This guest blog post highlights the critical role of organic agriculture in addressing sustainability and health concerns within food systems. It discusses the concerning decrease in funding specifically allocated for organic-dedicated competitive grant programs in the Presidential Budget Request for fiscal year 2025 and analyzes the justifications provided for this shift. The post emphasizes the importance of proactive engagement from the scientific community, legislators, and funding agencies to ensure robust support for organic agriculture research and development…. Read More →
Carousel
USDA Announces Recipients of New Healthy Food Financing Expansion Grant
The USDA Rural Development, in collaboration with Reinvestment Fund, has announced the recipients of over $40 million in grants for the inaugural round of the Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program, aimed at expanding or creating new Healthy Food Financing Programs with technical and financial assistance; this program, funded partly through the American Rescue Plan, supports public-private partnerships to increase access to healthy food in underserved areas, emphasizing capacity building and credit enhancement activities…. Read More →
Take Action: This Farm Bill Should Center Conservation, Not Consolidation
This week, farmers, consumers, and advocates across the country are making calls to Congress with a central message: pass a farm bill for all farmers that centers conservation, not consolidation. Farm bill negotiations may be heating up once again after a standstill that has left members of Congress divided about what to prioritize. Now is the time to act. … Read More →
Senate Bill Offers a Pathway to Sustain Local Food Purchasing Program
Senator Jack Reed introduced the EAT Local Foods Act of 2024, aiming to sustain the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance program, which supports local food systems and addresses food insecurity. The bill, endorsed by various organizations, farms, and businesses, seeks to continue the LFPA’s success in investing in local food systems and creating economic opportunities for producers. The LFPA program, which has already proven popular and impactful, strategically leverages funding to support small and midsize growers nationwide, benefiting both farmers and low-income families, and the bill proposes improvements and a pathway for its permanence…. Read More →
SARE Delivers for Farmers. Will Congress Deliver for SARE?
NSAC and 97 other organizations have urged Congressional Appropriators to fully fund the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program at $60 million for fiscal year 2025. SARE, established over 35 years ago, focuses on farmer-driven research and education initiatives but has yet to reach its fully authorized funding amount. Despite its proven effectiveness in addressing agricultural challenges, demand for SARE funding surpasses available resources, making increased funding crucial for addressing issues such as soil health, rural economy, and climate change resilience…. Read More →
CBO’s Farm Bill Baseline, Explained
The Congressional Budget Office releases annual baseline projections for federal agriculture policy, including the farm bill, which significantly influence policy debates and outcomes. The latest projections show a decrease in the ten-year cost of farm bill-related programs, primarily due to a drop in SNAP costs but countered by a substantial increase in the crop insurance program’s expenses. Changes in these projections impact the cost and effectiveness of policy proposals, especially regarding crop insurance reform and commodity programs, while also affecting conservation programs and nutrition assistance, ultimately shaping the direction and scope of future farm bills…. Read More →
$22 Million Announced for Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative
USDA NRCS has announced $22 million in funding for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, aiming to support managed grazing practices. This funding, combining appropriations from fiscal years 2023 and 2024, will provide technical assistance and education to livestock producers, aiming to improve conservation practices on grazing lands. Cooperative agreements, falling into two categories with varying durations and funding amounts, are open for applications until May 26, 2024, with selections anticipated by June 25, 2024…. Read More →
Everything You Need to Know About FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations
On March 8, 2024, Congress finally approved a final FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 funds USDA and FDA – alongside numerous other departments and agencies – through September 30, 2024. This blog post examines the food and agriculture components of the CAA and its significance amidst Congress’s delayed appropriations process. … Read More →
Recent Investments Fuel Local Food Systems
This blog post is the post in a series highlighting how recent supply chain investments were unique and pivotal in expanding infrastructure to respond to growing farmer demand, reducing costly wait times, and reaching diversified operations. … Read More →
Expanded and Easier Access to LAMP Funding Now Available
In this blog post, NSAC shares all the details around the $26 million in grant funding currently available through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) for projects enhancing producer-to-consumer marketing and local food enterprises, with changes aligning with advocacy priorities for better access and effectiveness. Notable changes include updated eligibility criteria for equipment purchases and prioritization of projects supporting existing partnerships. Prospective applicants are directed to attend webinars and encouraged to volunteer for grant peer review panels…. Read More →
Examining the Latest Agricultural Census Data
Last month, USDA released the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture, which has been conducted since 1840 and currently is updated once every five years, serves as perhaps the primary data source for understanding the state of US food and agriculture and is a critical tool for farmers, researchers, and stakeholders because of the wealth of data it contains about everything from farmer demographics to cover crop acreage. This post is the first in a two-part series through which NSAC examines the latest Census of Agriculture in detail. This post explores some of the high-level themes from across the Census…. Read More →
Riders in the Night: Harmful Provisions in the House Spending Bill
Funding for USDA and three other federal departments is set to expire at midnight March 1, absent congressional approval of a FY24 appropriations bill, or an extension of current funding. Amidst final-hour congressional negotiations to fend off a shutdown, several policy “riders” have emerged as sticking points in reaching a deal on agriculture spending in particular. This post examines several proposed policy riders as Congress seeks to conclude FY24 appropriations negotiations…. Read More →
Find a Crop Insurance Agent Who Sells Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Near You
The USDA’s RMA has released a directory of crop insurance agents specializing in Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), aiding farmers in finding agents experienced in selling policies tailored to smaller, diversified operations. This resource, which NSAC has advocated for, aims to address the challenge of locating knowledgeable agents and is part of broader efforts to improve and expand WFRP through legislative initiatives like the WFRP Improvement Act…. Read More →
From the Field – Meat Processing Technical Assistance Success
The guest post from the Flower Hill Institute outlines progress made in diversifying and strengthening the meat and poultry processing industry in the US through the Biden Administration’s funding initiatives, such as cooperative expansions, regional enterprises, and tribal initiatives. Despite significant demand for resources, the post highlights challenges and emphasizes the importance of sustained funding, technical assistance, and regulatory support for small processors to ensure continued growth and resilience in the sector…. Read More →
RFA Roundup: Spring 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Funding Opportunities
USDA has announced several funding opportunities for sustainable agriculture. This blog post outlines the funding guidelines, application deadlines, and program requirements for a range of food and farm system grants funded through USDA that are currently accepting applications. The funding opportunities fall into three categories: Research and Education, Local Food (including urban and rural-focused programs) and Nutrition, Climate, Conservation, and Energy…. Read More →
NSAC Members Meet in DC for Annual Meeting
NSAC members gathered in Washington, DC between January 29 and February 1, 2024, to work together on the coalition’s campaigns and strategy for the following months. This post shares some highlights from the member meeting and our Hill Day that followed. … Read More →
Farmer Roundtable Highlights Urgent Need to Bolster IRA Funding for Sustainable Farming
This post highlights some of the farmers who came from across the country to discuss firsthand how the IRA has provided much-needed, long-sought federal funding to bolster farmer-led conservation efforts. Their stories of how climate change is affecting their farms were shared at a public roundtable hosted by the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) looking at the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) transformational investments in climate and clean energy solutions for America’s food producers. … Read More →
The Fifth National Climate Assessment: Implications for Agriculture
The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) highlights the current and future implications of climate change for agriculture in the US. The assessment reveals a grim outlook with substantial climate shifts predicted across the country and emphasizes the rising risks to agricultural production due to climate change, ranking this evaluation as “very likely” with “very high confidence” in its accuracy, while also presenting planned solutions to reduce emissions and transform farming systems towards greater resilience…. Read More →
Sowing Seeds of Impact: NSAC’s Year in Review and Vision for 2024
It has been a long, unusual year for federal policy, and the implications for sustainable agriculture and food systems policy have been unmistakable. In our latest blog post, NSAC highlights all that we achieved in 2023 towards building a more sustainable, equitable transformations in the food and farming system…. Read More →
Farmer Conservation Stories: Why Inflation Reduction Act Funding Must Remain Focused on Climate Change
This is the second post in a two-part blog series highlighting stories of farmers who have used practices from the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry practice list to build climate resilience and mitigation solutions. This week’s post shares stories of how farmers are preparing for and responding to climate change. … Read More →
Inflation Reduction Act Conservation Dollars Are a Vital Bulwark Against Climate Change
The Inflation Reduction Act allocated nearly $20 billion in new agricultural conservation funding across key programs to address climate change challenges faced by farmers. This historic investment, distributed through programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, supports practices that enhance both greenhouse gas mitigation and on-farm resilience. Despite positive impacts reported by farmers who received funding, challenges persist, including the need for increased financial support, overcoming barriers in accessing funds, and ensuring the broad implementation of conservation practices to build a more climate-resilient agricultural landscape…. Read More →
USDA Unveils Streamlined Local Food Funding
USDA recently announced the 2023 Regional Food System Partnership, Farmers Market Promotion and Local Food Promotion program awards. This year, AMS offered a new ‘turnkey’ application process for applicants seeking funding for a specific set of marketing and promotion activities for Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion grants. This post highlights this new process and features NSAC members who were awarded a grant this year…. Read More →
Strengthening Local Processing Act – Critical Reasons for Support in the Farm Bill
The Strengthening Local Processing Act (SLPA) is the most comprehensive meat processing bill around, with specific provisions that address competition, demand for local products, and access to value added services in the meat processing sector. Led by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jim Baird (R-IN), this comprehensive solution to some of the greatest barriers facing independent and small-scale producers and processors has garnered strong bipartisan support, in both the House and Senate. … Read More →
From Commodification to Conservation: Restoring Agrobiodiversity Through Seed Breeding – Part II:
This post is the second in a two-part series about seed breeding. It explores the impacts of consolidation and concentration of seed breeding on farmers and our food systems and offers policy recommendations for democratic seed breeding system…. Read More →