July 16, 2019
Historically, farmers of color and military veterans have struggled to access vital farm programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These disparities have existed for a number of reasons, including inadequate outreach to these communities by USDA, as well as institutional discrimination. In order to better serve farmers of color and veteran farmers, […]
July 16, 2019
Much to the surprise of many advocates – including those of us at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) – 2019-2020 may just turn out to be the year that Congress finally rewrites the nation’s outdated child nutrition laws. Congress typically revisits child nutrition programs and policies every five years in a single omnibus bill […]
July 11, 2019
Farmers and ranchers across the country are in distress. Plummeting farm incomes, market instability, extreme weather patterns, and a thin disaster safety net has pushed many to bankruptcy, foreclosure, and even suicide. Farm Aid (an NSAC member) has seen a 109 percent increase in distressed farmer calls over the past year on their farmer hotline […]
July 10, 2019
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) brought in over a dozen farmers and advocates for the Coalition’s second “farmer fly-in” of 2019. Fly-in advocates from ten different states across the country came to DC to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities before congressional appropriators. Currently, Congress is negotiating federal […]
July 8, 2019
The benefits of cover crops have long been known to farmers, and today, they are also increasingly being studied by agricultural researchers. Despite their benefits to crop yields, soil health, and farmers’ bottom lines, however, many obstacles to cover crop adoption still remain. One significant barrier for many farmers is the cost of introducing cover […]
July 2, 2019
Rising consolidation among meatpacking and processing companies over the past few decades has steadily eroded fair competition within the poultry and livestock industries. Despite years of clamoring from producers and advocacy organizations like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) for legislation and regulations needed to address this problem, progress has so far been painfully slow […]
June 28, 2019
Appropriations season is well underway in the nation’s capital, with the House clearing the way for a bill that would boost funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration for the next fiscal year, starting on September 30. The fiscal year (FY) 2020 “minibus” appropriations bill passed this week by […]
June 27, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts:Anna MullenNational Farm to School Networkanna@farmtoschool.org / (515) 210-2483 Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionrkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net / (202) 547-5754 Farm to School Act of 2019 Introduced with Bipartisan, Bicameral Support National Farm to School Network and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urge support for the Act, emphasizing farm to school’s proven impacts on health and […]
June 27, 2019
Heavy, consistent rain and flooding so far this year have significantly obstructed planting for farmers in the Midwest and throughout the country. For farmers who cannot plant, there are a variety of options (including planting cover crops), but in some cases the details remain murky – complicating farmers’ planting decisions. This blog briefly discusses those […]
June 27, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum GoingNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition fly-in participants hope to secure FY 2020 appropriations wins in final spending package Washington, D.C., June 27, 2019 – With big wins already secured for sustainable agriculture in […]
