April 23, 2014
This is the first of a two-part series on participants in the USDA Business and Industry Loan Guarantee (B&I) Program’s Local and Regional Food Enterprise Initiative, a provision of the 2008 Farm Bill championed by NSAC and reaffirmed by Congress in the new 2014 Farm Bill. Small food and farm businesses in rural areas foster […]
April 21, 2014
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is seeking initial public input on a farm bill change to the Value-Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG) via written comments and a listening session scheduled for this Friday, April 25, 2014. The 2014 Farm Bill made two additions to VAPG: (1) it created an additional priority preference […]
April 18, 2014
Editor’s Note: We want to thank James Robinson of the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI) for this guest post on disaster assistance programs that were restored in the 2014 Farm Bill. RAFI works to cultivate markets, policies, and communities that sustain thriving, socially just, and environmentally sound family farms. As RAFI’s Research and Policy Associate, […]
April 18, 2014
Today NSAC submitted supplemental comments on the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will undertake in conjunction with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) proposed rule for produce safety. FDA requested comments on the range of impacts and alternatives that it should consider in the EIS. When FDA […]
April 17, 2014
Today USDA announced the availability of $66 million through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBG) to fund projects related to the research, marketing, and development of specialty crops. The funding is available to State Departments of Agriculture, which must apply for funding and then use it to supplement state programs or make grants. SCBG […]
April 16, 2014
USDA recently announced the availability of $19 million for beginning farmer training grants through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program — the only federal program exclusively dedicated to training the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
April 15, 2014
NSAC’s website has a new look! There’s more coming soon, too.
April 11, 2014
News Release: USDA has announced the availability of $19 million in funding for beginning farmer training grants through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
April 11, 2014
Congress has just left town to return home for a two-week recess; the House and Senate will not be back in session until the week of April 28. What will this mean for budget action?
April 11, 2014
The issue of labeling products that contain genetically modified (GMO) material is contentious and has faced strong opposition from many industry groups but has been backed aggressively by consumer advocacy groups. It is estimated that 80 percent of food in the United States contains at least one genetically engineered ingredient, and polls have indicated that […]
