USDA is closing out 2011 in much the same way it started the year — approving the use of genetically modified (GM) crops designed to withstand pesticide applications. On Tuesday, December 27, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved the use of two more GM crops and announced the availability of assessments for […]
Archives for December 2011
Healthy Food Financing Initiative FY 2012 Appropriations Funding
As we reported in an earlier blog post, in mid-December Congress passed a “megabus” appropriations bill that included FY 2012 appropriations funding for numerous departments including Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Included in this package is $32 million in funding for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. HFFI aims to […]
EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed CAFO Reporting Rule
On Monday, December 19, the EPA announced that it is extending the comment period on a proposed rule with requirements for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to report specific information about the their operations to the agency. Comments are now due January 19, 2012. Clean Water Act Section 308 gives the EPA broad authority to […]
Generations Bookend Rural Great Plains and Midwest
by Jon Bailey, Director, Rural Research and Analysis Program, Center for Rural Affairs A new Center for Rural Affairs report released finds that rural areas in the Great Plains and Midwest continue to lose population and are caught between “bookend generations” – the youngest and the oldest – with a demographic valley in between. The […]
USDA Wraps Up FY2011 Rural Energy for America Program Grants and Loans
USDA has announced the final FY2011 loan and grant awards for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The program funds renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses. REAP grants can fund up to 25-percent of a project’s costs, up to $500,000 for renewable energy systems and $250,000 for […]
NRCS Updates Nutrient Management Standard
Last week, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released an updated version of its nutrient management standard, also known as conservation practice standard 590 (CPS 590). NRCS practice standards delineate the steps that a producer may or must take in order to receive payments for a particular conservation practice under NRCS conservation programs. According to […]
Government Funding Bill Wrap Up and EPA Appropriations
On Thursday, December 15, members of a House and Senate Conference Committee passed a nine-bill appropriations package, H.R. 2055, to fund most government functions through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2012. The House then voted, 296-121, on Friday afternoon to pass the funding package. The nearly 2,300 page package was scheduled to go to the Senate for […]
2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign Up Extended
INFORMATION ALERT 2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Extended On Friday, December 9, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2012 ranking period cutoff for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is January 13, 2012. Given the busy holiday season time frame, on January 10 NRCS extended the ranking period cutoff date […]
FSIS Proposed Rule for Generic Labels
USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a proposed rule to change its generic label approval process. This new rule would allow food processing establishments to use new labels or to modify labels on a broader set of products without first submitting the labels to FSIS for approval. FSIS will still verify that labels comply […]
New Report on Overlap in Farm Safety Net Programs
A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service analyzes potential overlap and duplication in federal farm safety net programs. The report, Identifying Overlap in the Farm Safety Net, clarifies competing definitions of what is meant by the terms “farm safety net,” provides an overview of where overlap can occur in these programs, and presents an […]
USDA Awards Grants to Universities to Improve Food Safety
On Wednesday, December 7, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced 17 grants to universities in 13 states to improve the safety of our food supply through research, education, and extension in a number of areas. A total of $10.4 million was awarded by USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the National Integrated […]
GIPSA Contract Fairness Rule Finalized
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration has issued a rule, to be published on December 9, that finalizes some provisions of the GIPSA rule proposed in June 2010. The provisions are intended to increase protections for farmers who produce poultry and hogs on contract. The four major areas covered in the final rule include: […]
USDA Mails 2011 Organic Production Survey to Producers
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is conducting a survey of certified organic farming to gather production and marketing information on organic farming in the U.S. The survey runs from December 2011 to April 2012, and focuses on crop and livestock production. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) will use the results to improve federal […]
Healthy Food Financing Initiative Re-Introduced in Congress
On Wednesday, November 30, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-PA-13) introduced identical bills (S.1926/H.R. 3525) in the Senate and House, respectively, to establish a Healthy Food and Financing Initiative (HFFI) within the USDA. Five Representatives and 10 Senators joined as original cosponsors. The initiative would authorize a $125 million program providing one-time […]
NSAC Comment on the GIPSA Contract Reform Final Rule
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release December 8, 2011 Contact: Martha Noble or Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 NSAC Comment on the GIPSA Contract Reform Final Rule Washington, D.C. December 8, 2011 — USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration will issue a rule on Friday that finalizes selected provisions of the GIPSA rule proposed in […]
More Farm Bill News from the Farm Journal Forum
At the annual Farm Journal Forum in Washington, DC today, Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said the farm bill prepared for consideration by the congressional Super Committee will serve as the “foundation” for efforts to write and enact a farm bill next year, starting in February. Noting that the process this year was unusual […]
New Gulf Coast Conservation Initiative
On Monday, December 5, USDA announced the creation of the Gulf of Mexico Initiative (GoMI), through which the agency will distribute up to $50 million in financial assistance over three years to improve ecosystem health in the Gulf Coast. GoMI will pull its funds from six Natural Resources Conservation Serive (NRCS) programs — Environmental Quality […]
Crop Insurance Restrictions on Cover Crops Eased
On December 1, the Springfield IL Regional Office of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced that it was easing some restrictions that limit crop insurance coverage on crops that are planted following a cover crop. The modification affects corn, popcorn, sweet corn, hybrid seed corn, pumpkins, soybeans, grain sorghum, and processing beans grown in the […]
If you eat and live in America
If you eat and live in America, you should be concerned about the future of farming in this country. The average age of our nation’s farmers is 57 years old, with more than a quarter of all farmers 65 or older. There are many people inspired to farm, but as recent studies show, our nation’s […]
Food and Farm Bill Alive in 2012!
Dear Supporters, We previously reported to you that a 2011 Food and Farm Bill appeared imminent. Days before Thanksgiving the Congressional “Super Committee” failed to reach agreement on $1.2 trillion in budget cuts. With that, the 2011 Farm Bill proposal intended for inclusion in the Super Committee’s deficit reduction bill is thus no more. The […]
New USDA Guide Highlights Ecosystem Credit Trading Opportunities and Challenges
by Jeanne Merrill We welcome this guest blog post from Jeanne Merrill, Policy Director, California Climate and Agriculture Network, an NSAC member organization. The USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service recently released a new guide, The Natural Resources Credit Trading Reference. The reference is intended for NRCS staff, policymakers, and others interested in the potential of […]
Beginning Farmer Land Contract Program to Launch in 2012
On Thursday, December 1st, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) issued the final rule for the Land Contract Guarantee Program, which was authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill. This program was first authorized as a pilot program under the 2002 Farm Bill, but was expanded to be made permanent and offered nationwide in the last […]
Building Your Community’s Food System: What You Can Do!
Check out this blog on Rodale.com Voices from December 1 by NSAC Policy Associate Helen Dombalis about the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act and how you can get involved in building your community’s food system.
USDA Appoints 5 New Members to National Organic Standards Board
On Wednesday, December 1, USDA appointed five new members to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB makes recommendations to USDA on the policies and operations of the National Organic Program (NOP) that governs organic certification. The 15-member Board is comprised of four farmers, three conservationists, three consumer representatives, two processors, one retailer, one […]