On Tuesday, December 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the beginning of the 49th Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign up. The general sign up period will last from December 1, 2015 to February 26, 2016. This month, USDA also celebrates the 30-year anniversary of the program, which Congress created in the 1985 […]
The (Un)Coordinated Framework of GE Regulations
Those tuned into the biotechnology regulatory landscape will have noticed quite a few changes and announcements from the federal government lately. Several agencies have been asking for public comments, announcing proposed rules, releasing guidance, and taking other actions related to biotechnology, or genetic engineering (“GE”). The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health […]
High Demand for Farm Loans in 2015 with Even Greater Demand on Horizon for 2016
Just like any small business, starting and running a farm is no small feat, and can be quite expensive. Everything from purchasing or leasing land to farm, seeds, equipment, and breeding stock, add up. Often, the timing of farm expenses required at the beginning of a growing season don’t line up perfectly with when revenue […]
Farm-Identified Turkey Operation Aided by Value-Added Grant
This post is the third in a series highlighting Value Added Producer Grants awarded in 2015. Visit our first post for an overview of this year’s awards, and our second post for another producer profile. This post features Peter Stone of Stonewood Farm in Orwell, Vermont. On November 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced awards totaling […]
Value-Added Program Supports Local Meat in the Green Mountain State
This post is the second in a series highlighting Value-Added Producer Grants awarded in 2015. Visit our first post for an overview of this year’s awards. This post features Ethan Gevry of Champlain Valley Farm in Addison, Vermont. On November 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced awards totaling $34 through the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. Administered […]
USDA Invests $30 Million in Mississippi River Basin Initiative
On November 3, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a $30 million investment in 73 conservation projects through the Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI). These fiscal year 2016 MRBI awards will benefit 33 new conservation projects and 40 ongoing projects. Three NSAC members are partnering organizations on new awards, including Illinois Stewardship Alliance for conservation efforts in […]
White House Honors Champion of Change for Sustainable Agriculture: Martin Kleinschmit
This post is the second in a two-part series highlighting farmers recognized as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. This post features Martin Kleinschmit of Nebraska. On October 26, the White House honored 12 farmers and educators as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. We congratulate all of these hardworking individuals for […]
USDA Releases New Commitments, New Website for New Farmers
On October 29, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden announced the launch of new commitments and a new website for new and aspiring farmers. The new USDA goals focus on boosting funding for and participation in USDA programs and services that support new and beginning farmers, including prioritizing $5.6 billion within key USDA programs over the next two […]
White House Honors Champion of Change for Sustainable Agriculture: Loretta Jaus
This post is the first in a two-part series highlighting farmers recognized as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. This post features Loretta Jaus of Gibbon, Minnesota. On October 26, the White House honored 12 farmers and educators as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. We congratulate all of these hardworking individuals […]
USDA Awards $7 Million for Risk Management Education
Last week, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced awards totaling over $7 million for risk management education and training programs through the Risk Management Education Partnerships Program and the Targeted States Crop Insurance Education Program. Although farming is risky business, farmers can take a variety of actions to mitigate the inherent risk in farming. This year, […]
New Farm to School Census: Local Food Purchasing Increasing
On Tuesday, October 20, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new Farm to School Census data confirming the multiple benefits of farm to school programs for kids, communities, and farmers. These early results from the latest Farm to School Census provide data on the 2013-2014 school year. Early Results Are In – and […]
USDA Awards $30 Million for Wetland Enhancement Projects
On October 15, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced six awards totaling $30 million through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP). The 2014 Farm Bill authorized WREP as an enrollment option under the Wetland Reserve Easement component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers WREP. Through […]
USDA Awards Millions to Support New Farmers
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced awards totaling $17 million through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). BFRDP is the only USDA program exclusively dedicated to training new farmers and ranchers, particularly in sustainable production practices. NSAC and our members who serve beginning farmers across the country originally conceptualized BFRDP nearly 15 […]
HFFI Award Promotes Local Sustainable Food System Growth
On October 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded over $5 million through its Community Economic Development Program’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI). Republic Food Enterprise Center – Growing a Local, Sustainable Food System NSAC congratulates the nine CDCs in seven states that received awards this year from the HHS HFFI program. In […]
The Role of Publicly Funded Plant Breeding in the Future of Food
On September 21, one of the leading plant breeding experts in the country came to Washington, D.C. to discuss the importance of public funding for plant breeding research during two Congressional briefings for Senate and House staff. Dr. William (Bill) Tracy is a professor and chair of the Department of Agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he leads the […]
Over 100 Organizations Deliver Letter Opposing Cuts to Conservation
On Thursday, September 17, more than 100 organizations from around the country delivered a letter urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to “protect mandatory funding for farm bill conservation programs, support robust discretionary funding for Conservation Technical Assistance, and reject any attempt to undermine highly erodible land and wetland conservation compliance” in fiscal year […]
USDA Launches First Non-GE/GMO Weekly Report
This month the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published the first non-GE/GMO weekly report. AMS publishes the new report every Wednesday to provide prices for non-GE/GMO corn and soybeans. The non-GE/GMO weekly report aims to help producers that are thinking about transitioning to organic production, according to Craig Morris, Deputy Administrator of the Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program […]
Programs in Action: North Central SARE Recipients Build New Partnerships
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects that support the next generation of farmers. Our last blog featured two beginning farmers who used SARE to support innovative organic research on their farms. The SARE program is a farmer driven research, education and […]
Guest Blog: New Study Points to Benefits of Conservation for Food Safety
Editor’s Note: This blog was co-authored with Jo Ann Baumgartner. Jo Ann, formerly an organic farmer, is executive director of the Wild Farm Alliance. She works on conservation-based agriculture and is the author of A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety and Conservation: Facts, Tips and Frequently Asked Questions. Wild Farm Alliance is a represented NSAC […]
National School Food Survey Reveals Strong Support for Farm to School
A new national survey that was released Tuesday, August 18, commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), shows strong support for the current U.S. school nutrition standards as well as farm to school. The 2015 School Food Poll was a follow up to a similar survey administered by WKKF in 2010 to find out if American […]
Program Roundup – SARE Funding Available around the Country
Editor’s Note — This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the latest happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions as they roll out project solicitations and announce grant awards. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education or SARE program is a farmer driven research and education competitive grants […]
Congress Leaves for Summer Recess with Big Plate Pending for Fall
Members of Congress are heading out of town this week and next for their month-long August recess, and have left many loose ends, with more to follow when they return after Labor Day. The House began their recess mid-week, while the Senate may continue their work into early next week before leaving for recess. There […]
DARK Act Approved in the House
On July 23, the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, also known as the “Deny Americans the Right to Know” or DARK Act. The final vote was 275 to 150. A dozen GOP members voted no and 45 Democratic members voted yes. Among conservative “blue […]
Cover Crop Survey Confirms Benefits and Points to Future Research
For the third year in a row, the results of an annual cover crop survey of farmers around the country confirm the benefits and expansion of cover crops on U.S. cropland. USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program recently released the results of the 2014-2015 Cover Crop Survey, which assessed the benefits, challenges, and […]