National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

NSAC’S Blog

NSAC’S Blog

Release: Farmers and Advocates Come to Washington to Call for Climate and Sustainability Action in the 2023 Farm Bill

This week, advocates and farmers from across the country came to Washington, DC to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities. A cohort of farmers, ranchers, and food systems advocates from 12 states joined NSAC for approximately 30 meetings with Congressional leaders and USDA officials to encourage them to prioritize sustainable food and farm needs in the upcoming farm bill and in ongoing program implementation efforts. … Read More →

USDA Accepting Proposals for Regional Food Business Centers

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced the availability of $360 million to establish at least six new Regional Food Business Centers, envisioned to provide “coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building support to small and mid-sized farm and food businesses, with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system.” Applications are due November 22, 2022…. Read More →

$300 Million Invested into New Organic Transition Initiative

The Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) is USDA’s recent program aimed at helping “build new and better markets and streams of income” for organic farmers and producers, by providing producers with technical assistance, including farmer-to-farmer mentoring, financial assistance for conservation and crop insurance, and support developing markets. … Read More →

RCPP Grants: A New Take on Alternative Funding

USDA recently announced the availability of up to $40 million for nutrient management projects funded through grant agreements, called RCPP Grants. Applications for RCPP Grants will be accepted until October 31, 2022. In this post, NSAC provides background on RCPP, highlights some FY 2022 awards, and provides details on this new iteration of RCPP…. Read More →

$15 Million Available for Conservation Innovation Grants

On August 10th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $15 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is in addition to the $25 million in funding that was previously announced for on-farm trials (a CIG sub-program established under the 2018 Farm Bill), and […]

Together at the Table: NSAC Members Reunited in Durham, NC for the 2022 Summer Meeting

For the first time in more than two years, nearly 100 members of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) traveled to Durham, North Carolina for the 2022 Summer Meeting. Meeting in person this time around (with some members joining virtually for several sessions) provided the opportunity to connect, share stories and build relationships to strengthen the coalition’s work year-round…. Read More →

Diversified Growing: Farmers Cultivating Community and the Necessity of Federal Funding for Farmer-led Education and Research Programs

Cultivating and substantiating farmer leadership through education and research initiatives is essential to generating an equitable and resilient food and farming system…. Read More →

Release: Cynthia Hayes Scholarship Awarded to Rising Stars in Sustainable Agriculture

the Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON), the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), and Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) announced that three students have been awarded the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship. The three student awardees: Rhema Meggett, Justin Walker, and Sydney Lawson were each presented with $5,000 to support their continued work in sustainable agriculture and bolster their commitments to promoting racial equity in food and farm systems…. Read More →

Managed Grazing Champions Celebrate Funding Announcement for GLCI

This guest blog post by Margaret Krome, Policy Program Director at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, an NSAC member based in East Troy, WI, details the recent announcement of $12 million for cooperative agreements under this year’s request for applications for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI).
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Release: NSAC Congratulates Senate on Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Passage, Urges Swift House Action 

For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) press@sustainableagriculture.net / Tel: 347.563.6408 Release: NSAC Congratulates Senate on Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Passage, Urges Swift House Action  Funding Prioritizes Climate Solutions for Agriculture and Includes Key Coalition Priorities Washington, DC, August 7, 2022 – Today the full Senate passed the Inflation Reduction […]

Funding Now Available for Organic Transition and Certification Cost-Share 

Organic agriculture continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors of American agriculture, yet during the COVID-19 pandemic, certified organic and transitional operations faced challenges including loss of markets, increased costs, labor shortages, and expenses related to obtaining or renewing their organic certification. Producers who are certified organic, along with producers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for USDA’s Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) to help cover the cost of organic certification, along with other related expenses. Applications for OTECP and OCCSP are both due October 31, 2022…. Read More →

Release: Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Advances FY 2023 Agriculture Spending Bill

Today, the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee publicly released the text of their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Appropriations bill which provides significant increases in several critical priority areas that will strengthen the resilience of rural communities and bolster sustainable food systems…. Read More →

Release: NSAC Urges Congress to Pass Historic Climate Package

Yesterday, after months of on-and-off negotiations, Senate leaders announced a proposed deal on legislation aimed at advancing key pieces of President Biden’s agenda, including measures to combat climate change. If passed, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would, among other things, provide approximately $369.75 billion for energy security and climate change programs over the next ten years…. Read More →

$25 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR ON-FARM CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service announced the availability of $25 million in funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation practices on agricultural lands. The funding is for on-farm trials, a subprogram of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. The deadline to apply for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials is September 22, 2022…. Read More →

Release: National Farmer Climate Story Week Showcases Climate Solutions

This week, across the country, advocates for sustainable agriculture are joining together in a week of action to highlight the impacts that farmers increasingly face from climate change and the solutions needed to mitigate and adapt their practices to build greater resiliency and to bolster the food system. The week of action also builds support for the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), a comprehensive set of policy changes that would steer agriculture in the US towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and serves as an important roadmap for how the next farm bill can effectively address climate change. … Read More →