On Friday, May 8th, the Rural Business Cooperative Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its final rule for the Value Added Producer Grant program (VAPG), effective immediately. This final rule was published in conjunction with the latest announcement of $30 million in funding available for VAPG projects in 2015. The final rule […]
NSAC’S Blog
Congresswomen Hold Briefing to Raise Awareness about Anti-Competitive GIPSA Rider
On Wednesday, June 3, Congresswomen Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) held a briefing for congressional staff and press to raise the awareness about the “GIPSA rider” in advance of likely House Agriculture Appropriations Committee action to advance the rider. The GIPSA rider has blocked USDA from finalizing rules of the road for the […]
Pollinator Conservation Crosses a National Threshold
We are pleased to run this guest post co-written by staff at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, including Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, and Matthew Shepherd, Communications Director. The Xerces Society is an NSAC participating member group. The newly released National Strategy to Protect Pollinators and Their Habitat represents a threshold moment […]
Honey Bee Protection Proposal: New EPA Rule Limits Toxic Pesticides but Fails on Neonics
On Thursday, May 28, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule that would create temporary pesticide-free areas and restrictions on pesticide application to mitigate exposure on contracted managed honeybees. As this language indicates, it specifically aims to protect “honey bee colonies that are under contract to provide pollination services.” This rule comes […]
Millions of Dollars Available to Support Biomass Crop Production for Bioenergy
On Monday, June 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $19.5 million for the production of energy crops and the harvest and delivery of forest or agricultural residues to qualifying energy facilities. Farmers can apply for funding through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). BCAP was established by the 2008 Farm […]
How is USDA Doing Supporting Training for New Farmers?
This post was written and originally published by the Land Stewardship Project, a farmer-based NSAC member organization. This week, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) released their annual report on grants allocated through the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). Completed now for the fifth year, in collaboration with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition […]
Release: Assessment Recommends Improvements to National Beginning Farmer & Rancher Grants Program
Contact: Megan Buckingham, Land Stewardship Project, 612-722-6377; Ferd Hoefner, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, 202-547-5754 Minneapolis, Minn., June 3, 2015 — The nation’s leading public training program for assisting beginning farmers and ranchers is more popular than ever, and with some key adjustments could better fulfill Congress’s intent to target public funding to community-based organizations that conduct […]
Farm Conservation Client Gateway Now Open for Use!
On Wednesday, May 27, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released their long anticipated online portal for conservation activities. This new Conservation Client Gateway, is a streamlined online approach to be used by farmers, ranchers, and private landowners who have or are looking to secure NRCS funding for conservation programs. This Client Gateway is a […]
Programs in Action: SARE Supports Beginning Farmers on the Forefront of Organic Research
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects that support the next generation of farmers. Check out our first blog here, which features two innovative women farmers who used SARE to increase profitability on their farms. The SARE program is a farmer driven research, education […]
New Conservation Reserve Program Sign Ups Unveiled by USDA
On Friday, May 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made three announcements regarding the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): first, USDA will hold a general sign up from December 1, 2015 through February 26, 2016; second, producers who have existing CRP contracts expiring in September 2015 can extend their contracts for one year; and third, […]
What’s all the Flapping About: What do HBO’s John Oliver, Chicken Farmers, and Congress have in Common?
There has been a lot of social media buzz lately about a piece on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver about the plight of chicken farmers (note: does contain adult language, please use discretion) who raise birds on behalf of large integrators, aka the chicken companies (Tyson, Pilgrims Pride, Perdue, and JBS) who own […]
Rural Child Poverty – New White House Report and Initiative
Addressing rural child poverty is the subject of a recently launched White House “Rural Impact” initiative, including a recently published report highlighting the trends in rural poverty in the United States and plans to address the issue through various federal safety net programs and investments. The Report — Opportunity for All: Fighting Rural Child Poverty […]
Release: NSAC Submits Comments on USDA Draft Rule that would continue to allow million dollar subsidy payments to mega-farms
Washington, DC, May 27, 2015 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to undertake a major overhaul of its “actively engaged in farming” draft rule to create fair and effective limitations on the subsidies taxpayers provide to commodity farms. Fair and effective enforcement of the farm bill’s payment […]
FDA Rule on Food Animal Antibiotic Use Data Now Open for Comment
On May 19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a proposed rule that will enable more detailed data collection on antibiotic use in livestock production in the United States. This rule would require drug companies to obtain and report estimates of sales by major food producing species – namely cattle, chickens, turkeys, and pigs. The additional […]
White House Pollinator Strategy Released
The importance of pollinators in food security and agriculture across the country has been a topic of national interest for the last few years. We can thank pollinators for every third bite of food we take, and our nation’s food supply is largely dependent on the health of pollinator insects, birds, bats, and other animals. […]
Millions Still Available to Help Farmers Purchase Land
Please note that this post analyzes loan funding availability for 2015. For a more updated analysis of FSA loan funding, please see our recent posts looking at Commodity, Crop Insurance, and Credit Programs. Are you a farmer? Want more information on Federal Farm and Food Programs? Check out our Grassroots Guide for more information. With less […]
Strategic Economic and Community Development Rule – Open for Comment!
On Tuesday, May 19, the US Department of Agriculture published an interim rule on the Strategic Economic and Community Development program under Section 6025 of the 2014 Farm Bill. This rule, which goes into effect on June 19, sets aside up to 10 percent of funds appropriated to a handful of Rural Development (RD) programs to focus some […]
Upcoming Deadlines for Federal Farm and Food Programs
With seeds in the soil and summer approaching, deadlines for federal farm and food grant programs are coming up as quickly as your seedlings! For farmers, ranchers, and groups who work with producers, the next few months are critical to ensure timely and successful completion of applications, so read on! NSAC has compiled a list of upcoming deadlines […]
New Research: Organic Systems Provide More Market and Ecosystem Value than Conventional Farms
This blog post was originally published by the Organic Farming Research Foundation, an NSAC member organization. We reprint it here with permission. A newly-published study comparing organically-managed and conventional farmland in New Zealand found that organic fields consistently provide more value per acre in the production of beans, peas, barley and wheat. The study, authored by […]
Funding Available to Build Food Safety Training Infrastructure
On Monday, May 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released a request for applications (RFA) to establish Regional Centers for food safety training, education, outreach, extension, and technical assistance. These centers will work in tandem with the yet-to-be-named National Coordination Center as part of a joint effort between […]
Programs in Action: Building Viable Speciality Industries with SARE
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects that support women and beginning farmers. The SARE program is a farmer driven research, education and extension grants program designed to help advance sustainable agriculture across the country. Over the past 25 years, SARE has […]
Organizations Defend Rural Development Funding in 2016 Appropriations
On Thursday, May 14, the Campaign for a Renewed Rural Development (CRRD) — a coalition of organizations that works to advance rural development — delivered a letter urging the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees to support key rural development programs during the fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations process. The letter urges appropriators to protect and […]
Organic Certification Cost Share Now Available for 2015
On Thursday, May 14, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of approximately $11.9 million in funding for organic certification cost-share assistance for organic producers and handlers through state departments of agriculture. Payments for certification-related expenses incurred from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015 can cover up to 75 percent of an individual […]
House Passes Bill to Withdraw Clean Water Rule
In yet another attempt to halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule clarifying the scope of its jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, the House passed a bill on May 11 requiring EPA to withdraw the proposed rule and start the process over. The bill passed 261-155, with all voting Republicans in favor of […]