NSAC Archives for the 'Agriculture Appropriations' Category
FY 2012 CRP General Sign Up Coming Soon; Preliminary FY 2012 CSP Sign Up Results – UPDATED February 1, 2012
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
UPDATED February 1, 2012 Since our blog post on January 31, USDA announced that the FY 2012 Conservation Reserve Program general sign up period will be March 12-April 6. According to today’s press release, “contracts on an estimated 6.5 million acres will expire on Sept. 30, 2012″ and this sign up will attempt to fill Read the Rest…
Generations Bookend Rural Great Plains and Midwest
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
by Jon Bailey, Director, Rural Research and Analysis Program, Center for Rural Affairs A new Center for Rural Affairs report released finds that rural areas in the Great Plains and Midwest continue to lose population and are caught between “bookend generations” – the youngest and the oldest – with a demographic valley in between. The Read the Rest…
Government Funding Bill Wrap Up and EPA Appropriations
Friday, December 16th, 2011
On Thursday, December 15, members of a House and Senate Conference Committee passed a nine-bill appropriations package, H.R. 2055, to fund most government functions through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2012. The House then voted, 296-121, on Friday afternoon to pass the funding package. The nearly 2,300 page package was scheduled to go to the Senate for Read the Rest…
USDA Awards Grants to Universities to Improve Food Safety
Friday, December 9th, 2011
On Wednesday, December 7, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced 17 grants to universities in 13 states to improve the safety of our food supply through research, education, and extension in a number of areas. A total of $10.4 million was awarded by USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the National Integrated Read the Rest…
More Farm Bill News from the Farm Journal Forum
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
At the annual Farm Journal Forum in Washington, DC today, Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said the farm bill prepared for consideration by the congressional Super Committee will serve as the “foundation” for efforts to write and enact a farm bill next year, starting in February. Noting that the process this year was unusual Read the Rest…
President Signs FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Friday, November 18th, 2011
On Friday, November 18, President Obama signed the FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill into law. The bill was passed as part of a “minibus” (H.R. 2112) which also includes the Commerce-Justice-Science and the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development funding bills as well as a new continuing resolution, which extends FY 2011 funding levels through December 16, Read the Rest…
Final FY 2012 Agriculture Funding Levels Agreed Upon
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
On Tuesday, November 15, House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise deal on a fiscal year (FY) 2012 appropriations “minibus” (H.R. 2112) which includes the FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill. The minibus will now be sent back to both chambers of Congress for a final vote before being sent to the President for his signature Read the Rest…
Pre-Veterans Day Legislative Update
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
As we head into the federal holiday for Veterans Day, not much solid information is known about the big three legislative processes with major import for food and agriculture. This much we know for sure — next week will be critical moment for all three. Here is a quick rundown. Agricultural Appropriations — As we Read the Rest…
USDA Request for Comment on Agricultural Career and Employment Grants Program
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Today, Tuesday November 8, USDA’s Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) released a request for comments on an interim rule regarding the Agricultural Career and Employment (ACE) Grants Program. The ACE grants program is intended to improve the supply of skilled agricultural workers and bring greater stability to the workforce in this sector. The purpose Read the Rest…
House and Senate Negotiate FY12 Funding Levels
Friday, November 4th, 2011
On Thursday, November 3, a select group of members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees met to negotiate final fiscal year 2012 (FY12) funding levels for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Conference Committee is considering the FY12 agriculture appropriations bill as part of an appropriations “minibus,” Read the Rest…
