NSAC Archives for the 'General Interest' Category
Make Food Day Matter
Wednesday, October 24th, 2012
Today is Food Day — a nationwide celebration and a movement toward healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Today we join citizens from across the country in celebrating farmers who produce food sustainably, rural and urban communities that are rebuilding their food systems, and individuals who are working to improve the health of their families and Read the Rest…
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: House Letter to Protect Organic Programs
Tuesday, September 18th, 2012
Today, House Organic Caucus co-chairs and House Agriculture Committee Members sent a bipartisan letter to the House leadership regarding the core organic programs that expire on September 30 unless Congress takes action to reauthorize and fund these programs. A number of beginning farmer, rural development, and marketing programs are in the same situation. In the letter, Read the Rest…
Guest Post: Regional Food Systems Need Financial Services to Flourish
Friday, September 14th, 2012
This post, written by Bob Heuer of the Illinois Local Food and Farms Council, was previously published on Civil Eats on September 13, 2012 and has been reposted with permission. “I’m the only middle man I like,” farmer Bill Warner says of his preference for a direct marketing business model that’s become known as “retail Read the Rest…
Action Alert: Not on our watch.
Thursday, September 6th, 2012
September: it’s harvest time. Corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, apples and more are all coming in from the fields… as well as, with any luck, a new 2012 Farm Bill! It’s been pretty quiet on the farm bill front here in Washington, DC lately – legislators have been at home all month, meeting with folks like you. Read the Rest…
USDA Launches Organic Literacy Initiative
Thursday, September 6th, 2012
On Tuesday, September 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a series of resources as part of its new Organic Literacy Initiative, an effort to help connect current and prospective organic farmers, ranchers, and processors with the USDA resources available to them. The purpose of the Organic Literacy Initiative is to provide USDA staff as Read the Rest…
Fall 2012 National Organic Standards Board Meeting Announced
Thursday, August 30th, 2012
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will be holding its next meeting in Providence, RI, from October 15 to 18. The NOSB was established by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and is charged with making recommendations on allowed and prohibited substances in organic production and handling, assisting in the development of standards for Read the Rest…
USDA Approves Ohio Program for Interstate Shipment of State-Inspected Meat and Poultry
Thursday, August 16th, 2012
On August 9, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced Ohio as the first state to receive approval for the interstate shipment of state-inspected meat and poultry products under a cooperative federal-state inspection program created by the 2008 Farm Bill. Prior to establishment of this Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program, state-inspected meat and poultry products could not Read the Rest…
USDA Awards Rural Energy for America Program Grants and Loans
Thursday, August 16th, 2012
On August 14, USDA announced the award of nearly $8.7 million in FY2012 funding for Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) loans and grants for 106 renewable energy system and energy efficiency projects on farms and rural businesses in 29 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The funding also included an award of $59,365 to Washington Read the Rest…
Guest Blog: Celebrate National Farmers Market Week! — August 5-11
Wednesday, August 1st, 2012
We want to thank Stacy Miller from NSAC member Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) for her contribution. Stacy is Executive Director of FMC, and will be transitioning to the role of Project Director with the expected arrival of her first child later this month. FMC works to strengthen farmers markets for the benefit of farmers, consumers, Read the Rest…
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Local Food Marker Bill: Where Are We Now?
Tuesday, July 31st, 2012
Last fall, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act to create jobs and spur economic development through food and farms. This bill funds and improves critical programs that create economic opportunities for farmers, support local and regional food systems, and improve food access for all. Read the Rest…
