NSAC Archives for the 'Organic Agriculture' Category
Funding Available for Organic Research
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
On Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced the release of its 2012 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), which provides grants to academic, private, and non-profit research institutions to investigate research issues related to organic production. Applications are due on March 9th, Read the Rest…
USDA Mails 2011 Organic Production Survey to Producers
Thursday, December 8th, 2011
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is conducting a survey of certified organic farming to gather production and marketing information on organic farming in the U.S. The survey runs from December 2011 to April 2012, and focuses on crop and livestock production. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) will use the results to improve federal Read the Rest…
If you eat and live in America
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
If you eat and live in America, you should be concerned about the future of farming in this country. The average age of our nation’s farmers is 57 years old, with more than a quarter of all farmers 65 or older. There are many people inspired to farm, but as recent studies show, our nation’s Read the Rest…
Food and Farm Bill Alive in 2012!
Monday, December 5th, 2011
Dear Supporters, We previously reported to you that a 2011 Food and Farm Bill appeared imminent. Days before Thanksgiving the Congressional “Super Committee” failed to reach agreement on $1.2 trillion in budget cuts. With that, the 2011 Farm Bill proposal intended for inclusion in the Super Committee’s deficit reduction bill is thus no more. The Read the Rest…
USDA Appoints 5 New Members to National Organic Standards Board
Friday, December 2nd, 2011
On Wednesday, December 1, USDA appointed five new members to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB makes recommendations to USDA on the policies and operations of the National Organic Program (NOP) that governs organic certification. The 15-member Board is comprised of four farmers, three conservationists, three consumer representatives, two processors, one retailer, one Read the Rest…
Ranking Dates for EQIP Conservation Initiatives Announced
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
USDA has announced the 2012 ranking dates for four major conservation initiatives administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The four initiatives are the On-Farm Energy Initiative, the Organic Initiative, the Seasonal High Tunnel Pilot Initiative, and the Air Quality Initiative. NRCS will have three ranking periods in 2012 Read the Rest…
The Farm Bill is Dead! Long Live the Farm Bill! – Part Two
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
In part one of this post, we discuss what might be next for the ongoing congressional budget debate and in turn for the new farm bill. In part two we turn to details about what was in the short-lived and now dead 2011 Farm Bill deal. What We Know About the Farm Bill that Did Read the Rest…
EQIP Organic Initiative Bulletin Published
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
On Monday, November 14, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2012 National Bulletin on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative. This bulletin provides guidance to State Conservationists for administering the EQIP Organic Initiative in FY 2012. The Organic Initiative provides funds and technical assistance to certified organic, exempt 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…
Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act Introduced in Congress
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
On Tuesday, November 1 Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) and 35 original co-sponsors introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act (S. 1773, H.R. 3286), a comprehensive bill intended for inclusion in the 2012 Farm Bill. As the Senate and House Agriculture Committee leadership work to finalize their farm bill proposal Read the Rest…
