On Thursday, October 13, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued the third study in the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) cropland component. The cropland component is intended to quantify the effects of conservation practices on cultivated cropland in the lower 48 states. The Great Lakes CEAP examined the effects of conservation practices on water […]
Archives for October 2011
Agriculture Spending Coming Into Focus in Next Few Days
The Senate may begin consideration of the agricultural appropriations bill on the floor today, even while the House and Senate authorizing committee readies their letter, due tomorrow, to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction detailing proposed cuts to farm bill mandatory spending. According to published reports, the size of the proposed 10-year cut to […]
Four RBOG Grants Promote Local and Regional Food Systems
On October 3, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced recipients of USDA’s 2011 Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG), which support regional planning activities to improve economic conditions in rural areas. Thirty-seven awards totaling more than $2.5 million were granted to various organizations in 27 states. Out of the 37 awards, the program granted five of the […]
NSAC Submits Comments to FDA on Co-Management
The Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) was enacted into law at the beginning of this year, and the rulemaking process for the legislation is currently underway, with the proposed rule expected to be submitted for public comment near the start of next year. The FSMA includes several provisions that are related to wildlife and […]
Notice of Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board
The October 7 edition of the Federal Register contained a notice announcing a forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The meeting will take place in Savannah, Georgia from Tuesday, November 29 through Friday, December 2, 2011. The meeting is open for public comment, and comments will be accepted until midnight Eastern Time […]
Request for Applications for the Rural Micro Lending Program
On Monday, September 26, the Federal Register published a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). Applications for this program will be accepted on a rolling basis, with funding awarded once each Federal fiscal quarter. Applications submitted now would normally be considered for awards in the first quarter of Fiscal Year […]
White House Rural Council Releases its “Feedback from Rural America” Report
On June 9, 2011, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Rural Council. Since the establishment of the Council, the President, the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and various senior Administration officials have established an open dialogue with rural America through making nearly 200 visits to rural communities throughout the country. These […]
Conservation Ranks High in Public Survey of Farm Bill Priorities
In a recently released survey of public opinion on agriculture and the environment, the majority of people surveyed approved of priorities that are in line with the NSAC agenda for the next Farm Bill and for federal funding for agriculture. The survey was the third annual survey on behalf of The David and Lucille Packard […]
2011 Specialty Crop Block Grants Announced
On Wednesday, October 5, USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan announced the 2011 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awards, the sixth year of awards for this program. In total, 55 grants are being awarded for 740 initiatives totaling about $55 million. On a press call announcing the awards, Merrigan noted that “this year, similar to last year, […]
Court Rules Pilgrim’s Pride Violated Packers & Stockyards Act
Last week, a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a decision in Adams v. Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, in which the court ruled that Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (PPC) violated Section 192(e) of the Packers and Stockyards (PSA) when it closed and refused to sell a poultry processing plant in El Dorado, Arkansas […]