The Sustainable Agricultural, Research, and Education Program (SARE) in conjunction with the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) are seeking responses to their fourth annual national cover crop survey. Whether you are a long-time cover cropper, new to the use of cover crops, or never even considered the practice, SARE needs to hear from you. Results […]
Archives for March 2016
New USDA Initiative Aims to Build Capacity and Strengthen Local Food Systems
For local and regional food systems to thrive, farmers and rural producers increasingly need to access customers in urban areas and be able to offer products that meet their unique needs and demands. “Value chains” and “value-adding” have long been solutions to this problem. Value-adding is simply the process by which farmers and producers are […]
Conservation Practices Reduce Runoff and Erosion in Lake Erie Basin
Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) invests billions of dollars to help farmers, ranchers, and foresters conserve natural resources and wildlife habitat on and around their land. With thousands of producers across the country planning to implement conservation practices, understanding if and how conservation efforts are working is critical. According to the Conservation Effects Assessment Project […]
New Data on National Wetland, Grassland, and Farmland Conservation Efforts
Few natural resources provide greater ecological benefits than wetlands and grasslands. Wetlands and grasslands filter water and reduce pollution, help prevent and mitigate the impacts of flooding, and provide critical wildlife habitat. Unfortunately, they are also some of our most threatened resources. Farmers and landowners face pressures to convert wetlands and grasslands into croplands, as […]
Stories from the Field: New Mexico Acequia Association
This spring, NSAC is featuring stories from the field that highlight how organizations and the farmers they serve are building more sustainable food and farm systems with support from federal programs. This week’s post provides an in-depth look at how one community-based organization is utilizing federal conservation programs to improve water usage on farms in […]
Conservation Stewardship Stories: Leon Sowers
This is the final piece in a four-part series chronicling stories from farmers and ranchers who have experienced success with the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The first three stories featured Alabama ranchers Miguel Otero and Cornelius Joe, as well as Stan Armstrong from Indiana. Conservation Stewardship Stories: Leon Sowers Leon Sowers always keeps an eye on the weather, and in […]
RELEASE: NFU and NSAC Join Letter Urging FSIS to Adopt Meaningful Grassfed Label Standard
A coalition of nine agricultural and consumer organizations today sent a letter urging USDA to reinstate a meaningful grassfed label… Read More →
SARE Roundup: News on Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the latest happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions as they roll out project solicitations and announce grant awards. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program funds farmer-driven research and education through a competitive grants program. SARE […]
Conservation Stewardship Program Recap; 2016 Sign-Up Ends in 10 Days!
The Conservation Stewardship Program has been supporting farmers and ranchers for more than seven years … Read More →
Congressional Progress Report on Budget and Agriculture Appropriations
Each year, Congress goes through two separate, but related, processes to set funding levels for federal programs. The House and Senate Budget Committees develop budget resolutions that set overall spending caps and establish funding-related policy goals. Shortly thereafter, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees write annual spending bills (known as appropriations bills) to fund the […]
Congressional Appropriators Support a Level Playing Field for Contract Farmers
Yesterday, eight Congressional Appropriators signed on to a letter to United States Agriculture Department (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, thanking him for moving forward with rules to protect contract livestock and poultry producers from unfair and retaliatory practices. The letter, signed by four Senate and four House agriculture appropriators, comes on the heels of Secretary Vilsack’s […]
Representatives Signal Support for Minority and Veteran Farmers
The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the “Section 2501” program) is the only farm bill program dedicated to addressing the specific needs of minority and veteran farmers and ranchers. As annual appropriations request deadlines closed earlier this week, 18 Members of Congress signed a letter supporting full […]
Senators Defend Conservation Funding in FY 2017 Budget Negotiations
On Thursday, March 17, 33 Senators delivered a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, urging them to oppose cuts to conservation programs in fiscal year (FY) 2017. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Chris Coons (D-DE) steered the effort, as they have done in previous years. Included among the […]
Farmers Fly in to the Capital to Advocate for Sustainable Agriculture
Throughout the month of March, farmers, ranchers, and “ag-vocates” from across the country traveled to DC for a series of “farmer fly-ins”, sponsored by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). During the fly-in the groups met with Senators and Representatives from their home states to discuss the benefits of federal sustainable agriculture programs, and to […]
GMO Labeling Preemption Bill Fails Vote in Senate; Debate Expected to Continue
The debate over the labeling of foods containing genetically engineered or genetically modified (GMO) ingredients casts a wide net. In addition to the traditional food, agriculture, and business interests you might expect to be involved, the GMO labeling debate has pulled in countless other interest groups, from states’ rights activists to concerned parents. Farmers, consumers, […]
Farm to School Programs Invest in Future of Our Children and Our Family Farmers
Farm to school programs are a win for kids, farmers, and communities. They empower our children and their families by informing them about their food system and giving them the tools and confidence to make healthy choices. At the same time they support local farmers financially by connecting them to new market opportunities. On Tuesday, […]
$260 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnerships
Well-designed public-private partnerships can enhance the delivery of federal conservation programs. Each of the last three farm bills have included a special funding set-aside for conservation partnerships, and in recent years, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has actively promoted these partnerships. On Monday, March 14, USDA announced the availability of $260 million for […]
Conservation Stewardship Stories: Stan Armstrong
This piece is the third in a four-part series chronicling stories from farmers and ranchers who have experienced success with the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The first two stories featured Miguel Otero and Cornelius Joe, ranchers from Alabama who both found success with CSP. Stan Armstrong is the multi-generational farmer’s multi-generational farmer – he and his family have […]
More Funding Available for Fruits and Veggies through Specialty Crop Grant
The term “specialty crop” is a bit of a misnomer. A specialty crop is not some kind of exotic plant, not an obscure herb or flower, specialty crops are quite simply the fruits and vegetables that are (or should be) a staple of most diets. Even though specialty crops consist of some of the healthiest […]
Final Rule Released for Conservation Stewardship Program
USDA today released the final rule for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), which makes changes to CSP as required by the 2014 Farm Bill. The release of this final rule follows the publication of the Interim Final Rule (IFR) in November 2014. CSP is a comprehensive working lands conservation program designed to help farmers and […]
New Funding Available for Local and Regional Food Systems
APPLICATION DEADLINE is this week – 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 12, 2016 Local and regional food systems are expanding nationwide. These systems create new economic opportunities for small and mid-sized family farmers, increase consumer access to fresh and healthy food, and improve rural livelihoods. Over the past decade, local and regional food systems have […]
USDA Commits $20 Million to Reward Conservation Innovation
Every day farmers and ranchers are developing creative ways to conserve the air, water, and soil on their lands. … Read More →
New Outreach and Education Tools Available to Support to Organic Certification
New resources for transitioning organic producers are now available through the Agriculture Marketing Service’s National Organic Program (NOP). Through the Sound and Sensible initiative, NOP aims to makes organic certification more “accessible, affordable, and attainable” by helping transitioning farmers on a wide array of issues including record keeping and documentation, preventative practices, and much more. Utilizing […]
House Republican Leadership and Conservative Wing Close in on Reaching Budget Agreement
In recent weeks, the leaders of the Republican Party in the House have been negotiating with the Party’s most conservative wing to reach an agreement on federal spending. The vehicle for the agreement would be a “budget resolution,” which the House and Senate are charged with passing each year in order to set top-line spending […]