On Monday, August 22, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) issued a new edition of its Amber Waves magazine, featuring two important agricultural conservation stories. “Reducing Agriculture’s Nitrogen Footprint: Are New Policy Approaches Needed?” is a helpful quick review by Marc Ribaudo of earlier ERS publications on nutrient management and the array of possible policies to […]
Archives for August 2011
Farmer Backlog for Federal Credit Addressed but Serious Gap Remains
On July 28, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) transferred unneeded Guaranteed Farm Operating Loan (GOL) funds to two credit programs with higher demand – Direct Farm Operating Loans (DOL) and Guaranteed Farm Ownership (GFO) loans. FSA has general authority to transfer a portion of appropriated funds from one loan program to another to bring spending […]
USDA Proposes New Animal ID and Tracing Regulation
On Thursday, August 11, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a proposed rule with national official identification and documentation requirements for the traceability of livestock moving interstate. Animals covered by the proposed rule include cattle, bison, sheep, goats, swine, horses and other equines, captive cervids and poultry. USDA’s stated purpose for implementing the […]
2011 Conservation Innovation Grant Awards Announced
On Monday, August 22, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the 2011 recipients of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). Approximately $22.5 million will be awarded to 52 non-profit, private and public organizations addressing natural resource concerns in 40 states across the country. Conservation Innovation Grants leverage multi-stakeholder partnerships to address a variety of natural resource […]
New USDA Report Highlights Successes of the Wetlands Reserve Program
On Monday, August 22, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released a new publication highlighting the success of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) over its 20-year history. The Wetlands Reserve Program According to the report, more than half of all wetland acres in the continental United States have been lost. In some states, this number […]
Tester – Now More Than Ever
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release August 17, 2011 Contact: Helen Dombalis 202-547-5754 Tester – Now More Than Ever Washington, DC August 17, 2011 – Some national produce industry groups seem to be exploiting a recent outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria, thought to have originated in strawberries from an Oregon farm, for the […]
USDA Announces $3.2 Million in 2011 Rural Business Enterprise Grants
On Thursday, August 18, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $3.2 million in grants to a variety of investments in rural and Tribal community development across the nation. A total of 32 projects in 15 states will receive funding. These grants are awarded annually by USDA’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program, […]
USDA Announces $55 Million in Nationwide Community Facilities Grants
On Thursday, August 18, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $55 million in loans and grants to a variety of investments in rural community development across the nation. A total of 107 projects in 31 states and Puerto Rico will receive funding. These loans and grants are awarded annually by USDA’s Community […]
USDA Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Grants
On Wednesday, August 17, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $11.6 million in FY2011 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants to over 900 agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the country. The grants can be used to finance up to 25-percent of the project costs, not to exceed $500,000 for renewable […]
2011 Healthy Food Enterprise Awards Announced
In mid-July the Healthy Food Enterprise Development (HUFED) Center announced its 2011 HUFED awards. The Center is administered by the Wallace Center at Winrock International, an NSAC member organization. A total of $630,000 will be awarded to 17 enterprises over the next two years for “innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to resolve barriers to healthy food […]
New Report On Economic Benefits of Local Food Systems
On August 4, Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released the report “Market Forces: Creating Jobs through Public Investment in Local and Regional Food Systems” by UCS agricultural economist Jeffrey O’Hara, an analysis of the growth, economic benefits, and challenges to expansion of local and regional food systems. O’Hara also makes policy recommendations to help local […]
Wild Farm Alliance and Community Alliance with Family Farmers Guide to Food Safety and Wildlife Conservation
The Wild Farm Alliance (WFA), in collaboration with Community Alliance with Family Farmers, has released a new brochure, Farming With Food Safety and Conservation in Mind, that provides an overview of how producers can co-manage the goals food safety and wildlife conservation through their farming practices. Unfortunately, outbreaks of food-borne illness in recent years have […]
Conservation Stewardship Program Update – Part III
Note: This is the third and final blog post summarizing initial data we are receiving from USDA National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on the Conservation Stewardship Program. You can read the first blog post in this series here and the second blog post here. This blog post highlights participation of specialty crop producers and beginning, […]
Celebrate National Farmers Market Week – August 7-13
On July 20, 2011, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack proclaimed August 7th to the 13th, 2011 as National Farmers Market Week. This marks the twelfth year that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proclaimed a National Farmers Market Week. All across the country next week, non-profit organizations, USDA agencies, farmers, and consumers will […]
Conservation Stewardship Program Update – Part II
Note: This is the second of several blog posts that summarizes initial data we are receiving from USDA National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on the Conservation Stewardship Program. You can read the first blog post in this series here. In last week’s blog Update on the Conservation Stewardship Program – Part I we highlighted data […]
House, Senate, President Agree to Draft Debt Ceiling Deal
On Sunday, July 31, congressional leaders and the President announced that they had reached a deal to raise the debt ceiling and cut the federal deficit. The agreement comes amidst a week of tense negotiations and competing bills. Just last week, the House passed its own package, 218-210, before the Senate voted that bill down […]
People’s Garden Grant Program
On Tuesday, July 26, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of USDA announced the availability of grants of up to $150,000 through its People’s Garden Grant Program. The program will fund projects to facilitate the creation of produce, recreational, and/or wildlife gardens in urban and rural areas, which will provide opportunities for food […]