May 26, 2009
ACTION NEEDED Organic Initiative Sign-Up Extended in Some States: The sign-up for the special $50 million in Organic Initiative funds offered through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) continues. Last week, states had the option to extend their sign-up periods beyond the initial three-week offering. To see whether a state has extended, see this list […]
May 18, 2009
ACTION NEEDED Sign On Now for a CSP Sign Up: NSAC is circulating a sign-on letter to Secretary Vilsack urging prompt implementation of the Conservation Stewardship Program. The letter seeks program improvements and a spring sign up for the new nationwide, continuously available CSP. The cutoff date for sign-ons is close of business on Tuesday, […]
May 12, 2009
ACTION NEEDED Organic Initiative Funds Now Available! First Sign up Period: May 11 – May 29 In dialogue with NSAC, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) has reserved a special $50 million pool of funding for a new Organic Initiative under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The Initiative, announced on Tuesday May 5 by […]
May 6, 2009
NRCS Organic Initiative 2009: NSAC’s Most Up-to-Date Information as of May 5, 2009 General On May 5, 2009, NRCS announced the set-aside of $50 million for its new 2009 Organic Initiative through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The program is administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and will be available in all […]
May 4, 2009
SARE Earns Impressive Support: More than 220 state, regional and national food, farm, conservation and faith groups have signed on to a letter circulated by NSAC in support of increased funding for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE). That so many organizations stepped up over a short nine day sign on period speaks […]
April 27, 2009
ACTION NEEDED SARE Sign On Letter – Deadline NOON Friday, May 1: The NSAC Appropriations Campaign is pushing hard for a substantial increase in funding for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) for fiscal year 2010. We’re asking for a $30 million appropriation, up from the current $19 million. We all know […]
April 20, 2009
April 13-17, 2009 Photo: Jamie Collins is the operator of Serendipity Farms, a 45 acre certified organic farm in Monterey, CA. She grows over 50 different varieties of vegetables, herbs and berries sold through farmers markets, community supported agriculture programs, local restaurants and markets, and wholesale markets. Jamie advocates for small, organic and beginning farmers […]
April 16, 2009
Environmental Quality Incentives Program Comments Due Friday! Don’t miss this opportunity to tell USDA how to make EQIP work better for sustainable and organic family farmers! Public Comments Due this Friday, April 17, 2009 If we are going to make the most of our 2008 Farm Bill wins under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), USDA […]
April 13, 2009
ACTION NEEDED Environmental Quality Incentives Program Comments due Soon! If we are going to make the most of our 2008 Farm Bill wins under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), USDA needs to hear from YOU! We won a new program within EQIP to help farmers make the difficult transition to organic production. We reduced […]
April 8, 2009
Written by Mark Hertel, NSAC Policy Intern On Tuesday, April 7, the Farm Foundation held a forum at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on “The Future of Food Safety Regulation.” Jim Hodges, the American Meat Institute’s Executive Vice President for Food Safety and Inspection Services, argued that the food safety system for meat […]