This week, Agriculture Committee leaders announced plans for starting the 2013 Farm Bill process. Because a new Congress started this year, Congress cannot pick up where it left off with the farm bill last year and must start the process over again. Currently, USDA is operating under an awful 9-month farm bill extension that Congress […]
Archives for April 2013
Bill to Boost Opportunities for Beginning Farmers Introduced
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) along with nine of his colleagues, and Representative Tim Walz (D-MN) together with Reps. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Chris Gibson (R-NY), and Collin Peterson (D-MN) have just introduced the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2013. The Senate bill is number is S. 837 and the House bill number is H.R. […]
House Subcommittee Debates 2014 Farm and Food Funding
Over the last two weeks, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held a series of hearings to examine the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s and the Food and Drug Administration’s budget requests for fiscal year (FY) 2014. We previously posted about the first Subcommittee hearing of the year, which featured Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and the second […]
Local and Regional Food System Marketing Program Opens Up New Round of Funding
The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced a request for applications for its latest round of funding for the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP). FSMIP is a small program designed to assist states to explore new market opportunities through research and innovation. As the title suggests FSMIP is targeted towards state agencies. Eligible applicants […]
Healthier food, successful farms: starting now.
Dear Supporter, Wherever there’s local food, there are farmers feeding communities and creating jobs. Farmers and ranchers are responding to skyrocketing demand for fresh, healthy food everywhere – at farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and in schools across the nation. At the same time, the farmers and ranchers across the country who feed us are getting […]
Guest Post: An Alabama Farmer’s Perspective on Policies that Promote Healthy Food and Healthy Economies
Today on Capitol Hill, farmers, business owners and community advocates shared their stories and knowledge of critical farm bill programs with Congressional staff. Sponsored by the Congressional Tri-Caucus – made up of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – the collaborative briefing “Policies that […]
Senators Introduce Bill to Protect Prime Grasslands
On Thursday, April 25, Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with four additional cosponsors, introduced bipartisan legislation that would protect our nation’s remaining native prairies and prime grasslands. Additional cosponsors of the bill include Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Mike Johanns (R-NE). The Sodsaver Prairie Protection Act […]
For Immediate Release: Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Expand Opportunities for the Next Generation of Farmers
Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Expand Opportunities for the Next Generation of Farmers Washington, D.C., April 25, 2013 – Today, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa and Representative Tim Walz of Minnesota announced the introduction of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2013 in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The two identical […]
Guest Post: A Statement by the Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates
As the Pigford I Settlement comes to a close: The Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates state it was a productive beginning to redress decades of discrimination This post, prepared by the Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates, was originally published on The Nation Builders on April 18, 2013 and has been reposted […]
USDA Promises Support for Public Plant Breeding Research at House Hearing
On Wednesday April 17th, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee questioned the Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics as well as the heads of USDA’s four research agencies, as preparation for developing a federal spending bill for fiscal year 2014. The witnesses as this week’s hearing include: Dr. Catherine Woteki, Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics […]
Senators Question Aspects of Proposed Food Safety Regulations
In a hearing about the agency’s proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget request, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Hamburg fielded questions from Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee members on a wide-ranging set of issues, from sequestration effects to cosmetics and food safety. Throughout the hearing, Senators raised issues and questions about the FDA’s proposed regulations on […]
Comment Period for New Food Safety Regulations Extended
At a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing today, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Hamburg said that the comment period on the two proposed food safety regulations currently open for comment would be extended by 120 days. The comment period was originally set to close on May 16, and with the extension, the comment period […]
Farmer Discrimination Claims Deadline Approaching
The deadline for USDA’s Hispanic and Women’s Farmers and Ranchers Claim Process is quickly approaching. In late March the USDA announced the extension of the original deadline. Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who allege discrimination by the USDA in past decades must now file their claims by May 1, 2013. The United States Government […]
GO-FARM Legislation Re-Introduced: New Loan Fund to Support Local Farms and Jobs
Guest Blog — We want to thank Bob Junk, Local Economy Manager with Fay-Penn Economic Development Council for preparing this blog post. Fay-Penn is an NSAC member organization and Bob co-chairs our Marketing, Food Systems, and Rural Development committee. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) has re-introduced the Growing Opportunities for Agriculture and Responding to […]
Secretary Vilsack Promotes Cover Crops, Local Foods, Contract Fairness during House Hearing
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies today to discuss his agency’s FY 2014 budget requests. The Subcommittee will consider USDA’s requests as it writes its funding bill for the year. Conservation, Drought, and Crop Insurance Early in the hearing, Subcommittee […]
New Information Available on Conservation Stewardship Program Sign Up
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will very shortly announce the cut-off date for farmer applications to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for enrollment in the program during Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. Based on discussions with NRCS, we expect that the final sign up period will begin later this month and will last for 30 […]
For Immediate Release: Resources Available for Farmers and Ranchers Interested in Conservation Stewardship Program
New Information Available for Farmers and Ranchers Interested in 2013 Enrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program Washington, D.C. April 16, 2013 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will very shortly begin the 2013 enrollment process for farmers and ranchers who want to participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Over 12 million acres of […]
President’s 2014 Budget: EPA and Water Quality
Despite proposing significant cuts to the overall Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget for water programs, the President’s FY 2014 Budget Request for EPA emphasizes that EPA will continue to work with USDA and the states tribes to control nutrient pollution. The budget request gives special attention to the issue of excessive nitrogen and phosphorus loadings […]
President’s 2014 Budget: FDA and Food Safety Modernization Act
The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 budget request includes $295.8 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that is targeted to transforming food safety. Most of this funding is intended to implement new food safety regulations required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). According to the Health & Human Services Department justification document […]
President’s 2014 Budget: Overview and Department of Agriculture
On Wednesday, April 10, President Obama released his budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. In this year’s ongoing budget saga, the White House is billing its proposal as a step towards reaching a “grand bargain” with Republicans over taxes and spending. (For more on the “grand bargain,” see a previous blog post.) Over ten weeks […]
Legislation to Remove Barriers to Local Farms and Food
Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine today introduced their Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 (S. 679 and H.R. 1414). The bill was previously introduced in 2011 and parts of the bill were included in the five-year farm bills that were worked on, but not finalized, in the […]
Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Boost Economic Growth, Create Jobs, and Provide Healthy Food
For Immediate Release April 9, 2013 For More Information Contact: Ferd Hoefner, NSAC Policy Director, 202-547-5754 Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Boost Economic Growth, Create Jobs, and Provide Healthy Food Washington, D.C., April 9, 2013 – Today, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act […]
NSAC Launches New Food Safety Site
Looking for information about the new proposed food safety regulations? Unsure about whether the proposed rules affect you? Want to comment on the proposed rules? Check out NSAC’s new food safety website! With the deadline for comment on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed food safety regulations fast approaching, NSAC has launched a new food […]