This is the second post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on June 7, 2018 by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: organic agriculture, local/regional food systems and rural development, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies. The bill will be considered and “marked-up” (aka amended) by the […]
NSAC’S Blog
Draft Senate Farm Bill: Conservation
This is the first post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on June 7, 2018 by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: local/regional food systems and rural development, research and seed breeding, organic agriculture, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies. The bill is expected to be considered and “marked-up” (aka […]
COMMENT: Senate Committee Leadership Produces Bipartisan Draft Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Senate Committee Leadership Produces Bipartisan Draft Farm Bill National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds provisions for sustainable agriculture, family farmers Washington, DC, June 8, 2018 – Following the Senate Agriculture Committee’s release of its draft farm bill, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the […]
The Farm Bill and the U.S. Territories: Challenges and Opportunities
Editor’s Note: This is the final post in a three-part blog series on how the Farm Bill impacts farmers and rural communities in the U.S. Territories, written and researched by NSAC policy intern Dariana Mattei-Ramos. Dariana is a native of Puerto Rico and is an advocate for food and agriculture justice. She holds a master’s […]
$180 Million Available for AFRI Research Grant Projects
Farmers face a variety of challenges on their operations every day (e.g., figuring out how to suppress weeds, minimize pest pressures organically, and determining which plant varieties grow best in their climate). Many of these challenges are becoming increasingly difficult to resolve and detrimental to farmers’ bottom lines, particularly those caused by climate change. In […]
Enrollment Resumes for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program
After a year of frozen enrollment, this week the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced it would reopen enrollment in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). CCRP pays farmers to install partial field conservation practices, primarily conservation buffers or wildlife habitat. Farmers and landowners may enroll such land at any time […]
New Report Reveals Gaps in Enforcement of Conservation Compliance
Each year, billions of taxpayer dollars are used to subsidize farm bill programs (e.g., commodity programs and crop insurance). In exchange, farmers and ranchers who benefit from those programs are required to take certain basic steps to conserve our shared natural resources, specifically soil and wetlands. These expectations are codified in law through what is […]
Enrollment for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Unfrozen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Enrollment for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Unfrozen National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds reopening of enrollment Washington, DC, June 1, 2018 – Today, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced it would resume Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) enrollment following a freeze initiated last year on enrollment of any new […]
Administration Seeks to Poach Nearly $1 Billion from Agriculture Programs
Last budget cycle, advocacy groups like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) helped to push a strong budget package through Congress, one which the President ultimately – if reluctantly – signed. Immediately after that budget deal was done and a fiscal year (FY) 2018 appropriations omnibus was delivered (with an extra $2 billion for agriculture […]
Funding Available for Rural Cooperative Development
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service announced the availability of nearly $9 million in grants to support rural cooperative development. $3 million of those funds are set-aside specifically for grants targeted to socially disadvantaged groups. Cooperative development grant funds are available through the general Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG) […]
$9 Million in Funding Available for Risk Management Training
This week, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the availability of nearly $9 million to support risk management farmer education grants. Funded projects will be awarded through two distinct but related RMA grant programs: the Risk Management Education Partnership Program (RMEP) and the Crop Insurance in Targeted States (TS) program. Additional details on each funding […]
New Funding Opportunity Aims to Increase Sustainability Research
A new funding opportunity offered by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks to help researchers address critical challenges related to the long-term sustainability of agriculture. Late last month, NIFA released a new Request for Applications (RFA) for “Sustainable Agricultural Systems” projects under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). According to […]
Senate Appropriators Advance FY 2019 Agriculture Funding Bill
Each year, Congress passes far-reaching funding legislation, known as appropriations legislation, to fund federal programs across the government. This includes many of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Thursday May 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) […]
The Farm Bill and U.S. Territories: Sustainable Agriculture Programs in Action
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part blog series on how the farm bill impacts farmers and rural communities in the U.S. Territories. This series was written and researched by NSAC policy intern Dariana Mattei-Ramos, a native of Puerto Rico and an advocate for food and agriculture justice. Dariana holds a master’s degree […]
Path To The 2018 Farm Bill: House Farm Bill Defeated
Before 2013, the modern version of the federal farm bill had never been voted down on the floor the House of Representatives. Today is a historic day, because it marks the second time in history – but also the second time in just five years – that a farm bill has been defeated on the […]
House Agriculture FY 2019 Appropriations Bill Advances
This week has been a perfect embodiment of the popular expression, “when it rains, it pours.” Not only has the House – and the sustainable agriculture advocacy community – been busy trying to finalize and pass their version of the 2018 Farm Bill (the bill failed 198-213), they’ve had their hands full with fiscal year […]
COMMENT: House Farm Bill Defeated
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net House Farm Bill Defeated National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition committed to continuing fight for a better bill Washington, DC, May 18, 2018 – Today, the House failed to secure a sufficient number of votes to pass its version of the 2018 Farm Bill – the Agriculture and […]
RELEASE: House Farm Bill Fails on Every Level
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net House Farm Bill Fails on Every Level Farm and food groups urge Congress to vote no on anti-farmer, anti-family, anti-environment farm bill Washington, DC, May 17, 2018 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) – the nation’s longest-operating and largest sustainable agriculture policy […]
The Farm Bill and U.S. Territories: Setting the Stage
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part blog series on how the farm bill impacts farmers and rural communities in the U.S. Territories. This series was written and researched by NSAC policy intern Dariana Mattei-Ramos, a native of Puerto Rico and an advocate for food and agriculture justice. Dariana holds a master’s degree […]
ALERT: Farmers and American Communities Deserve a Better Farm Bill
You might have heard from us last week about the 2018 Farm Bill – thanks for making a call to your Senators to help ensure the Senate’s version of the bill invests in a better food and farm future! Today our focus turns to the other side of Capitol Hill*: the House of Representatives is […]
RELEASE: Bicameral Bill Prioritizes Support for Nation’s Underserved Farmers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Bicameral Bill Prioritizes Support for Nation’s Underserved Farmers National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition praises bill introduction Washington, DC, May 15, 2018 – For the last 30 years, the farm bill’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as “Section […]
Making Sense of the GMO Labeling Proposed Rule
The long awaited GMO labeling proposed rule is finally out for public comment. As you may recall from prior posts, Congress had previously directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to set up a national disclosure standard for “bioengineered” (aka genetically modified “GMO” or genetically engineered “GE” ) foods by July […]
House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Advances FY 2019 Funding Bill
Each year, Congress passes far-reaching funding legislation, known as appropriations legislation, to fund federal programs across the government. This includes many of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Wednesday, May 9, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed its agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year […]
COMMENT: Progress Toward Building More Sustainable Food System Threatened by Cut
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Progress Toward Building a More Sustainable Food System Threatened by Cuts Attacks on key programs would undermine Congress’ recent progress Washington, DC, May 9, 2018 – The budget and appropriations news released this week, which includes the House’s passage of their FY 2019 […]