Take Action!

Congress is already getting to work writing the 2018 Farm Bill. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill is a blueprint for positive change. It reflects the real, urgent needs of farmers, ranchers, and communities across the country.

We need your help! Let’s show Congress that farmers and families from around the country are calling for change. 

NSAC’s 2018 Farm Bill platform will advance opportunity, equity and stewardship and create a better future for family farms. Learn more about key components of the platform and action opportunities below.

  • Stewardship that sustains our shared natural resources

    • LEARN MORE: The SOIL Stewardship Act and the GROW Act
    • TAKE ACTION: FARMERS: CALL or EMAIL your legislators and ask them to support the Conservation Stewardship Program (and any other conservation programs that benefit your farm) in the 2018 Farm Bill!
    • TAKE ACTION: ORGANIZATIONS can endorse the SOIL Stewardship Act!

  • A fair, effective farm safety net

    • LEARN MORE: The Crop Insurance Modernization Act
    • TAKE ACTION: INDIVIDUALS and FARMERS: CALL or EMAIL your legislator and ask them to support the Crop Insurance Modernization Act!
    • TAKE ACTION: ORGANIZATIONS can endorse the Crop Insurance Modernization Act!

 

Learn More About Farm Bill Action Opportunities!

The Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunity Act

Nearly 100 million acres of farmland (enough to support nearly 250,000 family farms) are set to change hands over the next five years – during the course of our next farm bill. To keep our agricultural economy strong, we need to facilitate the transfer of skills, knowledge, and land between current and future generations of family farmers. Good news – there’s a bill in Congress right now intended for inclusion in the 2018 Farm Bill that will help! The Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunity Act will build: 

The Local FARMS Act

Consumer demand for local and regional products is on the rise, and this growing interest in the “farm to fork” pipeline is helping to open new markets and economic opportunities to farmers and food producers across the nation. Despite this growing consumer demand, many would-be food and farm entrepreneurs struggle to enter the local/regional marketplace. By helping to connect the dots between producers and local customers (including individuals, institutions, and others), farmers and families both benefit. Good news – there’s a bill in Congress right now intended for inclusion in the 2018 Farm Bill that will help! The Local Food and Regional Market Supply Act (Local FARMS Act) will build:

Protecting resources and improving sustainability

The benefits of on-farm conservation are widespread and far reaching – they help to ensure cleaner drinking water for our urban and rural communities, more robust habitats for wildlife, and farm operations that are sustainable long-term. Empowering farmers with the skills, resources, and training to take on the challenges that come with stewardship is critical for ensuring our farms and food supply are resilient and healthy. Conservation is a win-win investment that protects and enhances our shared natural resources and bolsters farmers’ bottom line.

  • ACCESS to stewardship resources for all farmers
  • IMPACT through targeting investments
  • SUPPORT for implementation on the farm
  • EFFECTIVENESS through measurement, evaluation, and reporting
  • Learn more about TWO bills that will advance conservation in the 2018 Farm Bill:

Seed choice and security through crop diversity

In agriculture, biological diversity is key to ensuring success: having a variety of well-adapted crops not only reduces the impacts of extreme weather, pests, and disease, it also protects against price fluctuations in the market. Today, however, we are increasingly losing diversity where it counts the most – our seed stocks. By supporting public plant breeding research, we can better ensure that all farmers have access to high performing, locally adapted seeds – no matter where they farm or what they grow.

  • CHOICE in seeds for all farmers
  • SECURITY through crop diversity
  • COORDINATION for strategic research investments
  • Learn more about the Seeds for the Future Act!

Reforming and improving crop insurance for farmers

Because of the important role farming plays in our lives and in our economy, it is in the public interest to help protect farmers against risk. There are many approaches to managing risk, including crop, enterprise, and market diversification and investing in soil health and conservation. Federal crop insurance is an important cornerstone of the farm safety net, but it must be improved to better serve all of America’s farmers equitably and to use our tax dollars more efficiently.

 

How Can I Get Involved with NSAC?

If you care about getting healthy food to everyone, protecting our natural resources, and supporting the next generation of American farmers, then you’ll want to get involved this year!

  • STAY INFORMED: Sign up for Action Alerts on our homepage; this is our #1 means to communicate with people like you when it’s time to take action.
  • GROW THE MOVEMENT: Share this page with your friends and family and ask them to join our campaign!
  • TELL YOUR STORY: Are you a farmer who has benefited from – or struggled with – federal farm programs? We want to hear from you! Contact us to share your experience and potentially be part of our farmer storybank.
  • GET TO KNOW YOUR LEGISLATORS: Do you know who your Senators and Representative are? Do you know how they vote on sustainable agriculture issues? Find out who represents you here; send ’em an email and ask them how they voted on the issues that matter to YOU.
  • JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Did you know that many legislators really do read what folks share with them via Facebook and Twitter? Follow NSAC on Facebook and Twitter – and consider following your legislators, too!