Clock Ticking on Farm Bill and Budget Deals
December 6th, 2013
Next week is the last week the House and Senate will both be in session at the same time for the rest of the year. That means it’s now or never on announcing a farm bill deal and a fiscal year 2014 government budget deal. We currently expect both announcements early next week, assuming the Read the Rest…
New Report Examines Impacts of Farm-based Conservation on Chesapeake Bay
December 6th, 2013
On Thursday, December 5, USDA released an updated Assessment of the Impacts of Conservation Adoption on Cultivated Acres of Cropland in the Chesapeake Bay Region. The report is part of the USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). By combining edge-of-field and in-stream modeling along with farmer surveying, the report examines the impact that conservation practices Read the Rest…
Release: Farm Bill Loophole Closure Under Attack
December 5th, 2013
For Immediate Release December 5, 2013 For more information: Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 Release: Farm Bill Loophole Closure Under Attack Washington, DC, December 5, 2013 – Ferd Hoefner, Policy Director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, issued the following statement today regarding the ongoing farm bill conference negotiations: “Rumor has it that a sticking point in the Read the Rest…
What’s At Stake? Water, Soil, Wildlife Conservation
December 5th, 2013
In October of 2012, Congress allowed the Farm Bill to expire without a new bill to take its place. Instead, Congressional leaders cobbled together a temporary extension on New Year’s Eve that shut down a number of innovative programs indefinitely. On October 1 of this year, Congress allowed that farm bill extension to expire, and Read the Rest…
Lessons Learned from the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center
December 5th, 2013
Yesterday, NSAC member group the Wallace Center announced the release of a new report, Innovations in Local Food Enterprise: Fresh Ideas for a Just and Profitable Food System, which distills lessons learned from the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center (HUFED), a project managed by the Wallace Center and funded by USDA’s National Institute for Read the Rest…
Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Begins – Farmer Applications Due by January 17
December 4th, 2013
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the start of the 2014 enrollment process for farmers and ranchers who want to participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Producers interested in enrolling in CSP for the 2014 fiscal year must submit their initial applications to NRCS by January 17, 2014. Read the Rest…
Release: USDA Launches 2014 Sign-up for CSP – NSAC Provides Enrollment Information for Farmers
December 4th, 2013
For Immediate Release Contact: Sophia Kruszewski or Greg Fogel, 202-547-5754 USDA Launches 2014 Sign-up for the Conservation Stewardship Program – NSAC Provides Helpful Enrollment Information for Farmers and Farm Groups Washington, DC, December 4, 2013 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the start of the 2014 enrollment process Read the Rest…
Congress Weighs in on Proposed Food Safety Regulations
November 25th, 2013
With the close of the public comment period for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed regulations on produce safety and preventive controls for facilities that manufacture human food, Congress submitted a number of letters to FDA on important issues in the proposed rules. House Organic Caucus Sends Letter on Manure and Compost Requirements The Read the Rest…
Are USDA Microloans Reaching Farmers Across the Country?
November 25th, 2013
Earlier this year, USDA announced a new microloan program that would specifically target the smaller credit needs of beginning farmers and other small farm operators selling to local and regional food markets. Launched in January 2013, the program has so far made over 3,400 loans in all 50 states, including the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Read the Rest…
NSAC Releases Farmers’ Guide to Value-Added Producer Grants
November 25th, 2013
Whether enabling dairy farmers in Nebraska to expand their line of fluid milk products or allowing an organic grain farmer in Missouri to understand the feasibility of equipment purchases for on-farm processing, the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program has been helping thousands of farmers around the country with expanding their customer base and income by Read the Rest…
