On March 6, the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned a jury award of $10 million to poultry growers who had contracts to grow out broiler chickens for Tyson Foods. The growers alleged that Tyson had given them unhealthy chicks and feed because the growers would not make costly modifications to their chicken houses that were not […]
Archives for March 2012
Farmers and Ranchers Travel to DC to Speak Out on the Farm Bill
On March 6 and 7, more than 30 independent family farmers and ranchers from 19 states traveled to Washington, DC to share their stories and speak out for crucial farm bill programs that enable them to produce healthy food, build community, and sustain the environment. Farmers participated in two days of advocacy and policy trainings, […]
FSA Increases Flexibility for Loans to Beginning Farmers
Earlier this month, FSA announced several revisions to its program handbook to increase flexibility and broaden the scope of “farm management experience” a borrower is required to have before being eligible for a federal loan. This experience requirement is in place in order to assure that an applicant has sufficient managerial ability that will convey […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Mayors Outline Farm Bill Priorities in Letter to Congressional Agriculture Committee Leaders
On Tuesday, March 6th, the mayors of ten large cities–including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia–sent a letter to the chairs and ranking members of both Congressional Agriculture Committees regarding the 2012 Farm Bill. This letter emphasized the importance of a 2012 reauthorization and outlined the mayors’ priorities which included food security, public health, economic […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: House Agriculture Committee’s New York Field Hearing
On March 9, the House Agriculture Committee held the first of four Farm Bill field hearings in Saranac Lake, New York. The state is fifth in the nation in specialty crop production and a major dairy state, so the hearing included the concerns of dairy farmers and specialty crop farmers. The transcripts of witness testimony […]
Organic and High Tunnel Deadline Approaching
The second of three cut-off dates for organic, on-farm energy, and seasonal high tunnel cost share is coming up on March 30. The Organic, On-Farm Energy, and Seasonal High Tunnel Initiatives are offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). NRCS will have three ranking periods in 2012 for […]
USDA Highlights Revenue Protection Tool Developed by NSAC Member
USDA’s March 8th blog featured a new online revenue protection tool from the Risk Management Agency (RMA) developed by NSAC member organization, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and Montana Tech of the University of Montana. Jeff Schahczenski, a member of NSAC’s Organizational Council, was the lead developer of AGR-Lite Wizard, an online tool […]
Beginning Farmers Tell Their Stories at Hill Briefing
This week, four beginning farmers and ranchers came to Washington, D.C. to participate in a congressional briefing on the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (S.1850, H.R.3236). The briefing was hosted in the House by Reps. Tim Walz (D-MN-1) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1), and in the Senate by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). The farmers came […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Senate Holds Hearing on Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production, and Nutrition
In its “Path to the 2012 Farm Bill” series, NSAC gets into the details of the 2012 Farm Bill debate. On Wednesday, March 7, the Senate Agriculture Committee held the third of four hearings for the 2012 Farm Bill. Hearings are an important part in the farm bill process because they bring attention to critical […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: House Agriculture Committee Sends Letter to Budget Committee
On Tuesday, March 7, the House Agriculture Committee approved its “Budget Views and Estimates Letter,” which outlines the Committee’s funding requests for a variety of USDA programs (primarily farm bill programs) for fiscal year (FY) 2013. Each year, the House Agriculture Committee sends a budget views and estimates letter to the House Budget Committee ahead […]
Arkansas Farmer Testifies at Senate Agriculture Committee Local Food Hearing
Washington, DC March 6, 2012 – Arkansas farmer Jody Hardin has been selected as a witness to testify Wednesday before Senators in Washington, DC. Hardin is the sole farmer from around the country chosen to testify at an upcoming hearing held by the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on “Healthy Food Initiatives, […]
Farmers and Ranchers Travel to Washington, DC to Speak Out on the 2012 Farm Bill
Farmers Speak Out On 2012 Farm Bill — Family Farmers, Ranchers, and Food Advocates to Testify Before Congress — Washington, DC March 6, 2012 – On Tuesday and Wednesday, nearly 30 independent family farmers and ranchers from 17 states are traveling to Capitol Hill to share their stories and speak out for crucial farm bill […]
New Environmental Benefits Scores for Conservation Activities within the CSP
Farmers and Ranchers who applied for enrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for fiscal year (FY) 2012 can now determine how many points the various conservation activities offered under the program will be worth. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which implements the program, uses these point values to determine how each applicant ranks […]
Farm Bill Hearings and Briefings Update
With changes and additions to the farm bill hearings and briefings schedules of late, we are issuing this update for our readers, pulling the information together in one place. Two Hearings Remain for Senate Agriculture Committee Wednesday, March 7, 9:30 AM – Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production, and Nutrition: A hearing on policies to assist […]
Conservation Reserve Program Initiative for Wetlands and Grasslands
On Friday, March 2, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Initiative to preserve wetlands and grasslands through a continuous signup process for up to one million acres of land targeted in the three following area: • New Continuous Pollinator Practice – up to 100,000 acres A new continuous practice to permit producers […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Senate Briefing on Local Food and Nutrition
In its “Path to the 2012 Farm Bill” series, NSAC gets into the details of the 2012 Farm Bill debate. On March 1, a briefing on local food policy issues held in the Senate Agriculture Committee room helped educate Senate offices in advance of action on the 2012 Farm Bill. Entitled “Spurring Economic Growth and […]
USDA Funding Available for Organic Research
This week, USDA announced the availability of $3.8 million in grants to fund research on organic production systems, under the Integrated Organic Transitions Program administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The goal of the Organic Transitions Program is to improve the competitiveness of organic crop and livestock producers, as well as […]
Bill to Ban Packer Ownership of Livestock Introduced
On Wednesday, February 29, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced a bill (S. 2141) that would ban most meatpackers from owning livestock. Also signing on as original co-sponsors were Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Tom Harkin (D-IA). The Senate passed versions of this legislation in 2002 and 2008, but each time the measure […]
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food: USDA Releases Report and Compass
On Wednesday, February 29 USDA released its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) report and introduced the Compass, an expansive new resource for the KYF2 initiative. The initiative was launched in 2009 to enhance coordination and efficiency among the various USDA agencies and programs that work to build local and regional farm and food […]
USDA Solicits Stakeholder Input on Agricultural Research
Last week, over 150 people attended a stakeholder listening session to provide feedback on ways to improve the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) – USDA’s largest competitive grants program that funds agricultural research, education, and extension projects. The session was hosted in Washington, D.C. at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) – […]