For Immediate ReleaseContact: Laura ZaksNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionpress@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Frozen Funding, Stalled Programs, Farm Bill Impacts: Farmers, Ranchers, and Advocates Elevate Urgent Priorities on Capitol Hill Washington, DC, February 12, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) organized more than 130 farmers, ranchers, and community advocates to call for urgent action on Capitol […]
Release: Unlawful Federal Funding Freeze Causing Confusion and Harm on Farms and in Communities Nationwide
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: Unlawful Federal Funding Freeze Causing Confusion and Harm on Farms and in Communities Nationwide Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins must quickly restore order and ensure USDA honors its legal commitments to farmers, communities Washington, DC, February 7, 2025 – Today, […]
Release: NSAC Applauds Final Rule to Bring Fairness to Poultry Tournament System
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: NSAC Applauds Final Rule to Bring Fairness to Poultry Tournament System Washington, DC, January 14, 2025 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauded Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for today’s announcement of a new final rule under the Packers and […]
Sifting Through the 2024 Spending Deal, and Looking Ahead to 2025
The 2024 calendar year ended with a flurry of Congressional activity. In the early morning of December 21, 2024, Congress passed, and the President signed the American Relief Act, averting a government shutdown. Beyond extending government funding, the American Relief Act also included – and excluded – numerous policy provisions that will bring lasting impacts […]
2024 Year in Review: Key Wins, Challenges, and What’s Next for Sustainable Agriculture
There’s no such thing as a ‘quiet’ year when it comes to federal food and farm policy, and 2024 proved to be no exception! As the year comes to a close, we are reflecting on the progress we have made toward building a more resilient and equitable farm and food system. Amidst endless delays in […]
Release: Funding Deal Delivers Disaster Relief but Fails to Support Farmers in Building Resilience Against Future Crises
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Funding Deal Delivers Disaster Relief but Fails to Support Farmers in Building Resilience Against Future Crises Washington, DC, December 18, 2024 – Yesterday, Congressional leaders reached an agreement to fund the government, extend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), and […]
Comment: NSAC Responds to Government Funding Deal
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Comment: NSAC Responds to Government Funding Deal Congressional Agreement Omits Key Conservation Funding for Farmers Washington, DC, December 17, 2024 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following comment in response to a deal reached by Congressional leaders to fund the […]
Release: NSAC Urges Congress to Include Popular Conservation Funding in Farm Bill Extension
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Urges Congress to Include Popular Conservation Funding in Farm Bill Extension Washington, DC, December 13, 2024 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), a coalition of more than 150 farm, food, conservation, and rural organizations, called on Congress to prioritize additional […]
Release: NSAC Commends White House Request for Disaster Assistance for ALL Farmers
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Commends White House Request for Disaster Assistance for ALL Farmers Congress must follow and authorize revenue-based disaster assistance to support farmers and ranchers reeling from Hurricanes Helene and Milton Washington, DC, November 20, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released […]
Guest Post: Is the Future of Organic Food at Risk? Research Funding Holds the Answer
Editor’s Note: This blog post is a guest post authored by Gordon Merrick, Senior Policy and Programs Manager at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Mark Schonbeck, Research Associate, also at OFRF, which is an NSAC member. The world is increasingly recognizing the value of sustainable food systems, and organic agriculture plays a vital role in […]
Release: Stabenow Introduces Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Stabenow Introduces Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act Comprehensive Farm Bill Draft Would Strengthen Support for Farmers and Rural Communities Washington, DC, November 19, 2024 – Yesterday, U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Rural Prosperity and […]
Release: New JAFSCD Commentary Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Investment in Urban Agriculture
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: New JAFSCD Commentary Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Investment in Urban Agriculture Washington, DC, October 31, 2024 – In a new commentary published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD), authors Hagan Capnerhurst of Michigan Food and Farming Systems, […]
Release: NSAC Publication Analyzes Conservation Stewardship Program Data Since the 2018 Farm Bill
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Publication Analyzes Conservation Stewardship Program Data Since the 2018 Farm Bill Washington, DC, October 9, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) recently published a new report: Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill. This comprehensive analysis delves into Conservation […]
Release: To Meet Farmers’ Diverse Recovery Needs, Disaster Relief Must Include Revenue-Based Assistance
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: To Meet Farmers’ Diverse Recovery Needs, Disaster Relief Must Include Revenue-Based Assistance From drought and wildfire to hurricanes, an array of natural disasters throughout 2024 highlight the need for disaster assistance to reach all farmers Washington, DC, October 8, 2024 – As the […]
Release: NSAC Members and National Stakeholders applaud USDA’s commitment to local and regional supply chains
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Members and National Stakeholders applaud USDA’s commitment to local and regional supply chains Secretary Vilsack’s recent announcement for additional funding for local food purchases ensures farmers, food pantries, and schools don’t experience an abrupt cutoff Washington, DC, October 1, 2024 – The […]
Release: NSAC Welcomes Further Investments in Local Meat Processors Markets
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Laura ZaksNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionlzaks@sustainableagriculture.netTel. 347.563.6408 Release: NSAC Welcomes Further Investments in Local Meat Processors Markets Washington, DC, September 20th, 2024 – Yesterday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced further projects from the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program. The investments were targeted at small to midsize operations with an emphasis […]
Release: Farmers and Food Pantries Seek Secretary Vilsack’s Help Avoiding a Funding Cliff
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Farmers and Food Pantries Seek Secretary Vilsack’s Help Avoiding a Funding Cliff Groups Urge USDA to Sustain Local Food Purchase Assistance Program Funding Washington, DC, September 19, 2024 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) delivered a letter to Secretary of Agriculture […]
Promising Conservation Results in the 2022 Agricultural Census
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part blog series. Our first post in this series explored initial themes from the Census, while this post offers a deeper dive into conservation practices. Our next post in the series will explore what the Census shows us about local and regional food systems. In early 2024, […]
Government Funding and Farm Bill’s Future Top Congress’ September To-Do List
On September 9, 2024, Congress will be back in session in Washington, DC for the first time since early August. Yet, their return will be short lived. In an election year, Members of Congress spend all of October and early November in their states and Congressional districts. In total, Congress will be in session for […]
Digging into the House Farm Bill: Part 4
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2024 (FFNSA), which was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on Friday, May 24. The first post details an overview of the markup process, the bill as a whole, and its likely (or […]
Summer in Saint Paul: NSAC Members Meet, Reenergize in Minnesota
NSAC members gathered once again for our annual summer Coalition meeting, this time on the banks of the Mississippi River in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 5-8, 2024. Over the course of the meeting, NSAC members and staff strategized collectively about current campaigns and future Coalition activities. NSAC members also had the chance to hear […]
Release: New Lending Rule Signals More Savings for Farmers
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: New Lending Rule Signals More Savings for Farmers Washington, DC, August 7, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux for the announcement of a new final rule: Enhancing Access and Delivery for […]
Path to a New Farm Bill: Crop Insurance Access
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series of posts comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given challenge, and […]
Agriculture Spending Bills Must Address Broad Demand for Research and Conservation Programs
The post highlights the critical need for increased funding in the FY2025 Agriculture Appropriations Act to support research and conservation programs vital for addressing climate challenges and supporting diverse farming operations. The post emphasizes the critical need for funding to support Conservation Technical Assistance, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), and the Office of Urban Agriculture to enhance resilience, profitability, and equitable access across agricultural sectors…. Read More →