On Wednesday, September 30, the final day of fiscal year (FY) 2015, Congress passed a two-and-a-half month funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to extend existing funding levels and policy riders through December 11. … Read More →
Budget and Appropriations
Shutdown or No Shutdown: What Does it All Mean for Agriculture?
As Congress begins to recover from Pope Francis’ visit to the Capitol and process Leader Boehner’s (R-OH) announcement that he will leave Congress in October, it will once again be facing the task of how to fund the government and prevent a shutdown with only days left before the end of the fiscal year…. Read More →
Over 100 Organizations Deliver Letter Opposing Cuts to Conservation
On Thursday, September 17, more than 100 organizations from around the country delivered a letter urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to “protect mandatory funding for farm bill conservation programs, support robust discretionary funding for Conservation Technical Assistance, and reject any attempt to undermine highly erodible land and wetland conservation compliance” in fiscal year […]
USDA Seeks Input on New Report on Climate Change and Food Security
On Tuesday, September 8, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a draft of the interagency assessment report, “Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System” in the Federal Register. USDA is requesting input from the public through October 8, and will publish the final report online when it becomes available. While the […]
Congress Returns to Full Plate and Looming Deadlines
Congress returned to Washington, D.C. this week to face a full fall agenda after more than one month away. The docket for the next three months includes: A long-term bill to fund infrastructure repairs and updates on bridges, highways, and transit; An extension of funding authority for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); An extension of […]
Millions Available for Production of Second-Generation Biofuels
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $7.7 million through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) for producers to grow biomass for bioenergy production within four existing BCAP “project areas.” Project areas are geographic areas within which producers can establish and produce perennial biomass such as poplar, switchgrass, and […]
Members of Congress Call on FDA to Begin Outreach and Education to Farmers on New Food Safety Rules
With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) poised to release new food safety rules for produce growers and food facilities this fall, Members of Congress are drawing attention to the urgent need for outreach, education, and training – particularly as faced by small-scale farms newly subject to food safety requirements. Members of both the House […]
USDA Awards $63 Million for Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Conservation
On August 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $63 million in grants and loans to 264 renewable energy generation and energy conservation projects through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Projects and Funding Breakdown Of the $63 million, USDA awarded $3.6 million as grants and $59.3 million as loan guarantees. According to […]
Congress Leaves for Summer Recess with Big Plate Pending for Fall
Members of Congress are heading out of town this week and next for their month-long August recess, and have left many loose ends, with more to follow when they return after Labor Day. The House began their recess mid-week, while the Senate may continue their work into early next week before leaving for recess. There […]
Ready or Not, Here Comes FSMA! – Part 2
Yesterday, we published an update on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules that FDA will be finalizing this fall. It included a recap of the rulemaking process, a timeline to keep in mind as the rules are finalized, and information on key implementation issues. This post wraps up the FSMA update with a focus […]
What’s in the Senate Funding Bill for Sustainable Agriculture?
Pop quiz: What do Frankenfish, Orca Whales, and whole grains all have in common? Answer: They were all part of the amendment process today as the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced their version of next year’s federal funding bill for food, agriculture, and rural development. Read on for our analysis of the Senate funding bill that […]
National Working Group Recommends Path to Improved Soil Health
Late last month, the National Working Group on Cover Crops and Soil Health released a list of ten recommendations for improving soil health and expanding the use of cover crops to achieve that goal. The Working Group rolled out the recommendations in a presentation to a variety of Washington D.C. based agriculture and conservation groups, including […]
House Committee Passes USDA-FDA Funding Bill, Rejects Reform Amendments
On Wednesday, July 8, the House Appropriations Committee passed the 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which funds most of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can visit our previous post for a full breakdown of the bill as it stood before debate by the full […]
Sustainable Agriculture Research Falling Further Behind
Farmers are constantly innovating on their farms, and experimenting with new ways to control pests or boost yields or conserve water on their fields. Farmers’ bottom lines are at stake, especially new farmers getting started out. They have no choice but to find better, more effective ways to address the many challenges that Mother Nature […]
Farmers Travel to DC to Support Funding for Sustainable Agriculture Programs
On June 25th, farmers, farm advocates, and agricultural researchers from around the country flew to Washington, DC to share their stories with decision-makers in Congress, the White House, and at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Participants hailed from California, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maine, Kansas, and Georgia. NSAC hosted this fly-in at a critical juncture as […]
Climate Change and Agriculture – Week in Review
Climate change has enormous implications for farmers and ranchers across the country, and, this week, several announcements provided new climate change adaptation and mitigation information for agriculture. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) continues to advocate that this critical nexus between climate change and agriculture must be addressed through farm bill conservation programs, sustainable and organic […]
2016 Funding Bill Opens Payment Loophole, Cuts Conservation and Renewable Energy
On Thursday, June 18, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed its funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2016. Overall, the bill provides $20.65 billion in discretionary funding, $175 million less than last year’s enacted level and a whopping $1.1 billion less than the USDA request. The full House Appropriations Committee will now take up the […]
Digging into the Nation’s Leading Conservation Program – Part V
Yesterday we examined Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) participation trends for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as well as organic and transitioning-to-organic farmers across the country. We also looked at the distribution of contracts by funding amount, in order to determine how well CSP is serving farms and ranches of a variety of scales. […]
House and Senate Vote to Stop Clean Water Rule and Cut Environmental Funding
On Wednesday, June 10, the House Subcommittee that funds the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Interior (DOI) passed its fiscal year (FY) 2016 spending bill, voting to cut EPA funding and include a “policy rider” to stop EPA from administering its Clear Water Rule, also known as the Waters of the United States […]
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 […]
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 […]
130 Organizations Deliver Letter Opposing Cuts to Conservation
On Tuesday, May 5, more than 130 organizations from around the country urged the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees to oppose cuts to farm bill conservation funding in fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations legislation. The letter was sent by a broad range of groups, including the American Seed Trade Association, National Farmers Union, American Society […]
New Funding Available for Conservation Partnership Projects
On Monday, May 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of up to $235 million to fund conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in fiscal year 2016. As its name implies, RCPP supports partnerships between farm and conservation organizations working with state and federal agencies to deliver federal farm […]
House and Senate Release Negotiated Budget Resolution for 2016
On Wednesday, April 29, House and Senate negotiators released a compromise budget resolution, known as a “conference report,” which sets out spending levels and policy goals for 2016 and beyond. The House and Senate passed their respective versions of the annual budget resolution at the end of March. The House is expected to vote on […]