On Thursday, September 23, NSAC and 56 other organizations delivered a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack expressing concern over USDA’s Interim Final Rule for the Rural Microenterprise Assistance Program (RMAP). The letter was organized by the Center for Rural Affairs. Interim rules for RMAP were published to the Federal Register on May 28, 2010. […]
Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs
FSA Issues Conservation Loan Rule
On Thursday, September 2, USDA announced the launch of the Conservation Loan program established by the 2008 Farm Bill. Though Congress appropriated money for the loan program in fiscal year 2010, enough to fund $150 million worth of loans, the program has been stymied waiting on the rulemaking. The new interim final rule appears in […]
Legislative Roundup: Farm Credit Funding Passes, Other Food and Farm Legislation Could Move
[Friday July 30 update to story below — A measure to fund the Pigford II class action settlement between USDA and black farmers is now expected to come to the Senate floor early next week as a stand alone measure. The Food Safety Modernization Act (S 510) is now not expected to be taken up […]
Revised Chart on FY 2011 Ag Appropriations
With both the House Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee and the full Senate Appropriations Committee now having taken action on their Fiscal Year 2011 agricultural spending bills, NSAC is posting a revised version of its annual agriculture appropriations chart to our website. The chart provides detailed funding level decisions on a program-by-program basis for about 40 USDA […]
USDA Boosts Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers
The USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) is requesting a second round of applications for the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Competitive Grants Program (OASDFR), a program that seeks to ensure equitable participation in USDA programs for minority producers. The OAO will fund up to $4.7 million in grants to […]
Senate Committee Adopts Ag Spending Bill
On Thursday, July 15, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2011 Agricultural Appropriations bill by voice vote. The action on the agriculture bill came after a lengthy partisan debate over the overall discretionary spending levels for the entire government for FY 2011, which concluded with the adoption of Chairman Inouye’s proposed spending allocations. […]
Farmers Agree, Mr. Vilsack: Farm Bill Should Emphasize Beginning Farmers
By Anna Jones-Crabtree from Vilicus Farm On July 1st, NSAC posted a blog to applaud Secretary Vilsack’s plea to Congress to support beginning farmers and to encourage USDA to walk the talk. Farmers agree. Here is how Anna Jones-Crabtree from Vilicus Farm in Montana responded to our blog: We would not be farming if it […]
Farm Credit, Pigford Settlement Funding in House Supplemental War Spending Bill
Late on Thursday, July 1st, the House adopted by key amendments to the 2010 supplemental war spending bill (HR 4899). The House amended a Senate-passed version of the bill from May. Click here to view NSAC’s initial blog on this bill. The Senate bill included $950 million worth of Farm Service Agency direct and guaranteed […]
Congress Yet to Finish on Pigford, Farm Credit, Child Nutrition Funding
Last week we reported on several major pending pieces of legislation. At that time, two bills — the so-called tax extenders bill and the emergency supplemental appropriations bill — seemed like they might be resolved by today, the beginning of the congressional recess week for Memorial Day. Alas, while progress was made on both this […]
Moving Legislation – What’s in it for Food and Agriculture
With the financial regulation bill approved in the Senate and moving to conference with the House-passed bill, and with the one week Memorial Day recess just a week away, several key legislative items are starting to move quickly. A brief review follows, highlighting what is in the bills for food and agriculture. Budget Resolution – […]
Senate Funding Bill Includes Needed Boost in Farm Credit
In approving a $59 billion emergency supplemental funding bill to fund the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Haiti relief efforts, U.S. natural disaster aid, and disability compensation for Vietnam veterans, the Senate Appropriations Committee endorsed an amendment proposed by Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee, to boost direct and guaranteed […]
House Passes Agriculture Credit Act of 2009
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Agricultural Credit Act of 2009, approved for consideration earlier this month by the House Agriculture Committee. The Agricultural Credit Act of 2009 (H.R. 3509) would reauthorize funding for the USDA’s State Agricultural Mediation Program, which administers grants for certified state agricultural mediation programs. These programs help […]