By Tom Parker “Peaches,” Tom Brown said. “For five years I asked hundreds and hundreds of people in the Wichita area about what kinds of produce they would pay a premium for, and, I’m serious, I think 99 percent of them said fresh peaches.” That’s because a fresh-picked, straight-off-the-tree peach is a succulent [...]
By Tom Parker Like most farmers, Tom Brown, co-owner of Meadowlark Farm outside of Wichita, takes a dim view of what he considers unnecessary government regulations meddling in his operation. One such piece of legislation is the Produce Safety Rule-the first mandatory federal standard for growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fresh produce. Published in [...]
The National Farmers Union (NFU) 115th Anniversary Convention embodies true grassroots policy making, and four farmers representing Kansas Farmers Union will have a seat at the table this year. Delegates to the convention are responsible for reviewing the national organization’s policies, which ultimately provide direction for NFU decision-making and policy priorities throughout the year. "The [...]
by Tom Parker For Donna Pearson McClish, it all started with a question. It wasn’t her question, not then, though it would become hers in the weeks and months and years to come, and uttered in such a way that while anyone in that room could put forth a response, by familial hierarchy the [...]
by Tom Parker As a new presidential administration prepares to take office following the most divisive election campaign in recent history and with a Congress whose members are increasingly distanced from the realities of common Americans, the National Farmers Union is strengthening its efforts to find solutions for climate change, farm support, trade agreements [...]
by Tom Parker Larry Mitchell, fresh out of college and back on the farm, was building fence when the phone rang. His father answered, listened for a minute, said he’d be right back. Got a call, he told his son, some farmers want you to represent them at a parity march in Washington, D.C. [...]
By Tom Parker Prior to a panel discussion on the 1980s farm crisis and its implications for the future, a documentary about the crisis was aired for members of the Kansas Farmers Union during their annual convention in early December. For the audience, some of whom lived through the events, it set a [...]
