Washington, DC, September 23, 2025 – This week, over 500 hundred farmers from every state, US Territory, and several Tribal Nations delivered a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stressing the importance of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE). While SARE funding is normally made available in March, the RFA’s […]
NSAC’S Blog
Release: Nearly 600 Groups Deliver Joint Letter to Congress Urging a Strong and Fair Farm Bill
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Nearly 600 Groups Deliver Joint Letter to Congress Urging a Strong and Fair Farm Bill Washington, DC, September 22, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and nearly 600 national, state, and local organizations delivered a joint letter to Congressional leaders […]
Release: NSAC Welcomes the Reintroduction of the Bicameral Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act
Washington, DC, September 17, 2025 – This week, Representatives Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Alma Adams (D-NC-12), and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) reintroduced the Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act in the House and the Senate. The Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act directs the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to develop a multi-year operating loan […]
September in Washington, DC: FY26 Appropriations, Shutdown, and Farm Bill
When Congress returned from its August recess, it faced a long to-do list and little time to act. On the September list is to fund the government by September 30, when current funding expires for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and across the federal government. A failure to fund the government by September 30 […]
USDA Staffing Crisis: Research Agencies Face Steep Losses as Reorganization Advances
On July 24, 2025, Secretary Rollins released a memo (SM-1078-015) describing the planned reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff, drafted without any consultation with farmers or other stakeholders. USDA has already lost more than 20,000 staff since January 2025 and if the reorganization moves forward as planned, it will result in the […]
Congress Wants Local Food Back on the Menu
While global supply chains have brought year-round abundance to families at the grocery store, it has come at a cost, particularly for small and mid-sized farmers right here at home. Consolidation of food distribution and retail has forced farmers to consider higher volume sales at lower prices, which can be difficult to consider while maintaining […]
USDA Staffing Crisis: Mass Departures Undermine Local Ag Support
On July 24, 2025, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released a memo (SM-1078-015) describing the planned reorganization of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff. This reorganization plan was drafted without any consultation with farmers or other stakeholders. While the reorganization plan does not directly include planned layoffs or reductions in force (RIF), USDA […]
Creemees, Community, and Coalition: NSAC’s Summer Meeting in Stowe, Vermont
As we do every summer, NSAC coalition members recently gathered for our summer meeting, from August 4-7, in Stowe, Vermont. Located some 25 miles east of Vermont’s largest city, Burlington, and about 40 miles from the US-Canada border, we met at the Trapp Family Lodge (yes, that’s right – owned by the Von Trapp Family, […]
Cross Post: Impacts of Budget Reconciliation and Colorado Farms: Hurt for Farmers and Farm Communities, and the Need for a New Farm Bill
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Nourish Colorado, an NSAC member. This is part three of a five part series. See part one, Budget Reconciliation: An Unwanted Outcome for Coloradans, and part two, Impacts of Budget Reconciliation and Coloradans’ Health. “Welcome” is an odd word to use to begin this post, given the profoundly and universally negative […]
Release: Bipartisan House Bill Connects Local Farmers to Food Insecure Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: Bipartisan House Bill Connects Local Farmers to Food Insecure Communities Washington, DC, July 30, 2025 – On Tuesday, July 29, Representatives Robert Bresnahan (R-PA-8), David Valadao (R-CA-22), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Josh Riley (D-NY-19), Tony Wied (R-WI-8), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4), Zachary Nunn […]
Comment: Without Input from Farmers and Experts, USDA Reorganization Would Close Offices and Lead to Staff Reductions
Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Comment: Without Input from Farmers and Experts, USDA Reorganization Would Close Offices and Lead to Staff Reductions Washington, DC, July 24, 2025 – On Thursday, July 24, the US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, announced a reorganization of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The […]
Release: Bipartisan Senate Bill Boosts Local Farmers and Expands Access to Healthy Food for Families
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: Bipartisan Senate Bill Boosts Local Farmers and Expands Access to Healthy Food for Families Washington, DC, July 22, 2025 – On Friday, July 18, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the Strengthening Local Food Security (SLFS) Act of […]
Release: Strong Farms, Strong Futures Act Introduced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net1 Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: Strong Farms, Strong Futures Act Introduced Washington, DC, July 18, 2025 – On Wednesday, Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and Zach Nunn (R-IA) introduced the Strong Farms, Strong Futures Act. This bill directs NRCS to establish region and production-specific climate change mitigation […]
What’s Really Inside the Final Budget Reconciliation Bill: A Breakdown of Food and Agriculture Provisions
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB, P.L. 119-21) into law. Spanning nearly 900 pages of legislative text, OBBB relies on draconian cuts to the American social safety net – including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – in order to fund an extension of 2017 […]
Comment: NSAC Responds to Termination of Regional Food Business Centers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Comment: NSAC Responds to Termination of Regional Food Business Centers Washington, DC, July 15, 2025 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Hannah Quigley, NSAC Policy Specialist, in response to the termination of cooperative agreements with Regional Food […]
Release: Congress Sends Reconciliation Bill to President’s Desk, Cannibalizing American Food and Farm System
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mike Lavender National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 734.417.8710 Release: Congress Sends Reconciliation Bill to President’s Desk, Cannibalizing American Food and Farm System Washington, DC, July 3, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, following the House of Representatives’ […]
Comment: NSAC Laments Senate’s Passage of Budget Reconciliation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mike Lavender National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 734.417.8710 Comment: NSAC Laments Senate’s Passage of Budget Reconciliation Washington, DC, July 1, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, following the Senate’s 51-50 approval – with Vice President J.D. Vance […]
Comment: NSAC Urges Senate to Support Grassley “Actively Engaged” Amendment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mike Lavender National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 734.417.8710 Comment: NSAC Urges Senate to Support Grassley “Actively Engaged” Amendment Washington, DC, June 30, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in support of Amendment #2527 filed by Senator Chuck […]
Release: Seventh Class of Cynthia Hayes Scholarship Recipients Honor Her Legacy
Washington, DC, June 26, 2025 – The Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON) and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) announced that three students have been awarded the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship. The three student awardees: Vicki Mines, Alaina Parr, and Mikelanj Ajinaku were each presented with $5,000 to support their continued work in […]
Support for Farmer-Led Research Hinges on SARE Funding
Recently, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), alongside 100 food, farm, conservation, and rural organizations, delivered a letter to Congressional appropriators urging them to fully fund the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) at $60 million in fiscal year (FY) 2026. SARE was one of NSAC’s first legislative accomplishments over 35 years ago, and […]
Comment: Partisan Senate Reconciliation Bill Ends Decades-Long Era
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Comment: Partisan Senate Reconciliation Bill Ends Decades-Long Era Washington, DC, June 12, 2025 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee’s title of the […]
Comment: NSAC Unpacks the House FY26 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Comment: NSAC Unpacks the House FY26 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Washington, DC, June 10, 2025 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, ahead of Wednesday’s House Appropriations Committee markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) […]
Apply Today: USDA LAMP Funding Window Is Open
Last month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $26.5 million in competitive grant funding available through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. This year marks a notably shorter application window, but there are several resources available to support […]
Comment: NSAC Responds to House Subcommittee’s FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Comment: NSAC Responds to House Subcommittee’s FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Washington, DC, June 4, 2025 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, […]