NSAC Archives for the 'Minority Farmers' Category
USDA Announces Funding Opportunity for Value-Added Producer Grants
Wednesday, August 15th, 2012
On August 15, USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service announced the availability of $14 million in funding for its Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) competitive grants program. The Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) can be found in the August 15, 2012 Federal Register. Applications are due October 15, 2012. Program Basics: VAPG is a competitive grants program that 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…
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Beginning Farmer Marker Bill: Where Are We Now?
Tuesday, July 31st, 2012
Last fall, Senator Harkin (D-IA) and Representatives Fortenberry (R-NE) and Walz (D-MN) introduced the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act to invest in the next generation of American farmers. This bill funds and improves critical programs that provide training, outreach, and technical assistance for new farmers and ranchers. As a marker bill, it’s not intended Read the Rest…
Path AWAY from a 2012 Farm Bill: Pending House Extension Dooms Farm Bill Programs
Saturday, July 28th, 2012
For the past two days we have reported on the surprise move by the House Republican leadership to pull the rug out from under the 2012 Farm Bill. Rather than complete its business by taking the farm bill reported out of the House Agriculture Committee to the floor and then to conference with the Senate-passed Read the Rest…
House Farm Bill Extension Would Hurt Farmers and Economy, Undermine Conservation Efforts
Friday, July 27th, 2012
On Friday, July 27, the House Rules Committee posted the text of a one-year extension to the 2008 Farm Bill. In our earlier post, we noted that we strongly oppose a clean extension of the Farm Bill, given that the bill would allow many critical programs expire. Unfortunately, the bill posted on the Rules Committee Read the Rest…
“Plain Language” Guide to Farm Service Agency Loans
Friday, July 27th, 2012
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has issued a “plain language” guide to applying for FSA loans and FSA loan servicing entitled Your Guide to FSA Loans. USDA was required to issue the guide as a part of the settlement in the case Keepseagle v. Vilsack. This case was a class action lawsuit brought in 1999 by Read the Rest…
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: NSAC Assessment of House Committee-Passed Bill
Thursday, July 12th, 2012
In an earlier post we provided highlights and lowlights of the House Agriculture Committee one-day markup of their version of the 2102 Farm Bill, including a rundown of sustainable agriculture amendments passed and defeated. Here we turn to an assessment of the bill overall. Still to come is a piece discussing possible next steps in Read the Rest…
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: House Agriculture Committee Debates and Passes Its Farm Bill
Thursday, July 12th, 2012
After a full-day marathon markup that started on Wednesday morning and went into the early hours of Thursday, the House Agriculture Committee passed its version of the 2012 Farm Bill by a vote of 35-11. Seven Democrats and four Republicans voted against the bill. The Republicans who voted against the bill did so based on Read the Rest…
Path to 2012 Farm Bill: House Markup Looms
Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
The House Agriculture Committee will debate and vote on its version of the 2012 Farm Bill tomorrow, Wednesday July 11. It is now widely expected that the House Agriculture Committee “mark-up” of the 2012 Farm Bill will take less than a day, rather than the normal multi-day process. The markup will begin at 10 AM Read the Rest…
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Draft House Farm Bill Drilldown
Friday, July 6th, 2012
On July 5, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Peterson (D-MN) released their draft farm bill ahead of the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill markup scheduled for next week beginning Wednesday, July 11. The bill generates $35 billion in savings by cutting over $16 billion from nutrition programs and more than $6 billion Read the Rest…
