ACTION ALERT Help Make the Next Generation of Biofuels Sustainable! COMMENTS TO USDA’S FARM SERVICE AGENCY ON THE NEW BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ARE DUE APRIL 9, 2010 The 2008 Farm Bill included a new program to provide incentives to farmers and foresters for the production of energy efficient and resource conserving bioenergy crops. Congress […]
Archives for February 2010
Ranking the Sustainability of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Results from a recent survey conducted by Tufts University, in cooperation with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, demonstrate that a majority of the conservation practices funded by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are ranked as advancing sustainability, while several rank as not advancing sustainability. The survey results and accompanying article are published in the […]
Opportunity for Farmers to Speak About Justice to Power
The U.S. Department of Justice and USDA have announced the agenda for the first in a series of 5 workshops intended to give these agencies and the public in-depth information about the increasing concentration and decreasing competition in the agricultural sector. The workshop will be held March 12 in Ankeny, Iowa. Attendance at all the […]
House Ag Appropriation Hearings kick off with questions for Vilsack
Yesterday’s hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture kicked off the annual ag appropriations cycle with a round of questions for Secretary Vilsack on the USDA’s budget proposals for 2011. Members covered a wide swath of issues, and specifically addressed a number of programs of interest to NSAC members, including the Biomass Crop Assistance […]
Delayed, not diminished: Vilsack on Child Nutrition priorities, including Farm to School
After being postponed for two weeks by the blizzard that shut down the capitol, USDA Secretary Vilsack outlined the Administration’s priorities for the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization yesterday at a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Child Nutrition Act includes authorization for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, summer food, […]
Policy Considerations in Revitalizing Local and Regional Food Systems
Last week, Ferd Hoefner, NSAC’s Policy Director, addressed an audience at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum 2010 with an assessment of the policy opportunities and barriers to strengthening local and regional food systems. The USDA’s increasing focus on connecting farmers with local and regional markets for their products is evident in cross-cutting initiatives like Know […]
Position Announcement: NSAC Executive Director
NSAC seeks a new Executive Director to provide leadership to the coalition and coordinate activities in the Washington DC office and among member groups. The Executive Director promotes the mission of NSAC through a wide variety of public engagements, by overseeing efficient and responsible use of organizational resources and the implementation of the coalition’s priorities […]
Want to support sustainable ag? Serve as a federal grant reviewer.
NSAC advocates for federal grant programs that provide resources for farmers, researchers, and grassroots organizations to get things done on the ground. But once a program is established, money is secure, and applications are in, there’s still at least one more step before policy can translate to action. Someone has to decide which projects to […]
$320 Million to Improve Health of Mississippi River Basin
In November of last year Secretary Vilsack announced a commitment of $320 million over the next four years for a Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative (MRBI) to address water quality, wildlife habitat and natural resource conservation concerns in the Basin. The Agency’s focus will bring badly needed resources to bear on the very serious water quality problems in the Basin. […]
Pigford: One step closer to closure?
On Thursday USDA and the Justice Department announced a $1.25 billion settlement agreement in a class action brought by African American farmers on outstanding discrimination claims, which were not covered by the 1999 consent agreement in the case Pigford v. Glickman (Pigford I). Under the Pigford I consent agreement, USDA paid 16,000 farmers about $1 […]
Peterson and Vilsack endorse local and regional food at Home Grown
More than 200 people braved chilling western Minnesota February weather on Monday and Tuesday to hear House Agriculture Committee Chairman Rep. Collin Peterson and USDA Secretary Vilsack speak about the need to develop better local food systems at the Home Grown Economy conference at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. At least another 100 participants […]
A Sustainable Outlook?
By Ariane Lotti USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum is one of the last places where I would expect to hear Wendell Berry quoted, but that’s exactly how Fedele Bauccio, CEO of Bon Appetit Management Company, ended his presentation on the 2010 forum’s distinguished panel about how the company is addressing topics from the “veil of silence” […]
Update on Food Safety: Wins and Future Directions in the Senate
At the end of January, we sent out an action alert supporting Senator Stabenow’s Growing Safe Food Act (S. 2758) which would provide scale-appropriate training and technical assistance on food safety for small and mid-sized producers and small processors and wholesalers. In it, we outlined the deficiencies in the pending Food Safety Modernization Act (S. […]
NSAC’s 2010 Policy Priorities
Each year, the NSAC membership engages in a set of discussions within NSAC’s four policy issue committees and then at our annual face-to-face meeting in January about the coming year’s policy priorities. The NSAC Policy Council, made up of formally represented members, makes the final decision about the slate of issues the coalition will together […]
Organic Access to Pasture Final Rule Released
On a call with press and stakeholders this afternoon, Deputy Secretary Merrigan announced the release of the final rule governing the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations on livestock access to pasture. A long time coming, this final rule aims to provide clarity in the organic regulations on livestock feed and living condition provisions and to […]
Farm to School Included In Administration’s Child Nutrition Priorities
Secretary Vilsack’s much anticipated speech at the National Press Club outlining the Administration’s priorities for Child Nutrition Act reauthorization was canceled Monday as the federal government remained snowbound, but excerpts of his comments were made available Tuesday in conjunction with the roll-out of the First Lady’s childhood obesity initiative. Monday’s speech included support for the […]
USDA Proposal for Biomass Crop Assistance Program Falls Far Short of Promoting Sustainable Bioenergy Production
This week USDA issued a proposed rule for the increasingly controversial Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The department will take public comments on the proposed rule until April 9, 2010. The 2008 Farm Bill and the accompanying Manager’s Statement clearly spells out BCAP’s primary focus: to promote the cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops that show […]
Beginning Farmer Project Grants Program Open for Proposals
USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has issued the 2010 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). A priority program of NSAC, the BFRDP funds education, training and technical assistance projects that help new farmers get started in agriculture. For 2010, $18.2 million is available. Grants are […]
Let’s Move to Beat Childhood Obesity
First Lady Michelle Obama today unveiled Let’s Move, her comprehensive approach to eliminating childhood obesity in this generation. The morning began with President Obama establishing the Task Force on Childhood Obesity, a group of government agency representatives tasked with implementing an action plan to improve child nutrition and increase physical activity. At noon, Tiki Barber […]
Farm and Conservation Groups Oppose Obama’s Proposed Farm Bill Cuts
In a February 5 letter to the House and Senate Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittees, farm, conservation and environmental groups urged Congress to reject President Obama’s proposed $1 billion-plus cut to mandatory farm conservation program funding. The letter, coordinated by NSAC, was signed by 37 organizations including Audubon, Clean Water Network, Environmental Defense Fund, Izaak Walton League […]
2011 Budget Drilldown: Organic Programs
This post is the seventh in a series of commentaries by NSAC staff on the President’s 2011 budget, released on February 1st. To read the overview by Executive Director Aimee Witteman click here. Look out in the following days for the final budget analysis on conservation programs. The President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2011 […]
2011 Budget Drilldown: Regional Innovation Initiative
This post is the sixth in a series of commentaries by NSAC staff on the President’s 2011 budget, released on February 1st. Read the overview by Executive Director Aimee Witteman. Look out in the following days for the final budget analyses on conservation and organic programs. USDA’s 2011 Budget request includes a new Regional Innovation […]
2011 Budget Drill Down: Healthy Food Financing Initiative
This post is the fifth in a series of commentaries by NSAC staff on the President’s 2011 budget, released on February 1st. Read the overview by Executive Director Aimee Witteman. Look out in the following days for more budget analysis on organic programs, conservation, rural programs and more. The Administration’s 2011 Budget request includes a […]
USDA Releases Organic Production Survey Results
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released the first-ever in-depth survey of U.S. organic agriculture. A follow-on to the 2007 Census of Agriculture and funded through the Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives in the 2008 Farm Bill, the survey collected 2008 data from USDA-certified organic farmers, farmers transitioning to organic production, and farmers […]