On November 24, the Land Stewardship Project released a new white paper, Crop Insurance – The Corporate Connection, part of a three-part series entitled How a Safety Net Became a Farm Policy Disaster. The first white paper outlines the profits being obtained by a few corporations from the multiple subsidies provided them by the federal […]
Archives for November 2014
GAO: Updated Report on the Cost of Climate Change to the Federal Crop Insurance
On November 20, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on climate change and the federal flood insurance and crop insurance programs. This report is similar to one GAO released in 2007 that found that climate change could increase the financial risks associated with the federal government’s insurance programs. The new report focuses […]
Top Sustainable Agriculture Programs Explained in New Farm Bill Guide!
Those looking for an accessible rundown on federal sustainable farming and food systems programs have a new, printed resource available to them! The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) recently published a comprehensive printed guide to federal sustainable agriculture, forestry, entrepreneurship, conservation, food systems, and community development programs. NSAC, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and USDA’s Sustainable […]
Organic Food Starts with Organic Seeds!
This post is the second post in a blog series devoted to exploring the importance of seeds to sustainable food and farming systems. Since everything starts with seeds, this series will focus on the importance of public seed research to sustainable agriculture, including organic farmers and local and regional food producers, as well as to […]
Second Cover Crop Survey Confirms Yield Boost
On Tuesday, November 18, USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program released the results of the 2013-2014 Cover Crop Survey, which assesses the benefits, challenges, yield impacts, and scale of adoption of cover crops. The North Central Region of the SARE program worked with the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) to survey more than 1,924 […]
Which Farms Have to Register with FDA?
The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new proposed food safety rules for food facilities apply to those facilities that are required to register with the government. Hence the question of who must register as a food facility with the FDA has been central to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rulemaking process since it began […]
The Top 6 Improvements with New Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Insurance Policy
As farmers consider signing up, we look at why Whole-Farm Revenue Protection is better than its predecessor policies. … Read More →
New USDA Assistance for Farmer Veterans
More and more military veterans are trading in their combat boots for cowboy boots and transitioning into a career in agriculture. Many of the men and women who have served our country come from rural or agricultural backgrounds, and are either interested in returning to the family farm or pursuing farming as a therapeutic career that […]
WOTUS Walk-through: NSAC’s Comments on the EPA’s Controversial Proposed Rule
The twice-extended public comment period for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) proposed rule defining “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act came to a close last Friday, November 14. NSAC contributed to the dialogue around the proposed rule by submitting comments seeking greater clarity for agricultural producers, […]
USDA Releases Guidance Documents for Conservation Initiatives
In the final days of October, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided its state NRCS offices with national guidance on when and how to administer various conservation initiatives for fiscal year (FY) 2015. The initiatives are funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program. An October 23 directive […]
Dairy Farmer Uses Grant for Value-Added Cheese Production
Note: This is the second in a three-part series providing a closer look at some of this year’s Value-Added Producer Grant award recipients. To read the other blog post in this series, click here to read about how one organization used a VAPG grant to expand online access to healthy food. Few foods have the […]
Top 10 Fixes and Fails in FDA’s Revised Draft Food Safety Rules
Did FDA fix the issues in the re-proposed food safety rules? Or is there more work to be done?… Read More →
What Does “Good Farming Practices” Really Mean?
In October 2014, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) released a 76-page Good Farming Practices (GFP) handbook. The handbook defines all of RMA’s policies and procedures related to GFP. Good Farming Practices: “The production methods utilized to produce the insured crop and allow it to make normal progress toward maturity and produce at least the yield used to […]
New Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs Helps Distill Farm Bill Resources
NSAC’s Grassroots Guide to the Federal Farm and Food Programs is a free, digital resource to help build a more sustainable farm and food future. … Read More →
Release: New Farm Bill Resource Now Available to Help Farmers and Food Advocates Navigate USDA Programs
November 10, 2014, Washington, DC – Today the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) published a comprehensive digital guide to the key federal farm and food programs that support sustainable farm and food systems. The Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs will help farmers and non-profit organizations navigate the numerous farm bill and other […]
Election Results Will Influence Farm Policy Leadership in Congress
This week’s Republican wave election, combined with congressional retirements and term limits, will shake up the leadership of key congressional committees for food and agriculture. Here is the brief rundown. Senate Agriculture: With the Republican takeover of the Senate, it is highly likely that Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), the current Ranking Member of the Senate […]
Press Release: New Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Insurance Policy Aims for Diversified Farms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paul Wolfe, (202) 547-5754, pwolfe@sustainableagriculture.net New Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Insurance Policy Aims for Diversified Farms November 6, 2014, Washington, DC – Diversified farmers will now have access to a improved crop insurance option with USDA’s release today of the new Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) crop insurance policy. This will be the first […]
USDA Rolls Out New Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Insurance Policy
Whole Farm Revenue Protection allows farmers to insure all their crops, livestock, and nursery and greenhouse crops under one policy… Read More →
Conservation Stewardship Program Rules Revised
New rules governing the Conservation Stewardship Program have been published and are open for public comment. … Read More →
NRCS Releases Second Revision of Cover Crop Termination Guidelines
On Wednesday, October 29, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) issued a second revision to the Cover Crop Termination Guidelines document that was first issued in June of 2013. This second revision modifies the rules for grazing a cover crop, adds a definition of a cover crop, and defines when a cover crop is considered […]