The New Deal had its Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) to address the pressing farm issues of its day in a powerful new way, one that became the predecessor of all subsequent federal farm bills. This week, Maine farmer and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) to address the most pressing farm […]
NSAC Special Report: Conservation Stewardship Program
Over the last decade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has enrolled over 94 million acres of farmland, ranchland, and forestland in conservation contracts. As of the end of 2018, over 74 million acres were enrolled in active CSP contracts – a landmass equal to the entire size of the states of Iowa […]
RELEASE: The Agriculture Resilience Act Sets the Bar for Future of Climate-Smart Agriculture
Agriculture Resilience Act Sets the Bar for Future of Climate-Smart Agriculture: NSAC Applauds Comprehensive Climate Bill… Read More →
The President’s FY 2021 Budget Proposal and Sustainable Agriculture Priorities
Once again President Trump has offered a budget request to Congress that contradicts many of his public statements regarding his Administration’s support for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Like each of the previous budget request proposed by President Trump, the fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget includes substantial cuts to federal food and farm programs. President […]
2020 Opportunities for Organic Research Funding Now Available
Note: This post has been updated to reflect changes made to the FY 2020 Request for Applications which was recently released late 2019. For further details on timing and updated application links, see below. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the FY 2020 Requests for Applications (RFAs) […]
USDA Invests $14 Million to Train the Next Generation of Farmers
The new farmer boom continues to grow all across the country, but barriers to entry (such as access to land, capital, and viable markets) continue to make it hard for new farmers to build a successful and sustainable farm business. In response, hundreds of farmer training programs and projects have emerged over the past decade […]
Congressional Hearings Discuss Farm Bill Implementation, Relocation and Climate Change
With the authorization phase of the Farm Bill concluded, attention has turned this year to implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill. During this phase, Congress continues to oversee and fund implementation, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is tasked with implementing the programs and policies authorized under the new farm bill. Congressional oversight is […]
Kentucky Farmers Plant the Seeds for Farm to School
Editor’s Note: This blog post is the second in a multi-part series which highlights the experiences of Farm to School grant recipients and how these grants have impacted their communities around the country. While a serious topic, healthy school food in Kentucky isn’t taking itself too seriously. Between in-school snacks and visits to local farms, […]
Final Awards Supporting Farmers of Color and Veterans Announced
For three decades, the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the “Section 2501” program) has served as the only farm bill program dedicated to addressing the specific needs of farmers of color. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 projects will expand upon these efforts to ensure socially disadvantaged (SDA) […]
Is Organic Farming Risky? New Report Suggests No More So Than Non-Organic Farms
NCAT’s new report suggests organic farming is no more risky than non-organic farming. The report was funded by a research and education grant from NIFA. … Read More →
Farm to School Grant Request for Applications Released During National Farm to School Month
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the opening of fiscal year (FY) 2020 Farm to School Grant Program request for applications (RFA), which is a welcomed start to National Farm to School Month. The Farm to School Grant Program was first established in the 2012 Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA), and provides farmers and […]
New Beginning Farmer Analysis Highlights Value of USDA’s Economic Research Service
The Economic Research Service (ERS) is the primary federal research agency for economic and statistical information about our country’s food and farm sector and related policies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ERS publications and research findings provide essential data and analysis that helps identify trends and inform policymakers and other stakeholders about the […]
Farm to School Advocates Kick Off Farm to School Month in DC!
Editor’s Note: This blog post is the first in a multi-part series which highlights the experiences of Farm to School grant recipients and how these grants have impacted their communities around the country. In September, the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) brought three farm to school advocates to Capitol Hill to share the amazing […]
Huge Research Investments Seek to Advance Sustainable Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a nearly $80 million investment into a new research initiative that will fund long-term, ground-breaking research needed to transition our current agricultural sector into a more sustainable and resilient system. These federal research grants are the first of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) new Sustainable Agriculture […]
SARE Roundup: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Opportunities
Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions, focusing on project solicitations and grant award announcements. Over the last 30 years, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has funded more than 6,800 farmer-driven research and education […]
USDA Updates Options for Cover Crop Termination
Cover crops are a critical tool that farmers can use to improve soil health, reduce erosion, retain moisture, and suppress weeds. Especially as farmers are up against devastating floods, drought, and unpredictable weather and pressures, cover crop adoption is an essential practice to build resilient systems and mitigate risk. Despite these clear benefits for risk […]
$2 Million Available to Ramp Up Farm Stress Response
Farmers and ranchers across the country are in distress. Plummeting farm incomes, market instability, extreme weather patterns, and a thin disaster safety net has pushed many to bankruptcy, foreclosure, and even suicide. Farm Aid (an NSAC member) has seen a 109 percent increase in distressed farmer calls over the past year on their farmer hotline […]
From the Farm to the Hill: NSAC Hosts FY 2020 Farmer Fly-in
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) brought in over a dozen farmers and advocates for the Coalition’s second “farmer fly-in” of 2019. Fly-in advocates from ten different states across the country came to DC to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities before congressional appropriators. Currently, Congress is negotiating federal […]
Upcoming Deadline to Enroll in Continuous CRP or Transition Incentives Program
UPDATE: The deadline for farmers wishing to re-enroll or enroll new land under the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) signup period (“signup 52”) is August 23, 2019. Information provided about the signup window from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) originally stated that there was not a deadline set for applicants […]
Farmers and Policy-Makers Need USDA Research Agencies in Washington
On Wednesday, June 5, 2019, Congress hosted its second hearing on the proposed relocation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The issue is raising serous concern among the agriculture and research communities, as well as a growing number of Members of […]
RELEASE: House Appropriators Advance FY 2020 Agriculture Spending Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net House Appropriators Advance FY 2020 Agriculture Spending Bill National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds House appropriators for advancing FY 2020 spending bill that invests in critical priorities and would block proposed relocation of USDA research agencies Washington, DC, June 4, 2019 – This morning […]
AFRI’s Foundational RFA Open to Research on Sustainable Agriculture
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the largest federal agricultural research competitive grant program, released its Request for Applications (RFA) for its Foundational and Applied Science Program for the fiscal years 2019 and 2020. The purpose of AFRI’s “Foundational” program is to invest in research, education, and extension projects that support more sustainable, productive, […]
FY 2020 Budget Update – What’s at Stake?
Congress is back from their April recess with an extensive to-do list of urgent items to be addressed. Several agenda items are tied to the annual appropriations process for fiscal year (FY) 2020, including coming to agreement on a new budget deal (no small feat!). Whether or not Congress is able to come together to […]
2017 Ag Census Reveals Some Bright Spots Despite Increased Farm Consolidation
Delayed by the government shutdown, last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the long-awaited 2017 Census of Agriculture. The 2017 Census surveyed nearly three million potential U.S. farms and ranches. Spearheaded by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census remains the most comprehensive source of agricultural data for state and counties across […]