This week Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Livestock Marketing Fairness Act (H.R. 2631) with Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) as a co-sponsor. The Act is a companion bill to Senate Bill 1026 introduced earlier this year. That bill also had the bipartisan of Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (D-IA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), and Jon […]
Standing up for the Local Food Economy
This summer hundreds of NSAC supporters and members, farmers, and allies took action in support of a proposed rule that could bring millions of dollars in new investment to the local and regional food producers all across this country. The Farm Credit Administration’s (FCA) proposal would require Farm Credit System (FCS) lending institutions to be […]
NSAC Opposes National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement
On Thursday, July 28, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition filed its comments on the proposed National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (NLGMA) with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). NSAC urged USDA to withdraw the proposal. The NLGMA attempts to create a new federal marketing agreement to establish food safety rules that would be agreed to by […]
Senators and Representatives with Farms Blog About Farm Bill
The Congress Blog page of The Hill, a paper and website widely read in federal policy circles, published four blog posts on July 28 by four Republican Senators and Members of Congress who are farmers and maintain interests in farms that are in their families. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) penned “Food and farm bill benefits […]
House Holds Hearing on USDA Research Programs
On Thursday, July 28, the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held an audit hearing on federal research programs administered by USDA. This was the ninth hearing on farm bill programs the Committee has held this year. The Committee heard testimony from top administrators of four agencies that make […]
New Biomass Crop Assistance Program Projects Announced
On Tuesday, July 26, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the selection of four new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) projects. BCAP provides funding to farmers and other landowners who enter contracts to establish crops and trees suitable for use as biomass feedstock on land included in biomass project areas. Payments are made for the establishment […]
One Week Until Government Default – Where Things Stand
With one week left until federal borrowing authority is exhausted, House Republicans, Senate Democrats, and President Obama continue to negotiate the details of a number of concurrent proposals to raise the federal debt ceiling and reduce the deficit. Last week, the House passed a plan entitled “Cut, Cap, and Balance” that would have required Congress […]
Regional IPM Centers Request for Applications Released
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced earlier this month that it will begin accepting proposals for the competitive grants program that funds the Regional Integrated Pest Mangement (IPM) Centers. The Request for Applications (RFA) was released on July 14th, and proposals will be accepted through August 19th. The Centers were established in […]
Financing Measure Could Boost Farm Production in Food Deserts
Guest Post We welcome farm and food consultants Bob Heuer and Patty Cantrell to our page today on a very timely issue. To take action, please see NSAC’s action alert on the proposed Farm Credit System rule and its potential impact on the availability of local foods. Public comments are due Monday. By Bob Heuer […]
Eat Locally, Comment Thoughtfully
Is supporting your local farmer by visiting your farmers market, CSA, food coop, or other local food source important to you? Well, this is an exceptional opportunity to make sure your local farmers have the resources they need to continue to grow the local food economy. All you have to do is write a short […]
Top Antitrust Official Christine Varney Leaving Justice Department
Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney has announced that she is leaving the Department of Justice to join a private law firm. Varney took over as the head of the Department’s Antitrust Division in 2009. During 2010, Varney attended the five joint workshops held by DOJ with USDA around the country on Agriculture and Antitrust Enforcement […]
A Hard Week in Congress for Clean Water
On Tuesday, July 12, the House Appropriations Committee approved an appropriations bill for the Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies that would slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s funding by 18-precent. The full House is expected to vote on the bill the week of July 25th. The bill also includes several riders to severely limit […]
Big Ag To Write Food-Safety Rules
Did you hear about this new unnecessary and damaging food safety rule we sent an alert about a few weeks ago? A new rule is being proposed for spinach, lettuce, and cabbage by a “marketing agency” that doesn’t have food safety jurisdiction or staff. But that’s not the worst of it. The most powerful “Big […]
Rural Coalition’s National Rural Gathering
From June 22 through 26, Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural held its National Rural Gathering: Water, Land, Energy, and Food in Shawnee and Wewoka, Oklahoma. Located in the heart of the Seminole Nation, better supporting socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers was the major focus of the gathering. NSAC works with the Rural Coalition to advocate for […]
Oklahoma’s Sustainable Agriculture
Last month, NSAC Policy Associate Helen Dombalis traveled to Oklahoma where she explored the state’s many sustainable agriculture endeavors. Policy Advocacy and Research: GIPSA, Conservation, and Beyond – Yukon and Oklahoma City Helen was joined by sustainable agriculture advocate and farmer Kathy Moore of Anichini-Moore Ranch & Farm and co-founder of the Oklahoma Composting Council. […]
House Agriculture Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Conservation Programs
On Thursday, July 7, the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry held an audit hearing to examine USDA conservation programs. This is part of a series of hearings to be held by the House Agriculture Committee leading up to the 2012 Farm Bill. According to the Committee’s press release on the hearing, […]
Ethanol Policy: Shifting from Corn Starch to Cellulosic Sources
This week, Congress continued to signal that federal biofuel policy is shifting from corn starch based ethanol to cellulosic ethanol production. On Friday, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) announced that some key Senators, including Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD), had agreed to end on July 31 the 45 cents per gallon Volume Ethanol […]
House Small Business Subcommittee Hearing on GIPSA Proposed Rule
On Thursday, July 7, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy & Trade of the House Small Business Committee held a hearing on a rule proposed by USDA’s Grain Inspection Packers & Stockyards Act (GIPSA) in response to a 2008 Farm Bill directive. The directive requires USDA to implement regulations under the Packers & Stockyards Act to […]
Budget Deal Negotiations Update and What it May Mean for Agriculture
High level talks (and lots of political noise) continue in order to reach an agreement on a macro budget deal. The macro budget deal would include major actions for deficit reduction while also lifting the debt ceiling before the government would otherwise go into default in early August. The latest reports indicate that President Obama […]
United Egg Producers Act to Improve Welfare
United Egg Producers (UEP), an industry association representing 80 percent of US egg producers, today announced it will join with NSAC member The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to urge Congress to enact a law that will require $4 billion in animal welfare improvements to be phased in over the next 15 to […]
An Action Packed June
It’s been a busy month at NSAC with four separate advocacy campaigns put in play. On June 28th, NSAC and a broad coalition of farm, conservation, wildlife, and forestry organizations representing millions of Americans orchestrated a National Day of Action to protest huge cuts to farm bill conservation programs and an attack on local and […]
Congress Should Reward Farmers Who Are Good Stewards
Check out this post for Common Dreams by Brenna Norton, Grassroots Organizer for NSAC, on the extreme cuts to farm bill conservation programs.
EPA and Army Corps Extend Comment Period for Waters of the U.S. Guidance
On Monday, June 27, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers extended the public comment period by 30 days for the draft guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act. The new comment deadline is July 31, 2011. As we reported in late April, the EPA and Army Corps issued […]
National Day of Action
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release June 28, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner 202-547-5754 National Day of Action to Preserve Conservation and Local Food Development Funding On June 28th, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and a broad coalition of farm, conservation, wildlife, and forestry organizations representing millions of Americans are joining forces for a […]