Every year, NSAC partners with coalition members to organize dozens of farmers and ranchers across the country to share their stories, ideas, and needs with Congressmembers. Marking one year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NSAC gathered once again this spring to host our third virtual farmer fly-in here (and everywhere) in DC.! Last […]
Budget and Appropriations
Government Funding Bill – Sustainable Agriculture Wins
With the country facing an imminent government shutdown, the President finally signed the $2.3 trillion Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 on December 28th. This bill includes both badly needed emergency COVID-19 relief aid as well as regular fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations. For more information on the COVID-19 relief aspects of the bill check […]
Top 20 Wins (and Fights!) for Sustainable Agriculture in 2020
The end of the year is just around the corner – and what a year it has been! In these times of pain, uncertainty, reflection, and action, two things are certain: (1) our country and our world as we know it will never quite be the same, and (2) the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) […]
Farm to School Projects – $10 million in Grants Available and a New Streamlined Application Option
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the opening of the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Farm to School (F2S) Grant Program request for applications (RFA). Administered by the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems, the program provides farmers, schools, local government, and healthy food advocates […]
Bare Minimum, Last Minute
Last Wednesday night with only a few hours to spare, Congress did what many observers and advocates for months had been citing as inevitable. They sent an appropriations Continuing Resolution (CR) to the President’s desk that puts off final decisions about Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 spending until after the November general election. The CR ensures […]
Grassroots Leaders Present Appropriations Asks in Virtual Fly-In
Each summer, NSAC is proud to bring dozens of farmer and rancher voices to Washington, DC for our annual fly-in lobby days. To recognize the importance of this grassroots advocacy work while also protecting the safety of farmer-leaders, we adapted to organize virtually this summer – our second virtual fly-in this year. In July, farmers […]
The Senate is Negotiating Pandemic Aid: What Does it Mean for Farmers and Food Systems?
On Monday, July 27, 2020, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the highly anticipated HEALS Act. This $1 trillion bill is the Senate Majority proposal for the fourth coronavirus response package (C4), which will serve as the starting point for Senate negotiations. In this post we will examine the farm and food systems provisions of the […]
USDA Programs Support Small Meat Processing Plants
There are a few existing federal programs that could be expanded to further support small, local, and regional meat and poultry processing plants and increase farmers’ access to slaughter and processing options…. Read More →
…But Wait, There’s More! Additional Farmer Stories From NSAC’s First Virtual Fly-In
Editor’s note: This blog post is the second in a two-part series featuring farmer advocates from NSAC’s virtual appropriations fly-in held earlier this spring. Click here to check out the first post, which includes additional fly-in details and an outlook on appropriations amidst COVID-19. At the end of March, NSAC hosted its very first “virtual” […]
Farmers “Call” on Congress to Deliver Appropriations Asks in First Virtual NSAC Fly-In
Editor’s note: This blog is the first of a two-part series featuring farmer advocates from the NSAC virtual appropriations fly-in. Click here for additional farmer stories! Each spring, when visitors normally flock to Washington, DC to see the renowned cherry blossoms, a select set of dedicated advocates are drawn to the nation’s capital for a […]
A Plea for Food and Agriculture Research Funding
Federal funding for food and agriculture public research has stagnated for decades, declining in real terms even while other federal agencies have seen their budgets trend steadily upward and even while China has long since overtaken the US as the major public investor in the sector. Yet, our food and agricultural system is a key […]
The President’s FY 2021 Budget Proposal and Sustainable Agriculture Priorities
Once again President Trump has offered a budget request to Congress that contradicts many of his public statements regarding his Administration’s support for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Like each of the previous budget request proposed by President Trump, the fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget includes substantial cuts to federal food and farm programs. President […]
RELEASE: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Sets 2020 Policy Priorities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Sets 2020 Policy Priorities Washington, DC, February 4, 2020 – Last week, representatives from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) 130+ member organizations voted on a final set of policy and funding priorities to guide the Coalition’s work through 2020. “This collaborative priority […]
Congress Clears FY 2020 Appropriations Packages
This week, after months of delay, Congress passed a much-anticipated deal to fund the government through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2020. FY 2020 runs through September 30, 2020. The $1.4 trillion package of discretionary spending bills, which was divided up into two “minibuses”, was finally delivered this week after months of rigorous advocacy […]
COMMENT: FY 2020 “Minibus” Bolsters Farm Bill Wins for Sustainable Agriculture
The final appropriations package builds upon the sustainable agriculture community’s hard-fought farm bill wins and delivers much-needed support to family farmers across the country at a time when good news is increasingly hard to come by. … Read More →
COMMENT: Senate Advances Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Today, the Senate passed on the floor, as part of a four bill “minibus”, the final version of their Agriculture Appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2019…. Read More →
Senate Appropriations Bill Underfunds Priority Farm and Food Programs
With only six days left in the current fiscal year (FY), Congress is slowly but surely making progress on a final funding package for FY 2020. Last week, the Senate moved the ball forward by “marking up” and passing their agriculture appropriations bill out of both the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and full Senate Appropriations […]
RELEASE: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Urges Congress Not to Shortchange Farmers in FY 2020 Appropriations Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Urges Congress Not to Shortchange Farmers in FY 2020 Appropriations Bill Washington, DC, September 20, 2019 – Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced their funding priorities for several spending bills (including agriculture) for fiscal year (FY) 2020. Disappointingly, the Senate bill […]
Congress Returns from Recess, Another Shutdown Threat Looms
Every August, Members of Congress head home for a month long legislative break known as “August recess” – which typically spills over through the Labor Day holiday. Now that August has come and gone, Members in both the House and the Senate are returning to the capital with a full schedule ahead of them. What’s […]
COMMENT: Mandatory Farm Bill Funds Traded Away in Budget Negotiations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Mandatory Farm Bill Funds Traded Away in Budget Negotiations Washington, DC, August 1, 2019 – After months of handwringing and tense negotiations, today Congress passed – and the President is expected to sign – a two-year budget deal that sets overall funding levels […]
Two-Year Budget Deal Includes Major Offsets, Impacts Farm + Food Programs
After months of uncertainty and start-and-stop negotiations between Congress and the White House, last week congressional leaders finally announced a two-year budget agreement. In addition to setting top-line funding levels so that the government can keep running, the budget deal sets annual discretionary spending caps for defense and non-defense programs for fiscal years (FY) 2020 […]
From the Farm to the Hill: NSAC Hosts FY 2020 Farmer Fly-in
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) brought in over a dozen farmers and advocates for the Coalition’s second “farmer fly-in” of 2019. Fly-in advocates from ten different states across the country came to DC to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities before congressional appropriators. Currently, Congress is negotiating federal […]
House Funding Bill Includes Strong Support for Sustainable Agriculture
Appropriations season is well underway in the nation’s capital, with the House clearing the way for a bill that would boost funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration for the next fiscal year, starting on September 30. The fiscal year (FY) 2020 “minibus” appropriations bill passed this week by […]
Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum Going
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum GoingNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition fly-in participants hope to secure FY 2020 appropriations wins in final spending package Washington, D.C., June 27, 2019 – With big wins already secured for sustainable agriculture in […]