On Monday, October 24, NSAC joined with 115 other organizations across the country on a sign-on letter to Congress, to advocate for federal programs and policies that would support beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, including tribal producers and farmworkers. The letter was delivered to members of both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, as they […]
Beginning and Minority Farmers
Beginning Farmer Bill Introduced in Congress to Include in Farm Bill
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release October 25, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner, Juli Obudzinski, 202-547-5754 Beginning Farmer Bill Introduced in Congress for Inclusion in New Farm Bill Washington, D.C. October 25, 2011 – House and Senate members today announced the introduction of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 [H.R. 3236], a […]
Today is Food Day! Join us in this call to action
Today, Monday 24th 2011, is Food Day. Please join the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) in answering this call to action. Healthy, green, fair, and affordable food is important to all Americans. Today we come together with people across the country who are hosting Food Day events in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, […]
Super Fast Farm Bill? Super Fast Update!
Last Monday, the Republican and Democratic leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction suggesting a net $23 billion cut in mandatory farm bill spending over the next decade as their collective recommendation to the Joint Select Committee (hereafter referred to as the Super […]
BFRDP Proposals Due in November, Grant Writing Webinar on 10/21
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced that the Request for Application (RFA) for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is now available, and applications are due by Nov. 22, 2011. Projects will be awarded in 2012 and performed between October 2012 and September 2013. Approximately $19 million is expected to […]
Agriculture Committee Leader Letter Sent to Super Committee
Over the weekend we reported the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees had not finalized their letter to the congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the Super Committee) recommended cuts to farm bill programs. That letter became final today and has been sent to the Super […]
No Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Letter Yet
The October 14 deadline for the authorizing committees of Congress to send their deficit reduction recommendations to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (often referred to as the Super Committee) has passed without a letter from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. Word from the House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over the farm […]
White House Rural Council Releases its “Feedback from Rural America” Report
On June 9, 2011, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Rural Council. Since the establishment of the Council, the President, the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and various senior Administration officials have established an open dialogue with rural America through making nearly 200 visits to rural communities throughout the country. These […]
You watched it, passed it on, now you can take action!
Thanks to all of you that watched the beginning farmer and rancher video below and shared it through your social networks! The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 will be introduced in Congress next week! This is our chance to ensure food security for future generations and new farming enterprises that can bring […]
USDA Announces 2011 Beginning Farmer Awards and 2012 Request for Applications
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition For Immediate Release September 30, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner, Juli Obudzinski, 202-547-5754 USDA Awards $18 Million to Support Beginning Farmers Washington, D.C. September 30, 2011 – Today, USDA announced $18 million in grants to beginning farmers and ranchers at a press conference held in Washington, D.C. USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan […]
This is Our Chance – Last Chance
Only once every 5 years do you have the opportunity to truly change our food and farm system through the farm bill! The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 will be introduced in Congress next week – this is our chance to ensure food security for future generations and new farming enterprises that […]
An Extraordinary Opportunity
Who will grow food for future generations? Act now to help launch a new generation of sustainable farmers and ranchers! The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture called attention to a real worry when he asked: “Why not place the nation’s attention on the need for young farmers on the same plane as police officers and teachers? […]
Watch and Pass It On: Who Will Grow Food for Future Generations?
To create a revitalized, healthier, and safer U.S. food and farm system we need to cultivate a new generation of farmers and ranchers – and quickly. The current farm population is aging rapidly, and while there are many people that want to farm and ranch they face tremendous obstacles entering this field. In the coming […]
Farmer Backlog for Federal Credit Addressed but Serious Gap Remains
On July 28, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) transferred unneeded Guaranteed Farm Operating Loan (GOL) funds to two credit programs with higher demand – Direct Farm Operating Loans (DOL) and Guaranteed Farm Ownership (GFO) loans. FSA has general authority to transfer a portion of appropriated funds from one loan program to another to bring spending […]
USDA Announces $3.2 Million in 2011 Rural Business Enterprise Grants
On Thursday, August 18, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $3.2 million in grants to a variety of investments in rural and Tribal community development across the nation. A total of 32 projects in 15 states will receive funding. These grants are awarded annually by USDA’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program, […]
Conservation Stewardship Program Update – Part III
Note: This is the third and final blog post summarizing initial data we are receiving from USDA National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on the Conservation Stewardship Program. You can read the first blog post in this series here and the second blog post here. This blog post highlights participation of specialty crop producers and beginning, […]
House Holds Hearing on USDA Research Programs
On Thursday, July 28, the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held an audit hearing on federal research programs administered by USDA. This was the ninth hearing on farm bill programs the Committee has held this year. The Committee heard testimony from top administrators of four agencies that make […]
Financing Measure Could Boost Farm Production in Food Deserts
Guest Post We welcome farm and food consultants Bob Heuer and Patty Cantrell to our page today on a very timely issue. To take action, please see NSAC’s action alert on the proposed Farm Credit System rule and its potential impact on the availability of local foods. Public comments are due Monday. By Bob Heuer […]
Choices Magazine edition highlights Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Choices Magazine, a publication of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, released a themed edition focused on beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States. Choices Magazine is a a free online quarterly peer-reviewed journal that covers agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities and environmental issues. The Innovations to Support Beginning Farmer and […]
House Holds Farm Credit Hearing
On Thursday, July 14, the House Subcommittee on Agriculture Department Operations, Oversight and Credit held an audit hearing to discuss farm loan programs, hearing witness testimony from FSA Administrator Bruce Nelson and Assistant Deputy Administrator Jim Radintz. The hearing was relatively short, ending abruptly when members were notified of an imminent floor vote. Leading the […]
Pigford II Settlement Update
In November 2010, Congress authorized nearly $4.6 billion to fund the settlements in two class-action discrimination lawsuits on behalf of African-American farmers unfairly denied farm credit and Native American tribes whose trust accounts were mismanaged by the Department of Interior. On July 13, 2011, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives issued an excellent press release summarizing […]
Rural Coalition’s National Rural Gathering
From June 22 through 26, Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural held its National Rural Gathering: Water, Land, Energy, and Food in Shawnee and Wewoka, Oklahoma. Located in the heart of the Seminole Nation, better supporting socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers was the major focus of the gathering. NSAC works with the Rural Coalition to advocate for […]
Oklahoma’s Sustainable Agriculture
Last month, NSAC Policy Associate Helen Dombalis traveled to Oklahoma where she explored the state’s many sustainable agriculture endeavors. Policy Advocacy and Research: GIPSA, Conservation, and Beyond – Yukon and Oklahoma City Helen was joined by sustainable agriculture advocate and farmer Kathy Moore of Anichini-Moore Ranch & Farm and co-founder of the Oklahoma Composting Council. […]
Articles of Note in Latest JAFSCD Issue
Among the many excellent articles contained in the latest issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development are three with special relevance to NSAC’s work. An article highlighting African American farmers is available without a subscription until July 16. Access to the full issue requires a subscription, but the abstracts can be […]