Research underpins the success of every farm – not least of all for organic agriculture. Cutting-edge innovations and science-based studies continue to advance this multi-billion dollar industry, at times with funding from the federal government. The National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently announced over $20 million in research investments to support organic farmers […]
NSAC’S Blog
RMA Releases Updates to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program
On August 20, 2020, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) approved new updates to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program. WFRP is a unique crop-neutral revenue insurance product available for diversified farming operations. Unlike traditional yield or revenue insurance, this product is not intended for a single specific crop, but for all the crops […]
More Money Now Available to Farmers Impacted by the Pandemic
This week, USDA is launching a second round of COVID-19 relief payments that will hopefully reach more farmers who were left out of previous aid programs. In this blog, we break down what farmers need to know about USDA’s revamped Coronavirus Food Assistance Program…. Read More →
COMMENT: New USDA Coronavirus Aid Offers Partial Improvement for Producers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble, Policy DirectorNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net COMMENT: New USDA Coronavirus Aid Offers Partial Improvement for ProducersUSDA’s CFAP 2 Will Help More Producers but Misses the Mark in Key Areas Washington, DC, September 18, 2020 – Today, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released details of a new version of […]
New Urban Agriculture County Committee Accepting Nominations
One of the historic elements of the 2018 Farm Bill was the inclusion of dedicated resources and programs for urban agriculture, for the first time. Urban agriculture gives city residents a chance to purchase healthy foods from farmers not just in their state, but sometimes right in their very own neighborhoods. Urban farms can also […]
Grazing for Climate
Editor’s Note: This is the seventh blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read blogs one, two, three, […]
Big 2020 Signup Numbers For CRP Grasslands
In July 2020, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that it accepted around 1.2 million new acres into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands initiative. These acres were accepted from applications submitted between March 16 and May 15, 2020. While other variations of CRP support conservation by removing land from cultivation for extended periods of […]
Calling all Researchers! Nearly $300 million in Ag Research Funding Now Available!
USDA recently announced over $290 million in research grant funding through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – including funding for research on plant breeding, local and regional food systems, beginning farmers, farmers of color, and the impact of COVID-19 on our farmers and the food supply chain…. Read More →
Do Cover Crops Help Farmers Save Costs?
After decades of research, cover crops have been widely shown to be beneficial to crop yields, soil health, and farmers’ bottom lines. However, many obstacles to cover crop adoption still remain – including start-up costs and the amount of time before benefits are seen…. Read More →
Thousands of Farmers Sign Congressional Call to Action on the Climate Crisis
Every farmer stands on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Last year, farmers and ranchers within the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) network mobilized to make certain that policymakers understood their concerns and desires to meet the climate crisis head-on. NSAC members worked with farmers and ranchers to draft a letter that lifts up farmer […]
RELEASE: Farmers and Ranchers Deliver Letter to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Eric Deeble, Policy DirectorNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net Farmers and Ranchers Deliver Letter to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis A letter signed by 2,130 farmers and ranchers was delivered to Congress to highlight the impacts of the climate crisis on agriculture and the opportunities for farmers to lead on climate […]
RELEASE: The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act Would Deliver Critical Pandemic Aid for Farmers, Ranchers, and Local Food Businesses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Eric DeebleNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act Would Deliver Critical Pandemic Aid for Farmers, Ranchers, and Local Food Businesses Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12) Introduces Comprehensive Bill to Provide Direct Aid to Farmers and Local Markets Feeding Families Amidst the Pandemic Washington, DC, August 26, 2020 […]
Will More Produce Items Soon be Exempt from FSMA?
Over the last year and a half, many produce farmers across the country have been preparing for and going through first time produce safety rule inspections. However, not all produce farms, and not every produce item on inspected farms is subject to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) […]
Grassroots Leaders Present Appropriations Asks in Virtual Fly-In
Each summer, NSAC is proud to bring dozens of farmer and rancher voices to Washington, DC for our annual fly-in lobby days. To recognize the importance of this grassroots advocacy work while also protecting the safety of farmer-leaders, we adapted to organize virtually this summer – our second virtual fly-in this year. In July, farmers […]
Federal Support for States & Tribes Building Climate Resilience Through Soil Health
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read blogs one, two, three, […]
The Senate is Negotiating Pandemic Aid: What Does it Mean for Farmers and Food Systems?
On Monday, July 27, 2020, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the highly anticipated HEALS Act. This $1 trillion bill is the Senate Majority proposal for the fourth coronavirus response package (C4), which will serve as the starting point for Senate negotiations. In this post we will examine the farm and food systems provisions of the […]
Guest Post: Farmers Markets Are Essential—And So Are the Policy Relationships They Hold
Editor’s Note: We want to thank Ben Feldman, Stephanie Fenty, and Hannah Fuller of the Farmers Market Coalition for this guest post on the challenges that farmers markets face in light of the persistent pandemic and in celebration of National Farmers’ Market Week, observed August 2nd through August 8th. No matter how you look at […]
Changes to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and Likely More to Come
Anyone who has been near a computer or television during the past week is certainly aware of the chaotic negotiations in the Senate as Majority leadership works to craft their version of a fourth coronavirus pandemic response bill (C4). The House passed their $3 trillion HEROES Act (C4) more than two months ago (May 15, […]
Grant Funding Available to Support Farmers of Color and Military Veterans
Farmers of color and military veterans have historically struggled to access critical farm assistance and aid programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), largely a consequence of deliberate discrimination against them and insufficient outreach to their communities. Last week, USDA announced the availability of $15 million to support organizations working with these underserved […]
Latest Round of Farm to School Grants Tops $12 million as Pandemic Uncertainty Persists
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $12.1 million in Farm to School Grants to 159 grantees in 48 states, Guam and Washington D.C. This is the largest round of awards since the grant program was first authorized and is a most welcome against the backdrop of uncertainty caused by lost markets and the possibility […]
USDA Programs Support Small Meat Processing Plants
There are a few existing federal programs that could be expanded to further support small, local, and regional meat and poultry processing plants and increase farmers’ access to slaughter and processing options…. Read More →
Regional and Long-Term Agricultural Research Build Climate Resilience
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read blogs one, two, three, […]
NSAC Adopts Updated Principles on Immigration and Agriculture
Introduction Immigrant communities have played a crucial role in the cultural, economic, and political growth of our country. The farm and dairy economy especially depend on labor from migrant and immigrant people, often labor from undocumented people, who often live in precarious situations and receive little compensation or benefits. As recent headlines have shown, both […]
Combating the Climate Crisis Through Conservation
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth blog in a series that focuses on the provisions of the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read our previous blogs in […]