Much of the national policy news this week has focused on House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) sudden move, in the middle of negotiations with the President over the so-called fiscal cliff issues, to take time out to have the House vote (this evening) on his “Plan B.” That Plan B would combine votes on tax […]
Beginning and Minority Farmers
New Organic Certification Guides from ATTRA
Earlier this year, USDA launched its new Organic Literacy Initiative, an effort to help connect current and prospective organic farmers, ranchers, and processors with the USDA resources available to them. As part of this initiative, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has partnered with the National Organic Program (NOP) on four new guides with […]
Calling All Farmers: Participate in the 2012 Census of Agriculture!
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is currently mailing the 2012 Census of Agriculture form to all farmers and ranchers. USDA uses the results of the Census to shape programs and services for farmers and rural communities. Legislators rely on the results of the Census to inform key policy decisions and monitor trends in agriculture. […]
Farm Service Agency Increasing Action on Program for New Farmers and Ranchers
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is taking steps to increase participation in the Land Contract Guarantee Program. The program facilitates the transfer of a farm or ranch to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher who may have a relatively short credit history or limited farming experience. In order to be eligible for this […]
Stories from the Field: Show Me the Numbers – The Importance of Data
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without funding. This post is the final post in our 10-week blog series that […]
New Report Evaluates 2012 Beginning Farmer Awards
The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) has recently issued a report evaluating the 2012 grant allocations through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NSAC collaborated on the evaluation and report. The evaluation included a phone survey of 36 out […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: No Bill is Better than a Bad Bill
Last week we tried to address what a good 2012 Farm Bill deal would look like. This week, as last, the so-called “gang of four” — Senate Agriculture Chair and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) and House Agriculture Chair and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) — are meeting […]
What’s at Stake: Data on Organic Farming
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without mandatory funding. This is the last post in our 10-week “What’s at Stake?” […]
USDA Webinar on Writing Farm to School Grant Proposals
On Tuesday, December 11, USDA will hold a webinar at 1 p.m. EST to discuss best practices when applying for Farm to School grants. USDA recently announced the recipients of the first-ever round of Farm to School Grants. The purpose of this webinar is to summarize trends observed in this year’s successful applications in preparation […]
Strengthening Policy for Soil Health and a Food Secure World
All week we have posted articles from people involved with USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program about soil health and cover cropping. SARE offers a rich stockpile of research results and educational materials on these issues that will help farmers adopt best practices and also help inform USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) […]
Researchers and Educators Collaborate to Teach Youth about Cover Crops
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service recently launched a soil health initiative entitled, “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil.” The initiative aims to help farmers enhance soil health by raising awareness and sharing methods and success stories. This is the fourth post in a five-post series on sustainable soil management, research, and […]
Stories from the Field: Farmland Access in South Dakota
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without funding. This post is part of our 10-week blog series which will feature […]
What’s at Stake: Support for the Next Generation of Farmer-Stewards
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without mandatory funding. This is the eighth post in our 10-week “What’s at Stake?” […]
Stories from the Field: Making Sustainable Ag Information Accessible to Underserved Farmers
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without funding. This post is part of our 10-week blog series which will feature […]
Over 160 Organizations Urge Congress to Support New Farmers
On Tuesday, November 13, more than 160 organizations from around the country delivered a letter to House and Senate Agriculture Committee members and Congressional leaders in support of robust funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program (2501). The letter also […]
What’s at Stake: Support for Socially Disadvantaged Producers
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without funding. This is the seventh post in our 10-week “What’s at Stake?” series […]
Stories from the Field: “New Farmer’s Guide: Cultivating Success at Farmers Markets”
Due to inaction in Congress, the 2008 Farm Bill expired on September 30. While the big ticket items such as food stamps, crop insurance, and commodity support will continue to receive funding in the interim, there is no support for the lower profile programs that drive innovation, create jobs, and support the next generation of […]
Stories from the Field: Training My Generation
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without funding. This post is part of our 10-week blog series which will feature […]
What’s at Stake: Beginning Farmers
Due to Congressional inaction, the 2008 Farm Bill has expired without a new bill or extension to take its place. In the absence of a farm bill, numerous innovative programs that invest in sustainable agriculture systems are shut down and left without funding. This is the first post in our 10-week “What’s at Stake?” series […]
2012 Specialty Crop Block Grants and Specialty Crop Research Initiative Grants Announced
On Monday, October 1, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced a total of $101 million in funding for specialty crops through the 2012 Specialty Grant Program (SCBG) awards and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) awards for 2012. The 2012 funding includes specialty crop block grants to each state funding 748 projects nationwide for a total of […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Farm Bill Expires on Monday — What Does It Mean and What Happens Now?
We have been fielding lots of questions in the past few weeks following the congressional meltdown on the new farm bill. This is not surprising, given Congress’ failure to date to either pass a new farm bill or to enact a short-term extension of the existing farm bill before the farm bill expires at midnight, […]
Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Congress Returns to DC with No Clear Path Forward
Earlier this month, when Congress left the heat and humidity of the DC summer to go on August recess, the fate of the 2012 Farm Bill remained unclear. (If you need a refresher on where we are in the process, recall that the House Agriculture Committee passed its version of the bill in July, but […]
USDA Announces 2012 Beginning Farmer Training Grants
Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $18 million in funding to support new farmer training and education programs at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. These new grant awards were made available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) – a federal competitive grants program administered by USDA’s National Institute of […]
USDA Announces Awards Targeted at Socially Disadvantaged Producers
On Wednesday, August 8th, USDA announced $19 million in grants that will support outreach and technical assistance projects aimed at socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, including Hispanic, tribal, African-American, and women producers. These grants were awarded through USDA’s Outreach and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program, also known as the 2501 Outreach […]