On Thursday, October 14, the National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) will host a webinar from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST on the rules proposed by USDA’s Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). NALC staff attorneys will provide an overview of GIPSA’s proposed rule changes for poultry and livestock, review the rulemaking process, explain […]
Archives for October 2010
Kerr Center’s President Receives First Bellmon Award
Dr. James “Jim” Horne, President and CEO of the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, received the inaugural Henry Bellmon Award for Sustainability last month in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Horne was honored for taking “a balanced approach toward quality of life for all, responsible economic growth, and environmental stewardship.” Horne, who also garnered the Quality of Life […]
10/10/10 Global Work Party Features Food and Farming
Food and farming are playing a prominent role in many of the events taking place on Sunday for the 10/10/10 Global Work Party, “the single largest day of carbon-cutting action in the planet’s history,” according to 350.org, which is organizing the day of action in partnership with hundreds of organizations around the world. Over 7,000 […]
EPA Publishes FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan
On Thursday, October 7, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a 5-year strategic plan outlining strategies for advancing its mission and priorities. The plan presents 5 strategic goals that will dictate EPA’s actions over the next 5 years. The strategic goals are: Taking action on climate change and improving air quality Protecting America’s waters Cleaning […]
Organic Agriculture Grows in Northern Tier
Organic farming grew steadily from 2005-2008 in the Ninth Federal Reserve District, which includes Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, 26 counties in northwestern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, according to an article published in the October 2010 FedGazette. The rate of acreage certified as organic grew faster than the national average in […]
USDA Economic Research Service Issues Brief on Rural Economy
On Wednesday, October 6, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) updated its briefing page dedicated to Rural Income, Poverty, and Welfare. According to ERS, after unprecedented rural growth in the 1990s, rural development has stagnated and even declined in many areas. ERS points to the recent economic recession as the source of lasting troubles in rural […]
SARE Posts Audio and Presentations from Sustainable Ag Symposium
In September, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Organic Farming Research Foundation co-sponsored an all-day symposium to discuss the recently published National Research Council report Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. On October 8, USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), another co-sponsor of the event, announced that audio transcripts and powerpoint presentations are now available […]
NRCS Extends CSP Sign-up Period, Releases Latest Enrollment Data
On Thursday, October 7, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the extension of the FY 2011 sign-up period for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) until January 7, 2011. NRCS will use the additional time to expand and improve program marketing and outreach to producers. We had previously announced the decision to extend the sign-up […]
Farm to School Webinar and Resources
Today, October 7, the USDA Farm to School team and the National Farm to School Network hosted a webinar, “Digging through Farm to School Resources,” which shared a bevy of useful supporting materials for state agencies, school food service administrators, farms, and non-profit organizations looking to start or expand Farm to School programs. “No need […]
37 Programs Will Lose Baseline Funding in 2012 Farm Bill
On September 29, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a new report, “Previewing the Next Farm Bill: Unfunded and Early-Expiring Provisions,” which details the 37 programs that will no longer have baseline funding in the next farm bill cycle. Together, these programs account for $9-10 billion dollars (depending on estimation approach), or 4% of the […]
Harvesting Media Coverage: New NSAC Program Champions Farmers’ Voices
What’s one of the most underutilized assets of the sustainable agriculture movement? It’s the authentic and inspiring personal stories of the farmer innovators practicing sustainable and organic agriculture across our country. From small to mid-sized, local to regional, and from produce to grain and livestock operations, these farmers have an important story to tell. A […]
USDA Announces Rural Cooperative Development Grant Recipients
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today announced $8.3 million in grants through the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program to help rural cooperatives expand economic activity in their communities. Grantees included NSAC member organization Farm to Table, Inc., of Santa Fe, NM, which received a grant for a project to improve economic […]
USDA to Issue Over $1.6 Billion in Annual CRP Payments to Producers This Month
During the month of October, USDA will distribute more than $1.6 billion in annual Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental payments to producers enrolled in the program. Since October is the first month of the federal fiscal year, all CRP annual payments are distributed during this month. Producers use these payments to establish and maintain conservation […]
USDA Releases Non-Federal Rangelands Health Assessment
On Friday, October 1, USDA announced the release of a new study evaluating the health and productivity of non-federal rangelands in the western United States, which make up 21% of the total area of the lower 48 states. Findings indicate that less than 25 percent of non-federal rangelands have significant land degradation, but that non-native […]
Party time!
We are pleased to share this post by Bridget Holcomb from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute based on a day-long visit to Wisconsin last week by USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White. I’ve been to my share of birthday parties before, but this has to be a first. […]
USDA Announces $499 Million in Nationwide Community Facilities Grants
On Wednesday, September 29, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $499 million in loans and grants to a variety of investments in rural community development across the nation. A total of 280 projects in 44 states, as well as Guam and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, will receive funding. These loans and […]