each summer at the NFU Education Center to take part in cooperative activities and listen to several inspirational speakers. Campers heard from Andrew Jacobs of CoBank; Rulon Gardner, Olympic gold and bronze medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling; and NFU leaders, including immediate past Vice President Claudia Svarstad.
This year’s camp focused on “Farming Means a World of Good,” reflecting 2014 being declared the International Year of Family Farming by the United Nations. Campers learned to appreciate the cultural and economic value of family farm agriculture in America and worldwide.
“As a former camper, I understand the importance of building leaders in our industry at a young age,” said Johnson. “We are very proud of these young people and the tradition of NFU’s All-States Leadership Camp.”
The campers elected six of their peers to represent them nationwide. National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC) duties include representing thousands of Farmers Union youth across the country, including working at the annual NFU Convention. These young Farmers Union leaders also help plan the next year’s NFU All-States Leadership Camp.
To participate in All-States Leadership Camp, Farmers Union members, ages 17-20, must meet specific criteria throughout the year. For more information, visit www.nfu.org/education/events/all-states-leadership-camp. All-States is sponsored by the FUI Foundation, Farm Credit, CoBank and CHS Foundation.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.