NSAC Archives for the 'Local & Regional Food Systems' Category
USDA Taking Rural Business Opportunity Grant Applications
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013
USDA has issued a notice that the Rural Development Agency is taking applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG). RBOG funds feasibility studies, strategic planning, leadership training and other services and activities that can foster the creation of businesses and jobs in rural areas. Eligible applicants include public entities, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, Read the Rest…
Farmers and Ranchers Awarded Value-Added Grants for New Markets and Products
Thursday, May 2nd, 2013
On May 1, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Value-Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG) awards to over 110 agricultural producers. The grant awards totaled nearly $16.8 million. The funding came from the $14 million appropriation for VAPG in the FY 2012 Appropriations Bill as well as $2.8 million from earlier years. The Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) Read the Rest…
House Subcommittee Debates 2014 Farm and Food Funding
Friday, April 26th, 2013
Over the last two weeks, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held a series of hearings to examine the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s and the Food and Drug Administration’s budget requests for fiscal year (FY) 2014. We previously posted about the first Subcommittee hearing of the year, which featured Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and the second Read the Rest…
Local and Regional Food System Marketing Program Opens Up New Round of Funding
Friday, April 26th, 2013
The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced a request for applications for its latest round of funding for the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP). FSMIP is a small program designed to assist states to explore new market opportunities through research and innovation. As the title suggests FSMIP is targeted towards state agencies. Eligible applicants Read the Rest…
Healthier food, successful farms: starting now.
Friday, April 26th, 2013
Dear Supporter, Wherever there’s local food, there are farmers feeding communities and creating jobs. Farmers and ranchers are responding to skyrocketing demand for fresh, healthy food everywhere – at farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and in schools across the nation. At the same time, the farmers and ranchers across the country who feed us are getting Read the Rest…
Guest Post: An Alabama Farmer’s Perspective on Policies that Promote Healthy Food and Healthy Economies
Thursday, April 25th, 2013
Today on Capitol Hill, farmers, business owners and community advocates shared their stories and knowledge of critical farm bill programs with Congressional staff. Sponsored by the Congressional Tri-Caucus – made up of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – the collaborative briefing “Policies that Read the Rest…
GO-FARM Legislation Re-Introduced: New Loan Fund to Support Local Farms and Jobs
Wednesday, April 17th, 2013
Guest Blog — We want to thank Bob Junk, Local Economy Manager with Fay-Penn Economic Development Council for preparing this blog post. Fay-Penn is an NSAC member organization and Bob co-chairs our Marketing, Food Systems, and Rural Development committee. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) has re-introduced the Growing Opportunities for Agriculture and Responding to Read the Rest…
Secretary Vilsack Promotes Cover Crops, Local Foods, Contract Fairness during House Hearing
Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies today to discuss his agency’s FY 2014 budget requests. The Subcommittee will consider USDA’s requests as it writes its funding bill for the year. Conservation, Drought, and Crop Insurance Early in the hearing, Subcommittee Read the Rest…
Legislation to Remove Barriers to Local Farms and Food
Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine today introduced their Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 (S. 679 and H.R. 1414). The bill was previously introduced in 2011 and parts of the bill were included in the five-year farm bills that were worked on, but not finalized, in the Read the Rest…
Rural Development Progress Report for Fiscal Year 2012
Thursday, January 10th, 2013
On January 9, USDA released their Rural Development Progress Report for Fiscal Year 2012. The report highlights success stories from USDA Rural Development’s active portfolio, including the following rural business development programs: $1 billion in Business and Industry loan guarantees $25.5 million in Rural Business Enterprise Grants $50.3 million in Rural Economic Development loans and Read the Rest…
