Like it or not, the laws and policies we enact at the state, local, and federal level all play a critical role in shaping our food and farming system. The climbing and outdoor community has an important role to play in being advocates for the land that sustains us…. Read More →
Farm to School Projects – $10 million in Grants Available and a New Streamlined Application Option
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the opening of the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Farm to School (F2S) Grant Program request for applications (RFA). Administered by the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems, the program provides farmers, schools, local government, and healthy food advocates […]
NSAC Co-Hosts Webinar on Black Farm Cooperatives
Introduction Black farm cooperatives hold a unique role within the food sovereignty movement and cooperative organization history. Last month, NSAC facilitated a virtual panel alongside the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED) to celebrate the accomplishments, history, and challenges of Black farm cooperatives in the United States. The webinar featured experts in cooperative development and history, […]
RELEASE: NRCS Releases EQIP Final Rule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble, Policy DirectorNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net NRCS Releases EQIP Final Rule Rule affirms soil health as national priority to address climate change but misses the opportunity to support small-scale sustainable producers Washington, DC, October 23rd, 2020 – Today, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released its final rule for the Environmental Quality […]
Guest Post: Expanding Local Meat Markets
Editor’s Note: This blog is a guest post by Meghan Filbert, Livestock Program Manager at Practical Farmers of Iowa, an NSAC member organization. This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2020 edition of the Practical Farmer, PFI’s quarterly magazine. The Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program Means Out-of-state Market Access While Iowa’s large meat packing plants made national news […]
USDA Awards $27 million to Support Local Food Projects
Local food systems and direct-to-consumer marketing through farmers markets, farm stands, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) programs have flourished across the country over the past several decades. Once viewed as a fad or niche part of the food sector, local food systems and direct marketing agriculture are now an integral part of American agriculture and […]
RELEASE: CSP RULE FAILS FARMERS AND ENVIRONMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Eric Deeble, Policy Specialist National Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net CSP Rule Fails Farmers and Environment Trump Administration’s First Farm Bill Conservation Final Rule Flouts the Law Washington, DC, October 9th, 2020 – The Trump Administration published its first 2018 Farm Bill conservation title program final rule in today’s Federal Register. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) […]
Bare Minimum, Last Minute
Last Wednesday night with only a few hours to spare, Congress did what many observers and advocates for months had been citing as inevitable. They sent an appropriations Continuing Resolution (CR) to the President’s desk that puts off final decisions about Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 spending until after the November general election. The CR ensures […]
Climate and Agriculture Legislation Roundup
Editor’s Note: The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) created a blog series on Rep. Chellie Pingree’s Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Blogs one through seven focus on specific provisions within the ARA; whereas this eighth and final blog in […]
Analyzing Food Safety Outreach Program Awards Through an Equity Lens
Since 2015, the Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) has provided small and mid-sized farms, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, and small-scale wholesalers with the training they need to comply with new food safety requirements included in the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act. To reach the aforementioned audiences, the program has largely focused on […]
RELEASE: The Strengthening Local Processing Act Addresses Critical Livestock and Poultry Supply Chain Issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Kelly Nuckolls, Policy Specialist National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition knuckolls@sustainableagriculture.net RELEASE: The Strengthening Local Processing Act Addresses Critical Livestock and Poultry Supply Chain Issues The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Applauds Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) for introducing a comprehensive bill to support small processing plants. Washington, DC, September 29th, […]
RMA Releases Updates to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program
On August 20, 2020, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) approved new updates to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program. WFRP is a unique crop-neutral revenue insurance product available for diversified farming operations. Unlike traditional yield or revenue insurance, this product is not intended for a single specific crop, but for all the crops […]
More Money Now Available to Farmers Impacted by the Pandemic
This week, USDA is launching a second round of COVID-19 relief payments that will hopefully reach more farmers who were left out of previous aid programs. In this blog, we break down what farmers need to know about USDA’s revamped Coronavirus Food Assistance Program…. Read More →
COMMENT: New USDA Coronavirus Aid Offers Partial Improvement for Producers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble, Policy DirectorNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net COMMENT: New USDA Coronavirus Aid Offers Partial Improvement for ProducersUSDA’s CFAP 2 Will Help More Producers but Misses the Mark in Key Areas Washington, DC, September 18, 2020 – Today, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released details of a new version of […]
New Urban Agriculture County Committee Accepting Nominations
One of the historic elements of the 2018 Farm Bill was the inclusion of dedicated resources and programs for urban agriculture, for the first time. Urban agriculture gives city residents a chance to purchase healthy foods from farmers not just in their state, but sometimes right in their very own neighborhoods. Urban farms can also […]
Grazing for Climate
Editor’s Note: This is the seventh blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read blogs one, two, three, […]
Big 2020 Signup Numbers For CRP Grasslands
In July 2020, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that it accepted around 1.2 million new acres into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands initiative. These acres were accepted from applications submitted between March 16 and May 15, 2020. While other variations of CRP support conservation by removing land from cultivation for extended periods of […]
Calling all Researchers! Nearly $300 million in Ag Research Funding Now Available!
USDA recently announced over $290 million in research grant funding through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – including funding for research on plant breeding, local and regional food systems, beginning farmers, farmers of color, and the impact of COVID-19 on our farmers and the food supply chain…. Read More →
Thousands of Farmers Sign Congressional Call to Action on the Climate Crisis
Every farmer stands on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Last year, farmers and ranchers within the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) network mobilized to make certain that policymakers understood their concerns and desires to meet the climate crisis head-on. NSAC members worked with farmers and ranchers to draft a letter that lifts up farmer […]
RELEASE: Farmers and Ranchers Deliver Letter to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Eric Deeble, Policy DirectorNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net Farmers and Ranchers Deliver Letter to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis A letter signed by 2,130 farmers and ranchers was delivered to Congress to highlight the impacts of the climate crisis on agriculture and the opportunities for farmers to lead on climate […]
RELEASE: The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act Would Deliver Critical Pandemic Aid for Farmers, Ranchers, and Local Food Businesses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Eric DeebleNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act Would Deliver Critical Pandemic Aid for Farmers, Ranchers, and Local Food Businesses Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12) Introduces Comprehensive Bill to Provide Direct Aid to Farmers and Local Markets Feeding Families Amidst the Pandemic Washington, DC, August 26, 2020 […]
Will More Produce Items Soon be Exempt from FSMA?
Over the last year and a half, many produce farmers across the country have been preparing for and going through first time produce safety rule inspections. However, not all produce farms, and not every produce item on inspected farms is subject to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) […]
Federal Support for States & Tribes Building Climate Resilience Through Soil Health
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read blogs one, two, three, […]
The Senate is Negotiating Pandemic Aid: What Does it Mean for Farmers and Food Systems?
On Monday, July 27, 2020, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the highly anticipated HEALS Act. This $1 trillion bill is the Senate Majority proposal for the fourth coronavirus response package (C4), which will serve as the starting point for Senate negotiations. In this post we will examine the farm and food systems provisions of the […]