On Monday, October 24, NSAC joined with 115 other organizations across the country on a sign-on letter to Congress, to advocate for federal programs and policies that would support beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, including tribal producers and farmworkers. The letter was delivered to members of both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, as they […]
Take Action on the Farm Bill
With this much at stake, we wanted to make sure you saw the call to action last week. Only once every 5 years do you have the opportunity to truly transform our food and farm system through the federal farm bill. Last week the Agriculture Committee leadership proposed to rewrite the food and farm bill […]
Beginning Farmer Bill Introduced in Congress to Include in Farm Bill
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release October 25, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner, Juli Obudzinski, 202-547-5754 Beginning Farmer Bill Introduced in Congress for Inclusion in New Farm Bill Washington, D.C. October 25, 2011 – House and Senate members today announced the introduction of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 [H.R. 3236], a […]
Today is Food Day! Join us in this call to action
Today, Monday 24th 2011, is Food Day. Please join the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) in answering this call to action. Healthy, green, fair, and affordable food is important to all Americans. Today we come together with people across the country who are hosting Food Day events in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, […]
Super Fast Farm Bill? Super Fast Update!
Last Monday, the Republican and Democratic leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction suggesting a net $23 billion cut in mandatory farm bill spending over the next decade as their collective recommendation to the Joint Select Committee (hereafter referred to as the Super […]
Senate Votes to End Debate on Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Early in the morning of Friday, October 21, the Senate voted (83-16) to end debate on a fiscal year 2012 (FY12) appropriations package of bills including the FY12 Senate agriculture appropriations bill. No more than 30 more hours of debate will be allowed before the bill is voted upon once the Senate returns from its […]
What? Food and Farm Bill Over in 9 days?
Only once every 5 years do you have the opportunity to truly transform our food and farm system through the federal farm bill. Last Monday the Agriculture Committee leadership proposed to rewrite the food and farm bill in 2 weeks – yes you heard that right, 2 weeks – this is usually a year plus […]
Conservation Stewardship Program 2011 Sign-Up Results
USDA committed more than $191 million a year to enroll 12.75 million new acres in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) in fiscal year 2011. USDA signed 9,630 contracts in 49 states. Under CSP, farmers and ranchers sign five-year contracts to manage, improve, and increase conservation activities that result in environmental benefits on working land. With […]
Agriculture Committee Leader Letter Sent to Super Committee
Over the weekend we reported the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees had not finalized their letter to the congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the Super Committee) recommended cuts to farm bill programs. That letter became final today and has been sent to the Super […]
No Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Letter Yet
The October 14 deadline for the authorizing committees of Congress to send their deficit reduction recommendations to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (often referred to as the Super Committee) has passed without a letter from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. Word from the House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over the farm […]
NRCS Issues Conservation Effects Assessment for the Great Lakes Region
On Thursday, October 13, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued the third study in the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) cropland component. The cropland component is intended to quantify the effects of conservation practices on cultivated cropland in the lower 48 states. The Great Lakes CEAP examined the effects of conservation practices on water […]
Agriculture Spending Coming Into Focus in Next Few Days
The Senate may begin consideration of the agricultural appropriations bill on the floor today, even while the House and Senate authorizing committee readies their letter, due tomorrow, to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction detailing proposed cuts to farm bill mandatory spending. According to published reports, the size of the proposed 10-year cut to […]
Conservation Ranks High in Public Survey of Farm Bill Priorities
In a recently released survey of public opinion on agriculture and the environment, the majority of people surveyed approved of priorities that are in line with the NSAC agenda for the next Farm Bill and for federal funding for agriculture. The survey was the third annual survey on behalf of The David and Lucille Packard […]
2011 Specialty Crop Block Grants Announced
On Wednesday, October 5, USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan announced the 2011 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awards, the sixth year of awards for this program. In total, 55 grants are being awarded for 740 initiatives totaling about $55 million. On a press call announcing the awards, Merrigan noted that “this year, similar to last year, […]
Court Rules Pilgrim’s Pride Violated Packers & Stockyards Act
Last week, a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a decision in Adams v. Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, in which the court ruled that Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (PPC) violated Section 192(e) of the Packers and Stockyards (PSA) when it closed and refused to sell a poultry processing plant in El Dorado, Arkansas […]
You watched it, passed it on, now you can take action!
Thanks to all of you that watched the beginning farmer and rancher video below and shared it through your social networks! The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 will be introduced in Congress next week! This is our chance to ensure food security for future generations and new farming enterprises that can bring […]
USDA Announces 2011 Beginning Farmer Awards and 2012 Request for Applications
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release September 30, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner, Juli Obudzinski, 202-547-5754 USDA Awards $18 Million to Support Beginning Farmers Washington, D.C. September 30, 2011 – Today, USDA announced $18 million in grants to beginning farmers and ranchers at a press conference held in Washington, D.C. USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan […]
Farm Bill – Regional Food System Webinar
by Margaret Krome Sign up to participate in a webinar on Monday afternoon, October 10, entitled, “What You Need to Know about the Farm Bill—Important Updates and Information Related to Community and Regional Food Systems.” Join us on Monday, October 10, 4:00 Eastern, 3:00 Central, 2:00 Mountain, and 1:00 Pacific time zones. Space is limited, so please email fooddaywi@gmail.com […]
USDA Releases FY2012 Request for Applications for AFRI Program
This week the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released four Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) research program for Fiscal Year 2012. AFRI is USDA’s largest competitive grants program, funding extramural research conducted at federal research agencies, land-grant institutions and other colleges and universities, state agricultural experiment […]
56 Groups Release Conservation Principles to Guide Farm Bill Debate
On Wednesday, September 28, a national coalition of 56 policy and advocacy organizations, including NSAC, released a set of key principles to help guide lawmakers as they write the Conservation Title of the 2012 farm bill and seek ways to trim the federal deficit. According to the group’s press release, the 56 organizations are asking […]
This is Our Chance – Last Chance
Only once every 5 years do you have the opportunity to truly change our food and farm system through the farm bill! The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 will be introduced in Congress next week – this is our chance to ensure food security for future generations and new farming enterprises that […]
New ERS Report on Nitrogen Loss and Conservation Policy
Last week, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released a new report entitled, Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems: Implications for Conservation Policy. The 89-page report “explores the use of nitrogen in U.S. agriculture and assesses changes in nutrient management by farmers that may improve nitrogen use efficiency.” It “reviews a number of policy approaches for improving nitrogen […]
An Extraordinary Opportunity
Who will grow food for future generations? Act now to help launch a new generation of sustainable farmers and ranchers! The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture called attention to a real worry when he asked: “Why not place the nation’s attention on the need for young farmers on the same plane as police officers and teachers? […]
Future of Food, Farming, and the Environment At Stake
Photo Credit: NRCS Working together, we have achieved important successes for sustainable agriculture through our advocacy on past food and farm bills. Much could be lost, or gained, now that Congress has established the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the “Super Committee.” The Super Committee is tasked with cutting at least […]